Danish heavy metal legends MERCYFUL FATE are celebrating the 40th anniversary of their seminal album *Don’t Break The Oath* with a special vinyl repress, set for release by Metal Blade Records on November 1. Originally released in 1984 through Roadrunner Records, this new edition marks a milestone for one of metal’s most iconic records.
Brian Slagel, founder and CEO of Metal Blade Records, commented: “We’re thrilled to celebrate the anniversary of one of metal’s most legendary albums: MERCYFUL FATE’s *Don’t Break The Oath*. It’s an honor for us at Metal Blade to be repressing this classic on vinyl. The band will also be commemorating the occasion with a range of cool merch. Check it out, grab the repressing, and join us in celebrating the 40th anniversary of *Don’t Break The Oath*!”
Monte Conner, head of A&R at Nuclear Blast Records and former VP of A&R at Roadrunner Records, added: “Following up *Melissa*, one of the greatest metal debuts, was no small feat. Yet, *Don’t Break The Oath* did just that, with even better production and more intricate songs. Tracks like ‘Gypsy’, ‘The Oath’, and ‘Come To The Sabbath’ are timeless metal classics, and honestly, every song on this album deserves that label. As someone who worked at Roadrunner Records, I’m excited to see this album reach a new generation of metal fans, and there’s no better label to handle this than Metal Blade.”
The 40th anniversary edition of *Don’t Break The Oath* will be released on special ruby red vinyl.
Pre-orders are available at metalblade.com/mercyfulfate.
**Track Listing for *Don’t Break The Oath*:**
*Side A:*
1. A Dangerous Meeting
2. Nightmare
3. Desecration Of Souls
4. Night Of The Unborn
*Side B:*
1. The Oath
2. Gypsy
3. Welcome Princess Of Hell
4. To One Far Away
5. Come To The Sabbath
**Recording Lineup:**
– King Diamond – vocals, keyboards, harpsichord
– Hank Shermann – guitars
– Michael Denner – guitars
– Timi Hansen – bass
– Kim Ruzz – drums
Formed in early 1981 in Copenhagen by vocalist King Diamond and guitarist Hank Shermann, MERCYFUL FATE was soon joined by guitarist Michael Denner, bassist Timi Hansen, and later drummer Kim Ruzz. After recording two demos in 1981 and releasing their successful self-titled EP in November 1982 through Rave On Records, the band gained significant attention. Their debut full-length, *Melissa*, released in 1983 through Roadrunner Records, cemented their place in metal history. The following year, MERCYFUL FATE recorded *Don’t Break The Oath*, which was released in September 1984.
To support the album, the band embarked on a two-month U.S. tour, sharing stages with MOTÖRHEAD and EXCITER, and later joined MOTÖRHEAD, GIRLSCHOOL, HELIX, and TALON for a five-date tour in Germany. The album’s impact resonated globally, further establishing MERCYFUL FATE’s reputation in the heavy metal scene.
