This is a project aimed at making it easy to see who inspired the bands you love or even hate. For this I try not to use any influences that the band don’t claim themselves. There will be a focus on predecessors but successors will be added as they site the band. These trees become more and more interactive as new bands are added, allowing you to click any band that has a tree and jump to it.

We want our lists to be better. If you know something that belongs on this list, let us know. When in doubt we will leave it out, so we need reliable sources.

Mercyful Fate is a important metal band that doesn’t get the attention they deserve. Much of the reason being their initial career was relatively short lived. They have been a huge influence on a ton of bands and are far more technical of a band than they are given credit for. They released their first two albums in 1983, and 1984 with the line up consisting of vocalist King Diamond, Hank Shermann and Michael Denner on guitars, Timi Hanson on bass, and Kim Ruzz on drums.
Primarily Writing in the band has been done by Shermann, King Diamond, and Denner. After the first two albums, the band split but reformed in the early 90’s releasing albums through out the 90’s. During that time the band saw some line up changes with only King Diamond and Hank as core members. With the exception of two songs, one by Bassist Sharlee D’Angelo, and another by Guitarist Mike Wead, all other songs were written by King, Shermann, or Denner. Denner was no longer with the band after the fourth album. The influences here will only be that of King Diamond, Shermann, and Denner.

Jimi Hendrix is one of the most influential and revolutionary guitar players. Hank named him as one of his favorite lead players.

Ollie Halsall

Deep Purple are an important and influential hard rock and early heavy metal band. King Diamond named Ian Gillian as an influence. Hank named Ritchie Blackmore as one of his favorite lead players. Michael also named Deep Purple.

Ritchie Blackmore

Led Zeppelin are one of the most influential hard rock bands of all time. King Diamond named Robert Plant as an influence. Michael named Led Zeppelin.

Alice Cooper is often known as the original shock rocker. King Diamond named him as an influence.

Genesis were a influential progressive rock band and later hit more mainstream fame with poppy synth rock stuff. King Diamond named them as an influence both musically but also theatrically.

Black Sabbath are the Fathers of Heavy Metal. Hank named them as an influence and *Sabotage,* and Sabbath Bloody Sabbath as favorite albums. King Diamond named Ozzy as an influence. Michael also named Sabbath.

Uriah Heep are influential progressive rockers and metal dabblers. King Diamond name then and singer David Byron as an influence with Byron being his favorite singer. Michael also named them as an influence.

Trapeze were a 70’s hard rock band. Michael named them as an influence.

UFO are an influential Hard Rock band. Hank named Michael Schenker and them as an influence, and named Schenker as one of his favorite lead players. Michael also names Schenker.

Sweet were hard glam rock band. Hank named their stuff between 1973-76 as an early influence, and *Fanny Adams* as a favorite album.

Three Man Army were a hard rock band of the early 70’s. Michael named them as an influence.

Scorpions were one of the earliest adopters of heavy metal. Hank named them and Uli Roth as an early influence, and *Virgin Killer* as a favorite album. He named Uli as one of his favorite lead players, and Michael also named him as an influence.

Captain Beyond was a progressive rock supergroup, however their first album I would classify primarily as Progressive Traditional Heavy Metal. Similar to several other early 70’s progressive rock bands they played with the new heavy metal sound, and even more so than some of their peers. Hank and named their first album as a favorite and the influence. Michael also named them as an influence.

Aerosmith are one of the most classic of Hard Rock bands. Hank named *Rocks* as a favorite album.

Judas Priest are one of the most important heavy metal bands. Hank named their 70’s albums as an early influence and Stain Class, Sin After Sin, and Sad Wings of Destiny as favorite albums. He named Glen Tipton as one of his favorite composers. Michael said he is a huge fan.

Yngwie Malmsteen is known as a virtuoso guitarist in the neo-classical style. Hank said he was impressed when Yngwie first came out.

Van Halen with Eddie on guitar was a new revolution to guitar playing. Hank said he liked his playing on their first album.

Ozzy had an influential career even after already being part of Black Sabbath. King Diamond named him as an influence.

Hank names a favorite band/album that I can not identify, “Warning/2 (The Red Album)”

Hank was previously in a punk band, Brats.

King Diamond in one interview talks about how great Dio’s vocals were, but didn’t directly name him as an influence, perhaps he is though. When talking about his makeup King said he was influenced by Peter Gabriel and Alice Cooper. King talking about concerts he saw when he was young named Sex Pistols back then, the Runaways, Thin Lizzy, Grand Funk Railroad, The Who, Blue Oyster Cult, Geordie, and Budgie. I’m not clear if he meant these as influences, but lean toward he was just reminiscing.

Michael said that Hank picked up guitar influenced by Ace Frehley of Kiss.

Some of Michael’s influences are lacking an original source that is till online. These influences include Uli Jon Roth, Michael Schenker, and Ollie Halsall. The original sources seem to be from old Mercyful Fate and Denner/Sherman websites that are no longer active, but I believe these second hand sources to be reliable as the same list has been identically copied in multiple places and other indirect comments give evidence of the list.

Bands influenced by Mercyful Fate!

As this project advances, bands will be added here… there are many!

Bay Area Thrash Legends

Thrash Kings

Sources:

https://hankshermann.com/bio/
https://loudwire.com/hank-shermann-early-mercyful-fate-reunion-hopes-guitar-influences/
https://web.archive.org/web/20160303165043/http://www.tartareandesire.com/interviews/kingdiamond.html
https://www.loudersound.com/features/king-diamond-is-honoured-to-have-inspired-metallica
https://www.kerrang.com/king-diamond-if-there-is-a-hell-and-i-go-there-who-cares-ive-already-faced-it
https://steelforbrains.tumblr.com/post/98725284842/king-diamond
https://www.bardomethodology.com/articles/2020/04/15/michael-denner-king-diamond-mercyful-fate-interview/
https://www.saitenkult.de/2019/09/26/michael-denner/
https://www.johndenner.com/michael-denner/