''9'' is the seventh studio album by Danish heavy metal band

Mercyful Fate Mercyful Fate is a Danish heavy metal band from Copenhagen, formed in 1981 by vocalist King Diamond and guitarist Hank Shermann. Influenced by progressive rock and hard rock, and with lyrics dealing with LaVeyan Satanism (often with ironic ...

. ''9'' was recorded during February and March 1999 and was released on 15 June 1999 through

Metal Blade Records Metal Blade Records (often shortened to Metal Blade) is an American independent record label founded by Brian Slagel in 1982 based in the U.S. state of California. The label primarily focuses on heavy metal. History Metal Blade Records was ...

. This album continues the heavier sound that was introduced in their previous album ''

Dead Again ''Dead Again'' is a 1991 neo-noir romantic thriller film directed by Kenneth Branagh and written by Scott Frank. It stars Branagh and Emma Thompson, with Andy García, Derek Jacobi, Hanna Schygulla, Wayne Knight, and Robin Williams appea ...

'', and also marks the continuation of the Satanic and occult-based lyrical themes which were prevalent during the band's first incarnation and were reintroduced on 1994’s ''

Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...

'' album, as the primary lyrical focus. ''9'' was Mercyful Fate's last studio album before their twenty-year hiatus from 1999 to 2019.

Track listing

Personnel

;Mercyful Fate *

King Diamond Kim Bendix Petersen (born 14 June 1956), better known by his stage name King Diamond, is a Danish rock musician. As a vocalist, he is known for his powerful and wide-ranging countertenor singing voice, in particular his far-reaching falsetto s ...

– vocals *

Hank Shermann René Krolmark (born 11 July 1958), better known by his stage name, Hank Shermann, is a Danish musician best known for his work with the heavy metal band Mercyful Fate. Career Shermann started playing guitar in 1977, influenced by the likes of Ac ...

– guitars *

Mike Wead Mike Wead (born Mickael Vikström on 6 April 1967) is a Swedish guitarist who lives in Stockholm. Wead contributed to heavy metal bands such as ''Hexenhaus'', Memento Mori, Abstrakt Algebra, The Haunted, Edge of Sanity, Candlemass, The Pro ...

– guitars *

Sharlee D'Angelo Sharlee D'Angelo (born Charles Petter Andreason, 27 April 1973) is a Swedish musician. He is the bassist for the melodic death metal band Arch Enemy, as well as the classic rock/AOR band the Night Flight Orchestra and the stoner metal band S ...

– bass *Bjarne T. Holm – drums ;Additional musicians *Kol Marshall – keyboards ;Production *Kol Marshall – production, engineering, mixing with Mercyful Fate *Vince Rossi – engineering

References

{{Authority control 1999 albums 9 Metal Blade Records albums