Released 20 years ago when Maiden were on the outs with Dickinson, and Halford was faxing in his resignation to Priest, Mercyful Fate’s Into the Unknown comeback effectively brought the Danes into the 90’s. Their sound – partially byzantine, haunting, and melodic – was tempered from the towering gem that was Don’t Break the Oath, which was released nine years earlier, and broke up the band. Into the Unknown was a more controlled MF, spewing surly Euro sonics, while King’s banshee wails and the twin-lead attack of Michael Denner and Hank Shermann remained as potent as ever.
The song in question is “Egypt,” a regular in the Headbanger’s Ball rotation. Naturally, it’s mostly King, making faces, grimacing, and casting vocal spells, yet the song’s double-bass/up-tempo movements that were able to sprint past the mostly progressive arrangement of the band’s early days. Plus, King is burning inside to know. Simply fantastic!