Gear Timeline
“Back in the day, I used a Strat with a [DiMarzio] Super Distortion.” Hank Shermann said this to Guitar World in 2023 — and the statement’s casual simplicity contrasts beautifully with the complexity and darkness of what that setup produced. Mercyful Fate’s music — the occult-themed, theatrically presented, melodically sophisticated heavy metal of Melissa (1983) and Don’t Break the Oath (1984) — is often cited as a foundational document of black metal, first-wave black metal’s most important contribution alongside early Venom, Bathory, and Celtic Frost. The twin-guitar interplay between Shermann and Michael Denner (who appears in the next article) — both musicians contributing distinctive melodic and harmonic voices to the Mercyful Fate guitar texture — produced one of the most musically ambitious heavy metal guitar approaches of the 1980s: not pure aggression, not pure virtuosity, but a specific combination of dark melody, harmonic sophistication, and theatrical character that reflected King Diamond’s operatic vocal approach. His 2024 Facebook post about recording new Mercyful Fate material is the most specific primary-source gear documentation available: “The Stratocasters used for recording of New Mercyful Fate songs: All Solos recorded with a Fender Strat 1975 (A-size neck with a DiMarzio FS-1) and a Tokai Silverstar SS-38 1981 with original single coils.” Two Stratocaster-adjacent instruments for the solos. For dubbing: “Neural DSP Fortin Nameless.” And on his official gear page: a Blackstar HT Stage 60 MKII 2×12 for his current live rig. He is the co-founder of Mercyful Fate. He is sixty-six years old. The new Mercyful Fate album is in progress. The Strat 1975 is recording solos. The Denmark occult is still unholy.
The Journey
René Krolmark — Hank Shermann — was born on July 11, 1958, in Copenhagen, Denmark. He began playing guitar in 1977, influenced by Ace Frehley (KISS), Michael Schenker (UFO/Scorpions), Uli Roth (Scorpions), K.K. Downing, and Glenn Tipton (Judas Priest) — the foundational heavy metal guitarists of the mid-1970s who established the melodic lead guitar vocabulary that Shermann subsequently developed in the Mercyful Fate context. Before Mercyful Fate, he played with the band Brats, which also featured King Diamond (Brats released one album, The Brats, in 1980, with members who would form the core of Mercyful Fate). Mercyful Fate was formed in Copenhagen in 1981. The self-titled EP (1982), Melissa (1983), and Don’t Break the Oath (1984) established the band’s specific aesthetic. After Don’t Break the Oath, Mercyful Fate disbanded. Shermann formed Fate and subsequently Zoser Mez and other projects. The first Mercyful Fate reunion occurred in 1992-1999, with multiple additional albums; a second reunion began in 2019 and continues. He is sixty-six years old. He is currently working on a new Mercyful Fate album and his first solo album, both slated for 2026-2027 release.
Background: Copenhagen Denmark, Ace Frehley Michael Schenker Uli Roth Influences, Brats with King Diamond, Mercyful Fate 1981, Melissa Don’t Break the Oath, First-Wave Black Metal Pioneer
Shermann’s specific guitar influences — Ace Frehley (KISS’s specific combination of melodic hook and hard rock rhythm), Michael Schenker (UFO’s specific combination of melodic sophistication and hard rock power), Uli Roth (the Scorpions’ specific contribution of classical-influenced, technically demanding lead playing), K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton (Judas Priest’s twin-guitar harmony approach, the specific combination of two distinct lead voices creating a single composite guitar identity) — are the direct inputs that produced the Mercyful Fate guitar approach. The Judas Priest twin-guitar influence is particularly evident: Shermann and Michael Denner’s guitar interplay, like that of Downing and Tipton, involves two distinct guitarists with distinct voices creating a combined guitar identity that neither could produce alone.
The Brats connection — both Shermann and King Diamond played in Brats before Mercyful Fate — places Mercyful Fate’s formation in the specific context of the late-1970s Danish heavy metal scene, a small and culturally specific environment that produced one of the most globally influential heavy metal bands of the 1980s from Copenhagen’s specific music community.
The first-wave black metal designation — Mercyful Fate as a defining document of first-wave black metal alongside Venom, Bathory, and Celtic Frost — reflects the specific combination of their musical and aesthetic choices: the occult lyrical themes (King Diamond’s specific relationship to the occult and Satanism, documented in multiple interviews), the theatrical presentation (the corpse paint makeup, the inverted crosses, the stage sets), and the musical approach (heavy metal’s power applied to King Diamond’s operatic vocal style and the Shermann/Denner dual-guitar melodic sophistication). The musical sophistication distinguishes Mercyful Fate from the more primitive first-wave black metal of Venom: Mercyful Fate’s guitar parts are compositionally complex in ways that most first-wave black metal is not.
The Rig: Hank Shermann’s Guitars, Amps, and Effects
Guitars
Hank Shermann’s 2024 Facebook post about recording new Mercyful Fate material is the most specific recent primary-source gear documentation: “The Stratocasters used for recording of New Mercyful Fate songs: All Solos recorded with a Fender Strat 1975 (A-size neck with a DiMarzio FS-1) and a Tokai Silverstar SS-38 1981 with original single coils.” The 1975 Fender Stratocaster with an A-size neck (the 1970s large-headstock Strat with a U-shaped neck profile, considered by some players too large but by others ideally suited for specific technical approaches) and a DiMarzio FS-1 pickup (a single-coil-sized replacement pickup that provides slightly more output and warmth than a stock Strat pickup while maintaining the single-coil character) is his primary solo guitar for the current Mercyful Fate recordings. The choice of a Strat for lead playing reflects his long-standing relationship with Stratocaster-style guitars — the same guitars that provided the core lead tone of the classic Mercyful Fate recordings.
The same 2024 Facebook post confirms the Tokai Silverstar SS-38 from 1981 as the second solo guitar for the new recordings: “original single coils.” The Tokai Silverstar — a Japanese Stratocaster-style guitar made by Tokai Gakki, produced in the late 1970s and 1980s — was one of the most highly regarded of the Japanese Stratocaster “lawsuit era” replicas, known for their extremely close approximation of vintage Fender Stratocaster quality and tone. With its original 1981 single-coil pickups (unchanged from when the guitar was made), the Tokai Silverstar provides the specific single-coil character of vintage Japanese Strat manufacturing. The combination of the 1975 Fender Strat (DiMarzio FS-1) and the 1981 Tokai Silverstar (original single coils) gives him two distinct Strat-adjacent single-coil voices for the new Mercyful Fate solo work.
The Equipboard documentation: “In a 2024 social media post, Shermann’s caption identifies a guitar as ‘My Hendrix Tour Strat with DiMarzio Super Distortion.'” The “Hendrix Tour Strat” is a Stratocaster associated with a Hendrix tribute concert or tour — fitted with a DiMarzio Super Distortion humbucker in the bridge position. The Guitar World 2023 quote: “Back in the day, I used a Strat with a [DiMarzio] Super Distortion” — confirming this pickup/guitar combination as his historical primary approach.
The Equipboard Mercyful Fate band page confirms: “the use of B.C. Rich Stealth and Fender American Special Stratocaster HSS guitars, driven by the searing tones of a Marshall JMP Superlead 100 Watt amplifier.” The B.C. Rich Stealth — a specific B.C. Rich design with the distinctive angular, pointed headstock aesthetic of the B.C. Rich brand — provides a different tonal character from the Stratocaster, with humbucker pickups and the solid mahogany/maple construction typical of the B.C. Rich line.
The Equipboard documentation: “The SH-4 is installed on Hank’s Fender American Special in this Kalium strings video demo.” The Fender American Special Stratocaster HSS — with humbucker-single-single pickup configuration — is his documented live primary electric, with the Seymour Duncan SH-4 (the JB humbucker, one of the most versatile and celebrated of the Duncan line) replacing the stock bridge humbucker for specific tonal character. The HSS configuration provides the humbucker’s warmth and power at the bridge position while maintaining the single-coil character in the neck and middle positions — ideal for the range from heavy rhythm playing to the melodic, Strat-influenced lead lines of the Mercyful Fate repertoire.
The Equipboard documentation: “As seen in Hank’s Instagram photo. The LPB-1 was used on the ‘Mercyful Fate EP.'” The Electro-Harmonix LPB-1 (Linear Power Booster) — a simple, single-knob clean boost pedal originally designed by Mike Matthews in 1968 — was used during the Mercyful Fate EP (1982) recording. The LPB-1 provides a clean, transparent volume boost that pushes the amplifier’s input harder without adding gain pedal character. Its use on the foundational Mercyful Fate document places a 1968-designed clean boost at the foundation of one of the most important early extreme metal recordings.
The Equipboard documentation: “Hank Sherman’s signature flying V custom guitar made for him by 10-32 Guitar USA. As seen in his website gear page.” The 10-32 Guitar USA custom Flying V represents his most recent custom instrument — the Flying V’s angular body shape (associated with the metal tradition from Dave Davies’s Series 3 #5 Stratocaster experiment through James Hetfield’s ESP Flying V explorations) providing the specific aesthetic and acoustic properties of the V design. The 10-32 Guitar USA builder — a small custom guitar maker — produced this specific instrument for Shermann’s requirements.
The Equipboard documentation: “In a 2024 social media post about recording new Mercyful Fate songs, Shermann reports using the ‘Neural DSP Fortin Nameless’ for dubbing.” The Neural DSP Fortin Nameless — a software amp simulator designed in collaboration with Mark Fortin (known for his high-gain guitar amplifier designs) — provides the digital amp modeling for dubbing overdubs in the new Mercyful Fate recording sessions. Its use alongside the vintage 1975 Fender Strat and 1981 Tokai documents the contemporary hybrid approach of using vintage instruments with modern digital amplification.
Amps
The Equipboard Mercyful Fate band page confirms: “the use of B.C. Rich Stealth and Fender American Special Stratocaster HSS guitars, driven by the searing tones of a Marshall JMP Superlead 100 Watt amplifier.” And Gemtracks: “The Marshall Super Lead 100-Watt Head is an electric guitar amplifier that is popular among guitarists and collectors.” The Marshall JMP Superlead — the handwired, all-tube British amplifier head of the 1969-1981 period — is the foundational classic rock and heavy metal amplifier, providing the specific EL34-powered British tube character that distinguishes the classic Mercyful Fate live sound. The same amplifier used by Pete Townshend, Jimmy Page, and the foundational British rock guitarists produced the specific warm, harmonically complex saturation that gives the Mercyful Fate recordings their particular combination of heaviness and melodic clarity.
The Equipboard documentation: “Hank Shermann lists the Blackstar HT Stage 60 MKII 2×12 60-Watt Tube Combo on his official website’s gear page, indicating it as part of his setup.” The Blackstar HT Stage 60 MKII — a 60-watt, EL34-powered British-made tube combo with two channels (clean and overdrive) and a 2×12 speaker cabinet — represents his current live amplification. The Blackstar’s EL34 power section provides the same British tube character as his historical Marshall JMP, at a more manageable 60 watts (sufficient for smaller venues and studio use while maintaining the specific EL34 tonal character).
Effects
As documented above, the LPB-1 was Shermann’s boost pedal for the foundational Mercyful Fate EP recordings. The LPB-1’s specific function: a clean, transparent volume boost that increases the signal level reaching the Marshall’s input without adding pedal distortion character, allowing the amplifier’s own tube saturation to define the drive character while the pickup’s higher apparent output drives the preamp harder.
Shermann’s consistent choice of DiMarzio replacement pickups — the FS-1 in the 1975 Strat (for recording), the Super Distortion in the “Hendrix Tour Strat” (for live/historical use) — reflects the specific approach to the guitar pickup as the primary tone-shaping element. The FS-1 is a replacement single-coil with slightly higher output and warmth than vintage Strat pickups; the Super Distortion is a high-output humbucker in a pickup-cavity format. Both choices reflect his preference for higher output than vintage Stratocaster pickups provide, while maintaining the fundamental Strat character rather than switching to active humbuckers.
As documented above, the Neural DSP Fortin Nameless for dubbing in the new Mercyful Fate sessions represents his adoption of high-quality digital amp simulation for the recording overdubbing process — consistent with the contemporary professional approach of using software amp simulation for overdubs and spot recording while using real tube amplifiers for the primary tracked sounds.
Unlike many extreme metal guitarists documented in this guide (Azagthoth’s Lava Landscapes approach, Townsend’s extensive effects chain), Shermann’s documented effects are minimal: the LPB-1 clean boost for the early recordings, the DiMarzio pickup modifications for additional output, the Marshall JMP for the primary drive. The melodic complexity of the Mercyful Fate guitar approach comes not from effects processing but from compositional and technical guitar playing — the specific combination of dark melody, harmonic sophistication, and the interplay with Denner’s complementary guitar voice.
Playing Style & Tone Philosophy
Hank Shermann’s playing style is the most melodically sophisticated in the first-wave extreme metal tradition — the approach of a guitarist whose primary influences (Schenker, Uli Roth, the Judas Priest twin-guitar approach) oriented him toward melodic lead playing and harmonic sophistication rather than toward pure aggression or technical display. The Mercyful Fate guitar approach — developed jointly with Michael Denner — is the specific application of the 1970s British heavy metal dual-guitar aesthetic (particularly the Judas Priest model of two guitarists with distinct voices creating a combined harmonic texture) to the darker, more theatrically extreme context of King Diamond’s specific vision.
His tone philosophy is the Marshall-and-Strat philosophy — the specific warm, harmonically complex EL34 British tube sound of the Marshall JMP combined with the Fender Stratocaster’s single-coil brightness (modified with DiMarzio Super Distortion or FS-1 for additional output). This is the foundational classic heavy metal tone — the same combination that powered a generation of 1970s and 1980s British heavy metal — applied to compositional and sonic goals that went darker and more theatrically extreme than conventional British heavy metal had previously taken them.
How to Sound Like Hank Shermann
Guitar: Fender Stratocaster (1970s era, or equivalent) with a DiMarzio FS-1 (for single-coil character with additional output) or DiMarzio Super Distortion (for humbucker power in Strat body) in the bridge position. Tokai Silverstar or comparable Japanese Strat-copy for the vintage single-coil alternative. Fender American Special HSS with Seymour Duncan SH-4 for the current live approach.
Amp: Marshall JMP Superlead 100W (or Marshall Super Lead equivalent) — the classic EL34 British tube character for the Mercyful Fate lead tone. Blackstar HT Stage 60 MKII for current live use.
Amp Settings (Marshall JMP — Mercyful Fate Dark Melodic Heavy Metal):
| Control | Setting (0–10) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Volume | 7–9 | High — the JMP needs volume for natural EL34 power-amp saturation |
| Bass | 4–5 | Moderate — the Strat’s natural brightness needs balanced bass |
| Mid | 6–7 | Present — melodic lead lines need midrange body |
| Treble | 6–7 | Bright — the Strat single-coil character needs treble support |
| Presence | 6 | Moderate — attack definition for the dark melodic leads |
Lead guitar approach (Shermann’s methodology): The Schenker/Uli Roth-influenced melodic lead vocabulary — scales in the Harmonic Minor (giving the specific “dark” quality of Mercyful Fate’s leads), the pentatonic scale with specific chromatic approach notes, vibrato-heavy sustained notes for the vocal quality of the lead lines. EHX LPB-1 (or equivalent clean boost) before the amp for early-recording character. The melodic interplay with the second guitarist (Denner’s complementary voice) is the foundational compositional approach — practice harmonizing lead lines with a second guitar part for the specific Mercyful Fate harmonic texture.
Influence & Legacy
Hank Shermann’s influence on first-wave black metal, heavy metal, and the melodic lead guitar tradition within extreme metal is foundational — specifically as the guitarist who demonstrated that the dark, occult-themed aesthetic of extreme metal could coexist with a high level of melodic and harmonic sophistication in the guitar parts. The Mercyful Fate approach — dark themes, theatrical presentation, melodically sophisticated guitar — became a template for subsequent extreme metal bands who wanted to combine musical quality with extreme aesthetic commitment.
His connection to Michael Denner (Serie 3 #24) as the essential creative partner in the Mercyful Fate twin-guitar approach reflects the foundational creative relationship — neither guitarist’s Mercyful Fate work makes full sense without the other’s presence. His connection to Jeff Hanneman (Serie 3 #22) as a fellow foundational extreme metal guitarist of the same generational moment reflects the shared history of the early 1980s as the defining period for extreme metal guitar. His connection to Trey Azagthoth (Serie 3 #20) as a fellow dark-themed extreme metal pioneer from the same generational cohort reflects the shared context.
Frequently Asked Questions: Hank Shermann Mercyful Fate Guitars & Gear
What guitar does Hank Shermann use?
His 2024 Facebook post about recording new Mercyful Fate songs documents: “All Solos recorded with a Fender Strat 1975 (A-size neck with a DiMarzio FS-1) and a Tokai Silverstar SS-38 1981 with original single coils.” His current live primary is the Fender American Special Stratocaster HSS with a Seymour Duncan SH-4 in the bridge position. Additional documented guitars include the B.C. Rich Stealth (live), the “Hendrix Tour Strat” with DiMarzio Super Distortion, and a custom 10-32 Guitar USA Flying V signature model. Historical: “Back in the day, I used a Strat with a [DiMarzio] Super Distortion.”
What amplifier does Hank Shermann use?
The Mercyful Fate band’s primary documented amplification is the Marshall JMP Superlead 100 Watt — confirmed in the Equipboard Mercyful Fate band page: “driven by the searing tones of a Marshall JMP Superlead 100 Watt amplifier.” His current amp (official website gear page): Blackstar HT Stage 60 MKII 2×12 60-Watt Tube Combo. Neural DSP Fortin Nameless is used for dubbing in the 2024 new Mercyful Fate recording sessions.
What was the EHX LPB-1 used for on the Mercyful Fate EP?
The Electro-Harmonix LPB-1 (Linear Power Booster) — a single-knob clean boost pedal — was used during the Mercyful Fate EP (1982) recording, as confirmed by an Instagram photo on Hank Shermann’s account. The LPB-1 provides transparent volume boost that pushes the amplifier’s input harder without adding its own distortion character, allowing the Marshall’s natural tube saturation to define the drive while the boosted pickup signal pushes the preamp into harder compression.
What are Hank Shermann’s guitar influences?
Shermann started playing guitar in 1977, influenced by Ace Frehley (KISS), Michael Schenker (UFO/Scorpions), Uli Roth (Scorpions), K.K. Downing, and Glenn Tipton (Judas Priest). The Judas Priest twin-guitar approach — two distinct lead voices creating a combined harmonic texture — is particularly evident in the Shermann/Denner partnership within Mercyful Fate.
What is the Tokai Silverstar SS-38?
The Tokai Silverstar SS-38 is a Japanese Stratocaster-style guitar produced by Tokai Gakki in the late 1970s and 1980s — one of the most highly regarded of the “lawsuit era” Japanese Strat copies, known for their close approximation of vintage Fender Stratocaster quality. Shermann’s 1981 Tokai Silverstar with original single-coil pickups is used alongside the 1975 Fender Strat for recording new Mercyful Fate solos in 2024. The Japanese Strat copies of this period are often compared favorably to CBS-era Fender production for their specific tonal character and construction quality.
What is the Mercyful Fate EP and why is it important?
The Mercyful Fate self-titled EP was released in 1982 — the foundational document of the Mercyful Fate sound, featuring King Diamond’s operatic vocals, the Shermann/Denner twin-guitar approach, and the specific occult lyrical themes and theatrical presentation that defined the band’s identity. It preceded the two full studio albums Melissa (1983) and Don’t Break the Oath (1984) that established Mercyful Fate as a first-wave black metal landmark. The LPB-1 clean boost appears in the EP recording, making it one of the earliest documented effects in the first-wave black metal recording tradition.
What is Hank Shermann currently working on?
According to his official website: “Currently working on Mercyful Fate’s upcoming Album but also his first Solo Album, all slated for a 2026/2027 release.” His 2024 Facebook documentation of recording with the 1975 Fender Strat and 1981 Tokai Silverstar — alongside Neural DSP Fortin Nameless for dubbing — represents the specific guitar setup for the new Mercyful Fate album. He is sixty-six years old and actively recording.
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