Seminal black metallers Mercyful Fate have announced their live return for 2020.

Frontman King Diamond broke the news last night on Instagram, revealing that the 9 lineup would reform for a string of shows next summer – including Copenhell in their homeland of Denmark.

“Mercyful Fate will be playing an unspecified number of concerts throughout Europe during the summer of 2020, including Copenhell,” reads the post.



The lineup from 1999 album 9 will reunite for the summer jaunt, which features King Diamond on vocals, Hank Shermann and Mike Wead on guitar and Bjarne T Holm on drums. Armored Saint’s Joey Vera will fill in on bass.

“We asked Joey Vera (Armored Saint, Fates Warning) to fill in because he has a very unique style and sound playing with his fingers, much like that of Timi Hansen,” says King Diamond.

“This is very important, since the set list will only consist of songs from the very first ‘mini LP’, the Melissa album, and the Don’t Break The Oath album, plus some brand new songs written specifically in that very same style.

“This will very much be Mercyful Fate as we were in the very beginning, except for a brand new major stage production.”

No more shows have been announced, but expect to see much more of the Danish metallers in 2020 across the continent. Will they pop up in the UK festival circuit next summer? You’d be a fool to bet against it.