Written by Stigmatized on 29.10.2008 at 16:19

Mercyful Fate for me, for the same reason that everyone else has said. It's all about "Don't Break the Oath" mostly though. Melissa is a great album too, but "Don't Break the Oath" is too good.

I've always preffered "Melissa" to "Don't Break The Oath", although it seems that most people see it the opposite way around. As for this thread, I think it's hard to compare, as both bands have different things that make them unique and special. If we're comparing entire discographies, then I think King just has the edge, even though I actually like a lot of the stuff that the reformed Mercyful Fate did. Musically, the band did suffer when Michael Denner left, as their last 2 albums weren't particularly great. King has released a couple of sub par albums too, so it's tough to decide... I dunno, I think there was a special magic between Shermann and Denner as a guitar team, and for that reason, I think Mercyful Fate just wins this one for me!

Written by Angelic Storm on 30.10.2011 at 23:43

Written by Stigmatized on 29.10.2008 at 16:19

Mercyful Fate for me, for the same reason that everyone else has said. It's all about "Don't Break the Oath" mostly though. Melissa is a great album too, but "Don't Break the Oath" is too good.

I've always preffered "Melissa" to "Don't Break The Oath", although it seems that most people see it the opposite way around. As for this thread, I think it's hard to compare, as both bands have different things that make them unique and special. If we're comparing entire discographies, then I think King just has the edge, even though I actually like a lot of the stuff that the reformed Mercyful Fate did. Musically, the band did suffer when Michael Denner left, as their last 2 albums weren't particularly great. King has released a couple of sub par albums too, so it's tough to decide... I dunno, I think there was a special magic between Shermann and Denner as a guitar team, and for that reason, I think Mercyful Fate just wins this one for me!

I have also always prefered Melissa to Don't Break The Oath, but indeed people who prefer Melissa are in a minority. imo, Melissa is way darker and more evil sounding.
My bggest problem with King Dimaond as band is all those concept albums, tbh, I somehow usually hate concepts for mostly more time is spent writing the story than paying attention to the music.

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 30.10.2011 at 23:46
I have also always prefered Melissa to Don't Break The Oath, but indeed people who prefer Melissa are in a minority. imo, Melissa is way darker and more evil sounding.
My bggest problem with King Dimaond as band is all those concept albums, tbh, I somehow usually hate concepts for mostly more time is spent writing the story than paying attention to the music.

"Melissa" is darker and more evil sounding. I also find it a more engaging listen overall than "Don't Break The Oath". The latter album is great too, don't get me wrong. It just lacks that "edge" that makes "Melissa" such a captivating album.

I think the concept album stuff is something that will either endear you to King, or turn you off it. (although his voice is also a love it or hate it type thing!) It's very theatrical, which can be offputting to some people I guess. Strangely enough though, a lot of fans don't regard "The Spider's Lullabye" as a great album, mainly because only the last 4 songs form a concept. I however, love this album a lot, and find the non-concept album songs very refreshing and a break from his usual stuff. "Fatal Portrait" is similar, and another album I love, although many King fans regard it as weak...

Written by Angelic Storm on 31.10.2011 at 00:07

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 30.10.2011 at 23:46
I have also always prefered Melissa to Don't Break The Oath, but indeed people who prefer Melissa are in a minority. imo, Melissa is way darker and more evil sounding.
My bggest problem with King Dimaond as band is all those concept albums, tbh, I somehow usually hate concepts for mostly more time is spent writing the story than paying attention to the music.

"Melissa" is darker and more evil sounding. I also find it a more engaging listen overall than "Don't Break The Oath". The latter album is great too, don't get me wrong. It just lacks that "edge" that makes "Melissa" such a captivating album.

I think the concept album stuff is something that will either endear you to King, or turn you off it. (although his voice is also a love it or hate it type thing!) It's very theatrical, which can be offputting to some people I guess. Strangely enough though, a lot of fans don't regard "The Spider's Lullabye" as a great album, mainly because only the last 4 songs form a concept. I however, love this album a lot, and find the non-concept album songs very refreshing and a break from his usual stuff. "Fatal Portrait" is similar, and another album I love, although many King fans regard it as weak...

Well, Fatal Portrait is much closer to his first two Mercyful fate albums than his typical King Diamond stuff, it is clearly a transitional album and tbh my favourite KD one. Especially due to the fact it's all loose songs. Abigail was good too by it actually wen all downhill after that. It seems that it als has to do with doing away with Danish musicains in his band. After Abigial King Diamond started way more American.

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 31.10.2011 at 00:12
Well, Fatal Portrait is much closer to his first two Mercyful fate albums than his typical King Diamond stuff, it is clearly a transitional album and tbh my favourite KD one. Especially due to the fact it's all loose songs. Abigail was good too by it actually wen all downhill after that. It seems that it als has to do with doing away with Danish musicains in his band. After Abigial King Diamond started way more American.

It isn't all loose songs. 5 songs on the album form a story, whilst the other 4 are loose songs, and unrelated to the concept. "The Spider's Lullabye" is similar, except that more than half of that album is loose songs. Whilst I do love a lot of the stuff King did after "Abigail", I would agree that the first two albums with Timi Hansen and Michael Denner are his best. "Abigail" in particular is King's ultimate album, and is the only time his solo band had a similar chemistry in the lead guitar department as Mercyful Fate. Michael Denner and Andy La Rocque formed a deadly combination on those first two albums, something which was a bit lacking on all his subsequent albums.

Never liked neither Mercyful Fate nor King Diamond.
And I hate King Diamond's vocal style.

Written by RavenKing on 31.10.2011 at 01:42

Never liked neither Mercyful Fate nor King Diamond.
And I hate King Diamond's vocal style.

Well thanks for chiming in, then.

Written by Misfit74 on 31.10.2011 at 08:34

Written by RavenKing on 31.10.2011 at 01:42

Never liked neither Mercyful Fate nor King Diamond.
And I hate King Diamond's vocal style.

Well thanks for chiming in, then.

Everyone is entitled to his/her opinion.

Just because RK doesn't like it doesn't mean he should post about it.

I don't like King Diamond or Mercyful Fate either. The vocals turn me off, the music is boring, and the concepts are overdone.

Written by Troy Killjoy on 01.11.2011 at 00:26

Just because RK doesn't like it doesn't mean he should post about it.

I don't like King Diamond or Mercyful Fate either. The vocals turn me off, the music is boring, and the concepts are overdone.

The music, it depends. Sometimes I like it, other times I don't.

The vocals turn me off. KD's lower, more normal voice, I find boring. And the high-pitched vocals I find plain cringeworthy.

As for the concepts, I think KD rehashes the same few ideas all the time.

Written by Troy Killjoy on 01.11.2011 at 00:26

Just because RK doesn't like it doesn't mean he should post about it.

I don't like King Diamond or Mercyful Fate either. The vocals turn me off, the music is boring, and the concepts are overdone.

Of course everyone is entitled to their own views. I'm just of the mind that if you aren't contributing the the discussion you're not contributing to the discussion.

Written by Misfit74 on 01.11.2011 at 02:48
Of course everyone is entitled to their own views. I'm just of the mind that if you aren't contributing the the discussion you're not contributing to the discussion.

He got a response out of you. I'd say that's contributing.

Mercyful Fate. I find myself listening to this band more than King Diamond.

Written by Troy Killjoy on 01.11.2011 at 02:49

Written by Misfit74 on 01.11.2011 at 02:48
Of course everyone is entitled to their own views. I'm just of the mind that if you aren't contributing the the discussion you're not contributing to the discussion.

He got a response out of you. I'd say that's contributing.

This is very true haha, but i prefer Mercyful Fate more.

Mercyful Fate is more interesting for me, just sayin.

King Diamond for me. Fatal Portrait, Abigail, Them, Conspiracy, The Eye... Doesn't get much better than that. Mercyful Fate's reunion albums don't do much for me, aside from In The Shadows, although their first two albums of course classics.

Love both.

36 people are clearly deaf

King Diamond is great, but Mercyful Fate still wins this for me; they just have that raw sound I love, especially Melissa

King Diamond.
Mercyful Fate's first two albums are undoubtably influencial (and not in influencial yet crappy like Venom and Kreator) and fantastic as is their first EP, but everything after that... yeah.
King Diamond, on the other hand, his albums are fucking fun, especially his concepts. The Fatal Portrait, Abigail, Them, Conspiracy and The Puppet Master. Good stuff.

I am a sucker for both, but I would have to go with King Diamond.

I just started getting into them and at the moment I have to go with Mercyful Fate. But it's still a really close call.

For me Mercyful Fate. King Diamond is too theatrical

I do enjoy them both, but I think "Melissa" and "Don't Break the Oath" top everything King Diamond has done since.

Merciful Fate always seemed darker to me. So I chose it for that.

I gotta go with Mercyful Fate. Personally I like the riffing much more in Mercyful Fate, and I just enjoy the thrashy sound of Mercyful Fate more so. It was, however, a very hard decision as King Diamond's solo albums do have alot more diversity especially in lead guitar playing. I enjoy both projects and depending on my mood King Diamond can be better.

It's kind of a hard poll, for me their are 3 different phases of King's career. Early MF, KD, then the reinvention of MF after the release of In the Shadows. Personally I like early MF better then the others. KD was great and kept getting better and better. When MF regrouped the started out heavy but then just kind of went off as the continued on.

But hey, just my opinion, I am also one of the few King Diamond fans that never cared for the Abigail album (most peoples fav) so I'm a little weird in my own right.

Melissa, Don't Break The Oath and Abigail are 3 of my favorite albums.

I'll say King Diamond, as I listen to the solo stuff more often than i do Mercyful Fate's, maybe because of the more theatrical nature of the music, or probably i just prefer the riffs. However, its by the slimmest of margins. They are both excellent.

No band can touch Mercyful Fate's classic era. While I do like the reunion albums, King Diamond's solo albums were better. Either way, both are sacred to me.

Both are obviously great. I'd have to go with Mercyful Fate because of the complete and total classic quality pure ownage of the Melissa and Don't Break the Oath..I also enjoy In the Shadows and especially Time quite a bit. King Diamond's solo albums are awesome as well but none can touch those first 2 MF full lengths.