Fate was founded in 1985 by former Mercyful Fate guitarist Hank Sherman (aka Rene Krolmark) with former Maxim vocalist Jeff Lox Limbo (aka Jens Meinert), bassist/keyboardist Pete Steiner (aka Peter Steincke) and drummer Bob Lance (aka Bjarne Holm). 3 weeks after they first met as Fate - they had a record contract!
In 1986 they released their untitled debut guested by Michael Denner (Ex King Diamond/Mercyful Fate) and produced by long-time Mercyful Fate engineer Henrik Lund which stirred a little attention in England - Malcome Dome gave it 4 from 5 stars "rating" in the heavy magazine KERRANG.
In 1987 "A Matter of Attitude" was released - it was guested by producer/guitarist Svein Dag Hauge from Norwegian Westcoast/AOR band LAVA and keyboarder Kjetil Bjerkestrand - he later showed up in TNT. Shermann left right after this rather poppy release to join a heavy outfit called Lavina and was joined by Timi G. Hansen, Flemming Rothaus, Michael Denner and Per Henriksen. He felt that he was pushed out by Hauge during the time in the studio, Hauge wanted the sound for "A matter of Attitude" to be as radio-friendly as possible. Shermann later again formed Zoser Mez and re-formed Mercyful Fate and along with Bjarne Holm he plays in Gutrix, Virus 7 and started a career as a photographer in his real name Rene Krolmark.
Fate carried on with new guitarist Mysterious Mr. Moth (aka Jacob Moth) and a permanent keyboard player Floyd Lafayette (Flemming Rothaus). This outfit recorded "Cruisin' for a bruisin'" with producer Simon Hanhart - but Limbo and Moth left Fate. Moth to make some studio work with Germans Blind Guardian before joining Blink, Savage Rose and latest project LILA with his Rumanian wife Ekatarina. Rothaus to do the drums for a Danish Springsteen-clone Nicolaj Christensen and he later moved to USA to be a session drummer and Limbo to do nothing - he now lives in Denmark and is playing fusion.
Steiner and Holm recruited vocalist Per Henriksen (Ex Crystal Knight/ Dorian Gray/ Evil/ Lavina/Palladion) and Swedish guitar ace Matthias Eklundh (Ex Frozen Eyes). In 1990 Fate returned in a revitalised version and released the dynamic and powerful "Scratch'n sniff" album produced by Tommy Hansen in the Jailhouse Studios - and dis-banded, because EMI bought danish label Medley and they did not want to re-sign the group. Eklundh's guitar work on that album was recorded through an old Ghetto Blaster with a broken loudspeaker, but it had a certain effect! Holm played with Zoser Mez before joining Shermann in a new Mercyful Fate edition and Eklundh formed Freak Kitchen in Sweden and worked with former Skagarack frontman Torben Schmidt.... and for a very short while Fate continued with a danish guitarist called Søren Hoff, but they only recorded a few demoes in 1992 - one is called "Hardcore Romance". A little funny story is that during the recording of this demo in the Sweet Silence studios legendary producer Flemming Rasmussen was in the middle of producing German heavy band Chroming Rose - but was disturbed by the very dynamic Per Henriksen. Rasmussen ran upstairs and yelled "Who is screaming like this" and Per Henriksen ended up doing the background vocals on the record "Pressure" alongside Alex Nyborg Madsen from Witch Cross - ironically Eklundh made a guest appearence on Chroming Rose's previous album "Garden of Eden" from 1991!
Limbo actually recorded a David Lee Roth inspired DAT-tape in the PUK-studios with the help of Moth and Rothaus but is now active in Copenhagen bars with a duo called Major, featuring him and his brother Niels, playing Beatles-like selfcomposed material. He has a more pop/rock oriented band called Fizter, too. Steincke was a DJ in several Copenhagen night clubs and did some studio work on radio commercials, but is now out of the music business doing some internet and multimedia work.
Per Henriksen changed his last name to Johansson and after a period in USA, recording with among others David Paich of Toto he returned to Denmark, where he now has a new power pop project called Ureas together with his wife Heidi. Special guest stars on the album are Bjarne Holm on drums and a young Mr. Frederik Hansen on guitar - son of producer Tommy Hansen, who mixed the album as well.
In 2003 Hank Sherman and Bjarne Holm has joined forces with vocalist Martin Steene from IRON FIRE, Michael Denner and Hal Patino known from =Y=. The band Force of Evil plays 80's metal.
In 2004 vocalist Per Johansson (aka Henriksen) has been in the Jailhouse Studios with Tommy Hansen and mixed four additional tracks to the forthcoming two re-releases of their "A Matter of Attitude" (planned release date: July.5th.2004) and "Scratch N Sniff" albums planned to be a part of MTM Classix series.The four tracks are: "Hardcore Romance", "Just a Stranger", "Memories of you" and "Don't do drugs" all tracks originally from around 1992. And more surprising news are that the latest incarnation of the group Per Johansson, Peter Steincke, Bjarne Holm and Sören Hoff are talking about the options for another round!! And maybe a live appearence at the Deep Impact festival in Munich! Perhaps with Claus Lindy doing the drums on that particular show and adding Finn Zierler from Beyond Twilight on keyboards.
Fate anno 2006 features Peter Steincke as only original member, Per Johansson (aka Henriksen) and guitarist Søren Hoff is back in the fold. Only really "new" member is Micke Kvist from Sweden. But this four-some combined with the tight production by Tommy Hansen in the Jailhouse Studios is a very explosive cocktail which resulted in the marvellous "V".