Search - Mercyful Fate :: Into the Unknown

The Abyss awaits...

Draconis Blackthorne | The Haunted Noctuary | 03/20/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Standing atop a cliff's edge, looking off into the sunset towards a strange place, wondering what lies beyond.........
The time has come. Now, it's into the unknown......... Your pulse quickens, your stomach turns. Your sight becomes a haze, as cold sweat ebbs from your skin. Your mind spins, as a vortex pulling you deep inside, & the eerie, whispering voices beckon you closer. You feel faint, & begin to fall forward. When all of a sudden, you feel yourself floating on air, drifting ever nearer to the swirling anubis. The chanting of the voices becomes louder, then turns to hideous laughter. You try to fight, but it is too late ----- you are within the Abyss......... What awaits you inside is for you to personally experience. It will suffice to say, that this is some of the best musick King Diamond has yet invoked, & he really gives the Evil Gods their due. Buy it at your own peril. See you in the unknown........."

A Strong Runnerup

Bradley Headstone | New York | 07/12/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Most of you know that "Time" immediately precedes "Into the Unknown." After "Time," King Diamond's solo career became active again. And if this record is not as consistent as "In the Shadows" or "Time," remember, King Diamond did have an excuse. (He was splitting his time between 2 groups, and by Mr. Diamond's own confession, this started to wear him down.)



"Into the Unknown" is not as consistent as many other of "Mercyful Fate's" records. But there are some real high points. The one line up change is that Bjarne T. Holm took over the drumming. This is also the final MF record where Mike Denner and Hank Shermann worked together. (Though they would eventually reunite with "Force of Evil.") Fortunately, the great bassist Sharlee D'Angelo is still there.



Moving on, I would rather not comment on 'Lucifer.' 'The Uninvited Guest' is a pretty good opener. The haunting 'Ghost of Change' picks up the pace; 'Listen to the Bell' is a real highpoint with haunting voals and driving riffs. (No complaint on that track!) '15 Men and a Bottle of Rum' is a good song for Pirate Fans. A previous reviewer feels that Shermann is way better than Hendrix, and parts of this record would seem to say so. The title track 'Into the Unknown' almost steals the record. I'd rather not comment on 'Under the Spell,' 'Deadtime,' or 'Holy Water.'



The 'Mad Arab' Part 2 though is a vast improvement over the 1st. (Found on "Time") And it ends this record on a high note. As I said, it's not my favorite MF, but it does have some real great moments."

A Disappointment From My Favorite Band!

07/13/2006

(2 out of 5 stars)

"This is without any doubt MF's lowest career point. This album all together is quite bad, which pains me to say because the band is amazing. There really is no great songs on here, except for maybe "The Uninvited Guest", which simply is a good song but nothing too amazing. Most of the songs seem like tired and uninspired concepts that were created on the fly. I understand and respect that King was very busy during this time releasing albums from both his solo band and Mercy, but his KD album of the same year was so much better, it makes me think that he focused all of his attention and heart on that album and let this one slide in quality.King's vocals aren't as great as you should expect from him. He sounds strained and uninspired. Musically, there is nothing to get excited about, which is a shame because the band had been doing amazingly well up until this album. This is Denner's last stand, and which is a disappoitment in both ways; the first being Denner is so amazing as a guitarist and the fact that he did so poorly here makes it a bitter-sweet farewell. If you're looking for some good Mercyful Fate, don't look here. I hate to say it, but this album is bad. There is nothing here that will entice you and nothing you haven't heard before. Unless you are a devout collector of MF, I suggest you pass this up, you're not missing much at all.."