"I only like their first album"

I'm sure most people here have heard others say this or even said it themselves countless times, but is there actually any truth to it? I have a feeling most of the time there isn't, so i checked my collection for bands where i actually only like their first album... and couldn't find a single one! I couldn't even find bands where i like their first album the most, with one exception: Decapitated.

So my question is the following: In your opinion, wich bands had their best performance on their first album? (exclude bands that have released less than 3 albums)

Most bands get better with time, up to a point, then they start getting stale or repetitive. Right now I can't think of any band with more than three albums the first of which is their undisputed best.

I haven't heard anyone say "I only like their first album" but I have heard and agree at times "Their first album is their best"

A band's first album being their best isn't really that surprising because they have had years to work on it and fine tune the songs.

Bands who's debut album I think is their best:

Exodus
Mercyful Fate
Testament
Acid bath
After Forever
Alice In Chains
Anathema
Angel Witch
Annihilator
Artillery
Asphyx
At The Gates
Atheist
Autopsy


just to name a few

Arsis put out a great debut album and everything kind of went downhill from there.

Grim Reaper, Candlemass and Pentagram are all I can think about right now.

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 24.09.2012 at 15:35

I haven't heard anyone say "I only like their first album" but I have heard and agree at times "Their first album is their best"

A band's first album being their best isn't really that surprising because they have had years to work on it and fine tune the songs.

Bands who's debut album I think is their best:

Exodus
Mercyful Fate
Testament
Acid bath
After Forever
Alice In Chains
Anathema
Angel Witch
Annihilator
Artillery
Asphyx
At The Gates
Atheist
Autopsy


just to name a few

Yeah, the question was about "their first album is the best".

I think it's rather difficult for a band to be at their top on their very first release. I'd say the experience you get from actually composing and recording a lot beats year long finetuning most of the times. I'm not even sure if that year long finetuning actually usually takes place (do new bands really put more time into their first album than their subsequent albums?). I am no musician, though, so i might be wrong.

Also, seeing your list, i'd have to agree with Mercyful Fate (if you mean Melissa) and vehemently disagree with At The Gates.

Written by Iskander on 24.09.2012 at 21:47


Also, seeing your list, i'd have to agree with Mercyful Fate (if you mean Melissa)

Yes I mean Melissa because I reckoned you were talking about full-lengths. Amd of the self-titeld is an e.p.

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 24.09.2012 at 15:35


Bands who's debut album I think is their best:

At The Gates

You actually prefer their first album to Slaughter of the Soul?

Written by Dinruth on 24.09.2012 at 22:40

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 24.09.2012 at 15:35


Bands who's debut album I think is their best:

At The Gates

You actually prefer their first album to Slaughter of the Soul?

Oh absolutely. Slaughter is okay, but nothing great to me.

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 24.09.2012 at 22:49



Oh absolutely. Slaughter is okay, but nothing great to me.

I thought you hated SotS with every ounce of your being?

Written by Guest on 24.09.2012 at 22:53

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 24.09.2012 at 22:49



Oh absolutely. Slaughter is okay, but nothing great to me.

I thought you hated SotS with every ounce of your being?

No, I find it a mediocre/average album which is overhyped that is something entirely different than hating it with every ounce of my being Hence me scoring it a 6 and nothing lower. I hate the hype around it not the album in itself

Uriah Heep
Kiss
Metal Church
W.A.S.P.
Van Halen
Dio
Candlemass
Annihilator
Arcturus
Nuclear Assault
Nevermore
Angel Witch
Children Of Bodom
Death Angel
Exumer
Depressive Age
Sacred Reich
Whiplash
Martyr
Andromeda
Mastodon

Written by Vasil de Shumen on 24.09.2012 at 23:22


Dio

uh that's a great choice .. can't believe it hasn't been mentioned before .. definitely his best album imo

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 24.09.2012 at 15:35

I haven't heard anyone say "I only like their first album" but I have heard and agree at times "Their first album is their best"

A band's first album being their best isn't really that surprising because they have had years to work on it and fine tune the songs.

Bands who's debut album I think is their best:


just to name a few

How about The Gathering and Anathema

Right now I can remeber only those bands what i realy enjoy only 1th album from band discography

Paradise Lost - Lost Paradise.

Don't like any of their other albums. Same with Anathema actually.

Definitely Ensiferum. Absolutely everything after their first album sounds boring to me.

Written by Guest on 24.09.2012 at 22:53

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 24.09.2012 at 22:49



Oh absolutely. Slaughter is okay, but nothing great to me.

I thought you hated SotS with every ounce of your being?

I do.

Hmmm, this is a good one, I'll have to come back, right now all I can think of is Job For a Cowboy with their Doom EP.

Written by Guest on 25.09.2012 at 00:06

I do.

It's a decent album

Can think of a few obvious ones and a few confrontational ones.

Iron Maiden
Satan
Tesla
Gun 'N Roses
Dio
Manowar
Psychotic Waltz (who started out so damn high, they couldn't haved reached the bottum if they had tried)
Skyclad
Omen
Vandenberg

Written by Guest on 24.09.2012 at 23:45

Paradise Lost - Lost Paradise.

Don't like any of their other albums. Same with Anathema actually.

Lost Paradise would also be in my lost just as The Gathering's first one.

There are loads of bands whose debut full-length I think is their best. Just didn't mention them all, gave a small list to give an impression of how many bands there are around whose best is their first.

Written by Guest on 25.09.2012 at 00:24

It's a decent album

Yes, decent and that's it.

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 25.09.2012 at 00:32


Lost Paradise would also be in my lost just as The Gathering's first one.

There are loads of bands whose debut full-length I think is their best. Just didn't mention them all, gave a small list to give an impression of how many bands there are around whose best is their first.

Yep, lots of bands out there never topped their debut. Fewer cases where it's the only good album, but I'm sure there are plenty of those out there too if I sat down and thought about it.

Also, the topic is "I ONLY like their first album" as in "the first album was ok and the rest was shit." This doesn't apply on most of the bands listed.

Jag Panzer in a nutshell.

Bands with their debut being their best (or the only one i like in some cases... they have these things ***)
Metallica*
Acid Bath
Ahab
Amorphis
Anaal Nathrakh
Ancient Wisdom
Arcturus
Dissection
Annihilator
Asphyx
Atheist
Burzum
Cancer*
Candlemass
Dark Funeral*
Decapitated*
Deicide
Diablo Swing Orchestra
Dimmu Borgir
Down
Emperor
Entombed
A Forest Of Stars
etc...

Written by MetalisShite on 25.09.2012 at 02:53

None of them, because metal is shit. Skrillex is real music

I hope you are trolling.

Written by Nightfall on 25.09.2012 at 03:01

Written by MetalisShite on 25.09.2012 at 02:53

None of them, because metal is shit. Skrillex is real music

I hope you are trolling.

Just look at his other comments, his intentions will become rather evident

Written by Alex F on 25.09.2012 at 02:38

Bands with their debut being their best (or the only one i like in some cases... they have these things ***)
Metallica*
Acid Bath
Ahab
Amorphis
Anaal Nathrakh
Ancient Wisdom
Arcturus
Dissection
Annihilator
Asphyx
Atheist
Burzum
Cancer*
Candlemass
Dark Funeral*
Decapitated*
Deicide
Diablo Swing Orchestra
Dimmu Borgir
Down
Emperor
Entombed
A Forest Of Stars
etc...

You think The Somberlain is Dissection's best album?
Make no mistake its a great album, but can't touch Storm of the Light's Bane

For me its probably, "I only like their 2nd or 3rd album". Bands 2nd/3rd albums tend to be the most evolved imo. I don't feel like thinking of any of those albums right now though.