Bassist Joey Vera has left Mercyful Fate, a band he joined as a replacement for Timi Hansen during 2019.
“Mercyful Fate and Joey Vera have mutually decided to separate. Our friendship and mutual respect will always remain the same, and we all sincerely wish each other the best for the future,” wrote King Diamond, without delving into the reasons why Vera is leaving the band.
For now, the band is in the process of a new studio album, while King Diamond is also working on a new solo album. “There is a lot in the works right now. I'm writing with Hank Sherman for Mercyful Fate and writing with Andy La Rocque for King Diamond, in addition to my own writing. With King Diamond, it is an album that will be called The Institute, it is the first part of two; there will be two full albums that will complete that story. As the title dictates, it will be something strange and spooky, but I won't give any more details for now. We also already have the cover of Mercyful Fate's new album, which is exactly what is expected. It's very accurate. Basic but smart.”, says Diamond.
