Force Of Evil

Members from Mercyful Fate, King Diamond and Iron Fire. Despite the fact that Mercyful Fate has been an active band since their return to the scene in 1993, MF guitarist Hank Shermann always seems to be able to find time for side projects and bands to play in (two such projects were Gutrix and Virus 7). Force Of Evil pairs Shermann with his old MF guitarist pal Michael Denner (who, unlike Shermann, had left MF some time ago), alongside a rhythm section made up of guys well known to MF or King Diamond fans, and topped by respected Iron Fire vocalist Martin Steene. Of all the non-MF bands that Shermann has played in, Force Of Evil might be the one with the style closest to Mercyful Fate, though it's not a perfect fit -- the style here is clearly rooted in traditional metal, though more upbeat than the darker tones of MF, and Steene sounds nothing like King Diamond, his style also more in line with traditional 80's metal vocalists. This isn't a revolutionary album, but it's solid, with excellent guitar work by Shermann and Denner, and thus far a hit with European fans. Shermann's aforementioned past projects have been short-lived, but Force Of Evil looks to be a longer-term proposition.