Don't Break the Oath is the second studio album by Danishheavy metal bandMercyful Fate, released on 7 September 1984 through Roadrunner Records.
The style Mercyful Fate employed onDon't Break the Oath resembled a mixture of heavy metal withprogressive elements, lyrically preoccupied withSatan and theoccult and distinguished byKing Diamond's theatricalfalsetto vocals. Very influential to futureblack metal bands due to its lyrical content, the music itself tends toward progressive forms such as dramatic modulations, tempo and tone changes. The album was remastered and subsequently re-issued onRoadrunner Records in 1997. This reissue came with the bonus track "Death Kiss (Demo)", which would eventually evolve into the album's lead-off track, "A Dangerous Meeting". The album received critical acclaim, andMetal Rules named this the greatestextreme metal album of all time.[3]
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