Review Summary: On the line between Mercyful Fate and King Diamond and bringing the best of both worlds
With Mercyful Fate’s return and King Diamond assuming double duty through most of the nineties, the lines between the two projects get rather blurry. I wouldn’t go as far as to say 1993’s In The Shadows is some kind of Mercyful Fate in name only deal, but this isn’t the arcane entity that helped define black metal a decade prior. Their musicianship is less feral with experience, bringing their hard rock melodicism to the forefront, and the Satanic theme seems to be strictly relegated to the Faustian card game depicted on “Thirteen Invitations.”
This ambiguity is reinforced by the band members utilizing tendencies from both projects. The vocals are obviously the grand unifier between them but the storytelling acrobatics seen in the King’s solo venture are given much more priority while Morten Nielsen’s drumming feels more aligned with Mikkey Dee’s hard-hitting gallops than Kim Ruzz’s patterns. Of course, the guitars are all Mercyful Fate with the classic Shermann/Denner duo proving their signature prowess with blunt riffs and warped phrasings that set them apart from LaRocque’s neoclassical tendencies.
All this nitpicking might suggest displeasure with the material but it ends up being the opposite as the songs are quite well-written and executed. “Egypt” is a strong opener as its opening atmospheric call flows well into its dark speedy bursts while “Shadows” and “A Gruesome Time” ride out more straightforward mid-tempo romps. “The Old Oak” and “Legend of the Headless Rider” emphasize their strengths with longer compositions, the latter’s contorted moods coming off especially effective, and “Is That You, Melissa?” comes full circle with its harpsichord-driven melody accompanied by sweeping guitars and back-and-forth vocals that come the closest to channeling that old Fate flair.
As much as I do miss those old menacing grimoires, the lyrics do a good job of presenting some self-contained narratives. It feels almost Americanized as “The Old Oak” and “Legend of the Headless Rider” are more rooted in our 19th century tall tales than any demon invocations from the Old Country while “The Bell Witch” suggests the sort of inspiration that Abigail may have taken from such hauntings. The spiritual reunification seen on “Is That You, Melissa?” is also a beautiful touch, bringing closure to the classic era’s occult romance.
While In The Shadows may not be an exact mirror of the classic Mercyful Fate approach, it benefits greatly from a best of both worlds approach. It’s great to hear the gang back together, their playing has gotten more confident in the years apart and the enthusiasm is always potent in their chemistry. It’s clearly meant to be the start of a second wind, but it works just as well as a cap-off to King Diamond’s most acclaimed era.
