As King Diamond became more and more successful, times weren't as good for Hank Shermann and Michael Denner,who started a band called Zozer Mez together but they didn't get too much recognition outside of the metal underground. But after they had played together for a few months, King Diamond heard of that new band and it didn't take long before Mercyful Fate reunited again and played at the Dynamo in 1993. During the last 9 years the Roadrunner label released two new albums called "The Beginning" and "Return of the Vampire" the first one included the "Nuns have no fun" EP and the bbc sessions. The second was mostly a compilation of very old Mercyful Fate recordings which had never before been heard on cd till then. But even though they hadn't released a single studio album in that time, Mercyful Fate were still one of the most important metal bands of that time. Later that year the first album following the reunion "In the Shadows" was released and it really showed that that band was still the best and "Egypt" "The Bell Witch" and "Is that you Melissa" are still big classics.

The album received great critics and the reunion tour was a success the band even decided to release a EP with four live tracks recorded on one of the shows called "The Bell Witch" named after the great song from "In the Shadows". In late 1994 King and his band members had already finished work for their next album "Time" which showed a more melodic side of the band and which sometimes lacked the heaviness of the other Fate albums but the songs like "Angel of Light", "Castillo del Mortes" and "The Afterlife" were still among the best that King Diamond had ever released. But it still wasn't a traditional metal album and it only received a small amount of acclamation even though it even featured the masterpiece "The Mad Arab" based on H.P. Lovecraft's stories "Abdul Alhazred" the author of the "Necronomicon". The next year saw the release of "The Spider's Lullabye" the first King Diamond solo album in 5 years which was quite similar to "Time" but the heaviness had been increased pretty much.

The first six songs on The Spider's Lullabye were the first King Diamond songs that weren't linked together through a concept story since the release of Fatal Portrait, ten years ago and songs like "Killer" and "The Poltergeist" were King's strongest songs in years but the quality slightly decreased on the second part of the album featuring the story of Harry and his fear of spiders who is killed by the mad therapy of a psychatrist. After the spider's lullabye the world had to wait more than one year for the next Fate release "Into the Unknown" in early 1996.

That one was one of the heaviest Fate album ever and it was quite well-acclaimed and included such great songs like "The Ghost of Change" and "Under The Spell". The next success was
"The Graveyard" the King Diamond solo album released later that year. The excellent story about a psychopath who takes revenge on a major who had put him into an lunatic asylum because he had seen how this man molested his daughter and the dark and very sick mood that surrounded it brought the album really much recognition.

The songs weren't too strong on their own but more concentrated on the whole story. But that didn't decrease its high quality and it showed again that King could still create such great concept albums like "Abigail" and "The Eye". Following the release of "The Graveyard" King Diamond started to tour with Mercyful Fate and King Diamond simultaneously which was quite exhausting for him. After that tour, the time was ready for the release of "Dead Again". This new album sounded much more modern and it was very different from the first Mercyful Fate albums but like every Mercyful Fate recording, it was just excellent and it was the first album featuring the superb guitarwork of Mike Wead one of the best guitarists ever who had worked with great underground bands like Hexenhaus and Memento Mori.

The album also included their longest song ever,the 13-minute epic "Dead Again". But Dead Again was again heavily underrated,just like "Voodoo" the next King Diamond solo album which was released a few months later. The story was about a couple which inherits an old mansion in the swamps of Lousiana. But as they're making plans to destroy an ancient voodoo cemetary because they are disturbed by the dead who practice their rituals at night, they get punished for their behaviour... again a great story and also a great album, but some of the songs were again quite weak on their own.King Diamond toured the U.S.A. and then in 1999 the next album from Mercyful Fate named 9 was released on May 25th...

Mercyful Fate

Vocals
King Diamond 1981 - 1999
Lead Guitars
Hank Shermann 1981 - 1999
MIchael Denner 1981 - 1997
Mike Wead 1997 - 1999
B.Petersen 1981
C.Volsing 1981
Bass
Timi Hansen 1981 - 1993
Sharlee D'Angelo 1994 - 1999
Drums
Kim Ruzz 1982 - 1984
Snowy Shaw 1993 - 1995
Bjarne T. Holm 1996 - 1999

King Diamond

Vocals
King Diamond 1985 - 1998
Lead Guitars
Andy LaRocque 1985 - 1998
MIchael Denner 1985 - 1987
Pete Blakk 1988 - 1990
Herb Simonsen 1994 - 1998
Floyd Constantine 1985
Michael Moon 1987
Bass
Timi Hansen 1985 - 1987
Hal Patino 1988 - 1990
Chris Estes 1994 - 1998
Drums
Mikkey Dee 1985 - 1989
Snowy Shaw 1989 - 1990
Darrin Anthony 1994 - 1998