Mercyful Fate is a Danish heavy metal band, and helped inspire black metal (by playing a form of speed metal that introduced black metal elements). The band was founded in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1980 from the ashes of Hank Shermann's band Brats' and King Diamond's band Black Rose. Shortly thereafter, in the Spring of 1981 they helped out a fellow Dane, Michael Denner, with demos for his band Danger Zone. Soon it was apparent that Shermann, Denner, Diamond and Denner's bassplayer, Timi Grabber, fit well together as a unit and those players performed under the Mercyful Fate moniker for the first time in Denmark. There were the usual member changes for a young band; Denner left and then returned and drummers came and went, but finally Kim Ruzz established himself as the drummer.
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