Mercyful Fate overrated?

In my opinion MF isn't overrated. Don't Break the Oath and Melissa both are some of the best metal albums ever created.

Mercyful fate deserve every bit of recognition. Not overrated.

UNDERRATED if anything, MF were not only the kings of time changes but made truly amazing music coupled with King's voice, regardless of the lyrics, one of the best bands ever IMO.

I happen to have been on a Mercyful Fate kick lately and have been listening to their entire catalog on and off for the past week or so. Here's how I'd rank the MF discs from top to bottom:

1. DON'T BREAK THE OATH (Not just MF's best disc but Top 10 of All Time for me. Glory, majesty, hail, hail, bow down to its sheer awesome creeping evilness)...
2. IN THE SHADOWS
3. TIME
4. MELISSA
5. INTO THE UNKNOWN
6. THE BEGINNING (compilation)
7. 9
8. DEAD AGAIN

9 and especially DEAD AGAIN don't have the same staying power that the other albums have had IMO. By that time the band was cranking out a new album every year or so (in addition to King continuing with his ongoing solo efforts at the same time!) so they were beginning to sound a bit tired on those last two CDs. Also, the exit of Michael Denner (replaced by Mike Wead) was a big loss (I am of the opinion that Denner and Hank Shermann were a guitar team on par with Smith/Murray or Tipton/Downing). Now that I've re-evaluated it, DEAD AGAIN looks likely to end up on my next trade list, as that disc does little for me. Those first five albums are unbeatable, however, and belong in everyone's classic Metal collection IMO!!!

Fat Freddy wrote:

DON'T BREAK THE OATH (Not just MF's best disc but Top 10 of All Time for me.

my sentiments exactly!

I don't think you could call any band that has had as much influence as MF, a band that has never had mainstream support, overrated. I'm not as familiar w/ Mercyful Fate as many of you, but I would never call them overrated.