Mercyful Fate - 9

What's amazing is not so much the fact that these guys reformed after a 9 year absence, nor the fact that they have put out 7 of their 9 releases since 1993, but that the band continues to surpass their previous efforts with this release. While last year's Dead Again was competant, I much prefer the material that exists on 9. Mike Wead has really engrained himself as part of the M.F. sound, and works to update Shermann's classic eighties riffs into something that could be deemed retro, but is so slick and sounds so good, it's obvious from which decade it was born. I can't believe how fast this stuff makes it out either, 9 being recorded about two months before it was released, a true testament to the prolific nature of this band, and probably also related to wanting to get this on the market before the summer festivals. For whatever the reason, expect nothing less than the best from these guys, this line-up being the strongest since the beginning. I can still pick out which tracks were penned by the King, and tend to prefer the more intricate Shermann material, but it's all good, and after snagging the opening slot for Metallica this summer, the Fate just may become a household name again in the coming millennium.