DeathCAVE bassist/vocalist and Satanik Royalty Records head Freiburger is pleased to unsheathe the latest installment of the label’s Couch Covers video series with a rendition of Mercyful Fate’s “Come To The Sabbath” and “Black Funeral.”

The series, which consists of quarantine covers of classic metal songs recorded amongst various band friends over the course of the last year, serves as a lead up to Satanik Royalty Records’ first official record release (to be announced in the coming weeks) as well as a celebration of some of metal’s most revered acts.

Today’s Mercyful Fate Couch Cover features Freiburger on bass alongside Alex Sibbald (The Accüsed A.D., Toe Tag) on rhythm guitar, Tyler Splurgis (Xoth) on lead guitars, acoustic guitars, and keyboards, and Brad Mowen (The Accüsed, Burning Witch, Lesbian, Cryptic Slaughter/Lowlife) on vocals.

Comments Freiburger, “Mercyful Fate has always been one of my absolute favorite bands and as soon as myself and Brad finished our Iron Maiden cover, he brought up the idea of doing Mercyful Fate which is an absolute dream for me! The hardest part was choosing a song! We finally settled on ‘Come To The Sabbath' and 'Black Funeral' or, quite simply, 'Black/Sabbath.' We also ended up using the same band lineup as the [previously released] Iron Maiden [Couch Cover of ‘Phantom Of The Opera’] with the exception of Alex Sibbald from The Accüsed in place of Sam Bovington [Endorphins Lost]. I chose him because I know personally how big of a Mercyful Fate fan he is because every time we’d see each other, either Mercyful Fate or King Diamond would come up in conversation! I’m really excited with how the video turned out. Thanks for watching!”

Satanik Royalty Records is a boutique record label and clothing line based in Seattle, Washington. Established to help supply a louder voice to heavy music and artists within the Seattle underground as well as transgender and indigenous communities, Freiburger’s vision has been long in the making. “My passion started in the late ‘90s when I would throw shows at the Dog Mushers Hall and Eagles Lodge in Fairbanks, Alaska, where I grew up. Since moving to the ‘big city,’ I’ve been immersed in and fascinated by the Seattle music scene and have been booking and playing DIY shows, punk houses, and eventually booking major venues ever since.”

Freiburger has curated an eclectic roster of Seattle’s best kept secrets including Heiress (hardcore sludge), Dark Meditation (gritty black ‘n’ roll), Old Iron (psychedelic sludge), Sandrider (grunge), Izthmi (atmospheric/progressive black metal), and of course, Freiburger’s own DeathCAVE (doom/sludge), all scheduled to release material in the coming months via the label.

Satanik Royalty Records will offer physical product as well as streaming and online distribution, limited runs and collector’s items as well as a clothing line and art in collaboration with prominent and respected artists throughout the scene.

(Photo by: Kelly O)