GiGinJapan Artwork of Japanese CDs (mostly) Mercyful Fate – The First Gig: Taastrup 1981 / 1CDR / Shades
Medborgerhus, Taastrup, Denmark 6th September 1981 SBD
Play sample :
Alongside VENOM, MERCYFUL FATE exerted a great influence as the source of extreme metal. A miracle sound board album that you can enjoy the first live is now available.
This work was recorded at “Tostrup performance on September 6, 1981”. This is the soundboard recording. Speaking of 1981, it is exactly the year MERCYFUL FATE was formed. At the beginning of the year, the predecessor band BRATS by King Diamond and Hank Sherman started activities, and it was also an era when they changed their name and worked hard to make demos. In order to imagine such a time, let’s collect the records that are known even though there are few.
《January 18: BRATS demo released》
ーFormation of MERCYFUL FATEー
《Release of “DEMO 1981” in March》
《“DEMO #1” Released in April》
《Released “DEMO #2” in May》
《Release of “BURNING THE CROSS” in June》
・September 6: Tostrup Performance ← This work
・ September 26: Copenhagen performance
・October 13 + 31: Herleu Performance
This is the 1981 MERCYFUL FATE. The BRATS demo released in January featured King & Hank, as well as Michael Denner and Timi Hansen, who later rejoined the band. After that, I made 4 demos while changing the rhythm section and 2nd guitar. In autumn, I stepped on the first stage.
It’s a miracle that such a historic stage remains on the soundboard, but the quality is also wonderful. As expected, it is not the type to advertise as “completely official class!”, But there is no difficulty in hearing. The thick core and close contact, and the beautiful separate feeling of each instrument are exactly the taste of the sound board. Moreover, the freshness of the master is also wonderful, and there is no stiff feeling or twist. Well, if you compare it with an official product, it feels easier to listen to than the demo sound source that METALLICA put in the single 10 years later.
The historical show that will rewrite the world’s heavy music is depicted on such a vintage soundboard. Speaking of their demo era, the masterpiece compilation “RETURN OF THE VAMPIRE” is famous, so let’s organize the set based on that.
– RETURN OF THE VAMPIRE
・Curse Of The Pharaohs／On A Night Of Full Moon／Return Of The Vampire
●Others
・NUNS HAVE NO FUN: Doomed By The Living Dead
・DEMO #1：Walking Back To Hell (Death Kiss)
・ Demo not included: Sabbath Of All Witches / The Witch
… and it looks like this. “RETURN OF THE VAMPIRE” and debut EP “Doomed By The Living Dead” are familiar. “Walking Back To Hell” is a song from the predecessor BRATS era, but some of you may have heard it as a demo sound source “Death Kiss” recorded in “DON’T BREAK THE OATH”. However, the remaining two songs “Sabbath Of All Witches” and “The Witch” are valuable songs that are not included in the above demo. Also, listen to Hank’s guitar solo that will be shown in the encore. BLACK SABBATH’s “Into The Void” also jumps out, and their source is transmitted with Aliari.
More than that, the presence of live performances and the weight of history is amazing. Although the band is often referred to as the originator of black metal, he has also had a tremendous influence on thrash metal bands such as METALLICA. Lars Ulrich liked Kirk Hammett because he liked MERCYFUL FATE, which hadn’t even released an album. It was a hint,” he said. Of course, thrash metal is the progenitor of all later extreme music, so without MERCYFUL FATE, the modern music scene would have been completely different. And this work is the first live of such a source band. Yes, it is no longer a masterpiece of MERCYFUL FATE, but a super important work of music history itself.
VENOM was one step ahead, so it would be an exaggeration to say that “everything started here”, but there is no doubt that “everything would have been different without this”. It is a sound board album that is nothing but a cultural heritage. And, as important as that is the fact that it is also a “cool metal work to listen to”. A masterpiece of a live album that makes you feel immersed and passionate even if you think about metal history. Please take your time and enjoy!
★ Sound board recording of the historic first live performance “Tostrup performance on September 6, 1981”. The taste of only line recording, such as a thick core and a feeling of close contact, and a beautiful separate feeling of each instrument, is fully open, and the master freshness is wonderful, and there is no stiff feeling or twist. The repertoire is special because it’s early days, and you can enjoy precious songs “Sabbath Of All Witches” and “The Witch” that don’t even have demos left. The band’s first live performance, which had a tremendous impact on METALLICA and SLAYER… it’s nothing but a cultural heritage, a super important piece of music history.
Shades 1597
