Heavy Metal research and Queer-Satanism: New book on Mercyful Fate
Henrik Marstal, PhD, is a music researcher and an associate professor at Rhythmic Music Conservatory (RMC). Earlier this year, he released a monography about 'Don't Break the Oath ' (1984), the second album by the Danish heavy metal-band Mercyful Fate. The album holds a legendary position in metal history.
The book is partly based on unique interviews with singer King Diamond as well as the producer and the sound engineer of the album, Henrik Lund and Niels Erik Otto. It includes chapters on the making of 'Don't Break the Oath', and it investigates a number of Satanic aspects of the album, not only in relation to Diamond's lyrics and the iconography, but also in relation to its musical aspects. The book argues that the musical staging to a large extents supports the lyrics and the visual identity.
Moreover, the trademark double register voice of Diamond, using both falsetto and full voice registers, is being analysed. This is primarily done by incorporating the concept of "Queer-Satanism". The concept is developed by Marstal for this very book. It is used to show how Satanistic elements of 'Don't Break the Oath' relate to a number of queer aspects concerning the album and the band history of the time.
The book is released by Bloomsbury in the well-known series 33 1/3, which focuses on iconic albums. It is the first Danish album presented in the series, and Marstal is the first Dane to do so.
The book is made as part of Marstal's current research project on Queer-Satanism which is affiliated with RMC. It is primarily funded by the research board of the Danish Ministry of Cultural Affairs.
On Friday 17 June 2022 Marstal will co-host the seminar 'Halvvejs til Helvede' together with metal researcher and associate professor Tore Tvarnø Lind from the University of Copenhagen. The seminar is part of the external schedule for the Copenhagen-based metal festival Copenhell.
Here, Marstal can be heard in conversation about the album with the Danish researcher in Satanism, Jesper Aagaard Petersen, from the NTNU university in Trondhjem, Norway.
