i got Don't Break the Oath first, and songs like Desecration of Souls, Nightmare, Come to the Sabbath and Gypsy really appealed to me...

As soon as i got Melissa, i instantly got hooked.

my favourite song is Curse of the Pharoahs...

its a very hard decision, but i think Melissa is better.

as for the album artwork though, i cannot make out what the picture is on Melissa's cover. On the other hand, D.B.T.O. has a classic album cover.

It's a skull with horns. The older cd versions are very dark, so it's hard to make out but if you have the cd/dvd special edition the cover is a lot clearer. I always thought the artwork was the wrong way up anyway. If you tilt the cover to the left so the skull is looking upwards it looks like blood is pouring down from the eye, nose and mouth. I don't know if it was supposed to be that way originally but moved round to make it look a bit 'weirder'. Who knows?

oh ok. the lighter creamy version looks so much better. i always thought the dark red version of Melissa looked like a foot LOL.

I'm going to go with Melissa. Everything about that album is heavy metal done right, if you ask me. Great moody solos, wonderful artwork, creepy atmosphere...shit, I'm gonna listen to it right now.

so did I!!

"Don't Break the Oath" wins for me, because I feel it's completely free of filler (yes, love the instrumental, too, it's a great prelude to "Come to the Sabbath") and the record is very cohesive. The sound is generally somewhat darker than that of "Melissa" and Mike especially has one of the most beautiful guitar tones ever laid to tape. "Melissa" is wonderful and I I do appreciate it's more rocking, gleefully evil feel...but I just don't think "Satan's Fall" is very well put-together and it's a bit of a sore spot on an otherwise fantastic album.

Edit: It doesn't take away from the enjoyment of the album for me, but does anybody else think that the lead tone (I think it's Mike's again, actually) is a little inappropriate in some spots on "Melissa"? I'm thinking specifically of the solo over the acoustic guitar at the beginning of "Into the Coven"..why does it sound so squawky and thin? Seems to take away from the majesty of that intro a little.

I do think I may like the EP a little more than both albums, too..but yes, I"ll go with DBTO.

I love how confident both sides are when saying that their favorite is the best, really goes to show how much quality is packed into those first two gems. For me personally though? There's really no comparison. Melissa is probably my favorite metal album of all time, and there isn't a single second of it that I think is anything less than perfect. I love the production more, I think the guitar tone is a bit rawer and more menacing sounding, and I think there is a higher presence of what I call "swagger riffs". Those slower, sort-of-groovy, heavy as fuck riffs they love to employ.

DBTO loses to Melissa just based on track 1 versus track 1 comparisons alone. DBTO doesn't even feel like it starts for me until about 2 minutes into the second song, when that slow, heavy as fuck swaggering riff comes in to finally let you know you are indeed listening to the Fate.

I've still never heard the EP.

What, no love for "A Dangerous Meeting"? THat's one of my favourite MF songs ever..maybe in my top four. I had the chills the first time I heard that one and I still feel the same power every time I play it.



You'll love the EP then ... raw guitar tone, great riffs, and King's most strident and highest vocals..in fact, I'm pretty confident that it's his most gripping vocal performance.

Heh, I don't actively dislike A Dangerous Meeting, but I don't think it compares to Evil. Plus, the first three songs from Melissa are so impossibly amazing to me that my body can barely withstand hearing them laid back-to-back-to-back. I think it just sets the tone for a much heavier album.

Don't Break the Oath also feels considerably longer to me, even though it isn't.

melissa > dont break the oath

Going to have to go with Melissa. I don't really have a reason to back up my decision besides the fact that I just prefer to listen to Melissa.

This is kinda how I look at it. The supreme opening one-two of "Evil" and "Curse Of The Pharoahs" is one of the most mindblowing starts to a metal album ever. Parts of "A Dangerous Meeting" are great too, but I feel it takes a while before the song really kicks into gear. For me, DBTO doesn't really take off until "Nightmare". Great album though, and as a cohesive whole, it's better than "Melissa". For atmosphere though, the debut has it.

As for who's better between Shermann and Denner...I think it really depends on your preference. Hank has a more off the cuff, chaotic style, wheras Mike's solos tend to be more melodic and tuneful. I think they complement each other very well. In general, I prefer Mike, but some of Hank's crazy solos like on "Curse Of The Pharoahs" and "Come To The Sabbath" are just deadly! \m/

For me Don't break the oath is the only MF or KD album every metalhead should have!

No Abigail, Melissa, or s/t EP?

my thoughts exactly...DBtO is good but is my least favorite compared with Abigail, Melissa, and the s/t EP.

I havent heard the EP, but Melissa and Abigail are definitely essential KD/Fate albums.

The focus on my sentence is that even people hating King Diamond's vocals should have it. Even if you can't stand his two famous bands you need to have this.

I dont see the point in that statement. DBTO isn't far removed musically from a good deal of Fate's other works. If someone doesn't like King's music mainly because of his vocals, then there's really nothing on DBTO that would make such people change their opinions on his music/vocals. As essential an album as DBTO is, for someone who hates King's voice, they're still not going to like it. Especially seeing as King's vocals is one of the main ingrediants in what makes Mercyful Fate so great.

I can't see how you can hate King's vocals AND like DBTO.

oh man, you need to remedy that asap.

Their debut EP reminds me of Queensryche in where they're more than just a sampling like a lot of EPs are, but are very good standalone releases. Even if it were their one and only release, it would probably be looked at as an underground treasure.

Only parts?!

Quite frankly, some of the comments I've been reading here about A Dangerous Meeting, have been down right ridiculous. The first second this amazing track kicks off, you instantly know that it's going to blow you away. I still get that same magical feeling, and chills every damn time I play it. The way it gradually builds up to that stomping riff is sublime, then followed by an awesome lead before King chimes in with a perfect vocal melody. Pure genius. The album starts here.

I think they're both classic, but Melissa is my favourite - to my ears it's more 70's influenced, and I like 70's metal more.
Only 1 producer and 1 songwriter too so it flows better, and King was at his best.

Exactly how I feel. I think that though Evil is one of my favourite MF songs, DM is just a better overall song and a better opener.

You really can't understand why some people might prefer "Evil" or other MF songs to "A Dangerous Meeting?" Its a fantastic and chilling song, no doubt, but I gotta say it: that main riff should be a smidgen faster.

As opening cuts for their respective albums. No.

Everyone has their favourites obviously. Both songs, I believe are brilliant, untouchable. But I don't understand how anyone who is a M.F fan can find fault in ADM. It's composition is perfect, flawless, an absolute classic, as is Evil. I'm just saying (and defending) that A Dangerous Meeting is equal in both quality and strength as an opener for D.B.T.O as Evil is for Melissa.

And the main riff is perfect in it's speed and timing.