Debut albums

[deliverance]

Are there any artists/bands whose debut album you feel is their best work to date? I feel this is hard to come by.
In a lot of cases, the first album is quite differnet from the rest, and any good band will progress, and probably make more more dynamic, interesting, complex music. This is not to say if a bands debut is excellent, anything after is shit, nor that if the debut is shit, everything after is great. This is just inquiring who YOU think out there gives their best offering on their debut album. Also, the artist/band must have at least 3 releases, for your answer to be valid, for obvious reasons.

The only one I can think of right now, is possibly Morbid Angel's Altars of Madness. I'll try to think up more.

 

[Erik]

At the Gates "The Red in the Sky is Ours"

NEVER. TOPPED. Best death metal album ever, possibly BEST ALBUM EVER.

Agalloch "Pale Folklore" (alright, so they only have 2 albums so far, but I doubt they will ever top this)
Emperor "In the Nightside Eclipse"
Mayhem "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas"
Helheim "Jormundgand"
In the Woods... "HEart of the Ages"
Testament "The Legacy"
Skepticism "Stormcrowfleet"
Nokturnal Mortum "Goat Horns" (not counting Lunar Poetry, which is more of a demo really)
Mütiilation "Vampires of Black Imperial Blood"

That'll do for starters...

 

[Eemu]

King Crimson - In the court of the crimson king (an obvious one)
Nightwish - Angels Fall First (beautiful acoustic passages they would never do again)

 

[SculptedCold]

Mayhem "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas"

Definately.

Pearl Jam - Ten
Blood Red Throne - Monument of Death
The Berzerker - The Berzerker
Commit Suicide - Human Larvae (Earthly Cleansing)
Decapitated - Winds of Creation
Falconer - Falconer
Mudvayne -L.D.50
Nile - Amongst the Catacombs of Nephren-Ka
Zyklon - World OV Worms


Yeah, there's a few bands there that only have two or three releases, but meh, you can still tell.

 

[Doomwatcher]

My choices would be

Amorphis - The Karelian Isthmus

Cathedral - Forest of Equilibrium

Demigod - Slumber of Sullen Eyes: The sheer crushing and brooding atmosphere this album conjures almost makes it the best death metal album ever (with the exception of Nespithe). I know that Demigod has only released two full-lengths but their debut would be quite a task to top.

More to come later.

 

[MSPelata]

Dio - Holy Diver

 

[Erik]

Cathedral - Forest of Equilibrium

This, too.

 

[Cephalanthera]

black album!!!! IT ROX! SO GOOD OMG! LoLzOrS!!!@!!@#!

 

[MSPelata]

black album!!!! IT ROX! SO GOOD OMG! LoLzOrS!!!@!!@#!

 

[Demilich]

BLACK SABBATH - BLACK SABBATH!!!!!!OMG*DIES*!!!!11!1!

Woods of Ypres - Against the Seasons
Hammers of Misfortune - The Bastard
Ozzy - Blizzard of Ozz
Darkthrone - Soulside Journey
Satan - Court in the Act
Tankard - Zombie Attack
Aeternus - Beyond the Wandering Moon
Ulver - Bergtatt
Drudkh - Forgotten Legends
Summoning - Lugburz
Katatonia - Jhva Elohim Meth


hm.. theres a lot of good debuts!

 

[Naggamanteh]

Brodequin - Instruments of Torture
The Gathering - Always
Dreams of Sanity - Komodia

 

[MSPelata]

Ozzy - Blizzard of Ozz

Agreed.

 

[Burkhard]

Testament "The Legacy"

Dreams of Sanity - Komodia

Definitely.

Forbidden - "Forbidden Evil"
Hexenhaus - "A Tribute To Insanity"
The Third And The Mortal - "Tears Laid In Earth"
Psychotic Waltz - "A Social Grace"
Death Angel - "The Ultraviolence"
Vicious Rumors - "Soldiers Of The Night"
Solitude Aeturnus - "Into The Depths Of Sorrow"
Hades - "Resisting Success"
Warlock - "Burning The Witches"
Candlemass - "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus"

 

[deliverance]

I know EP's aren't full albums, but they kind of count, if it's their first release, because that gives the band a chance to explore and develop. i'm thinking along the lines of emperor and nile. i haven't heard quite a few of these mentioned bands music, but, i didn't think it would be this easy haha.
most bands have their best releases in the beginning of their catalogue, but not neccessarily the FIRST release, which was the question in topic, which i thought is an impressive position to hold.

a few more: Meshuggah, Machine Head, Rage against the Machine, Slipknot

 

[Erik]

Death Angel - "The Ultraviolence"
Candlemass - "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus"

Yep

 

[Jean-Pierre]

Satan - Court In The Act
Forbidden - Forbidden Evil
Angel Witch - Angel Witch
Death Angel - Ultra-Violence
Vio-Lence - Eternal Nightmare
Testament - The Legacy
Heathen - Breaking The Silence
Dio - Holy Diver
Helloween - Walls Of Jerhico
Metallica - Kill Em All
Mercyful Fate - Melissa
Coroner - R.I.P.
Iron Angel - Hellish Crossfire
Manowar - Battle Hymns
Tormentor - Anno Domini
Holocaust - The Nighcomers

There are about 500,000 more.

 

[AsModEe]

Dark Tranquility - Skydancer
Children of Bodom - Something Wild
Vehemence - God Was Created ( it's their first album right? )
Necronomicon - Something Of Pharaohs... I don't remember the name
Quo Vadis - Forever

 

[SlaughterofSoul]

Malevolent Creation - The Ten Commandments. Thrashy as all hell death metal and sparse(maybe a couple on the album) blast beats. Bret Hoffman never sounded better. Neither has the Phil Fasciana's songwriting.

Morbid Angel - Altars Of Madness. Again, great thrashy death metal. Lots of blast beats, but not to the level of being annoying. Also, Pete Sandoval still played a real drumkit, and was coming off the best metal drum performance ever, IMO(Terrorzier - World Downfall).

Mayhem - De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas. For Obvious reasons.

Mutiilation - Vampires Of Black Imperial Blood. The Song writing and atmosphere hasn't even been matched or realized on subsequent albums.

Decapitated - Winds Of Creation. Way better than Nihility, and not sucky like their latest.

Angelcorpse - Hammer Of Gods. Great songs. I just prefer it to their other stuff.

Dismember - Like An Everflowing Stream. They just haven't topped it, and it would be hard to do, considering this is classic.

Entombed - Left Hand Path. Read Dismember blurb.

Suffocation - Effigy Of The Forgotten. Just a fucking classic.

Ulver - Bergtatt. Great songs, and great meshing of their folk and black metal styles.

Mercyful Fate - Melissa. Look at the tracklisting.

Monstrosity - Imperial Doom. Corpsegrinder just sounds awesome on this album.

 

[Flen flyys]

The Haunted
Spiral Architect

 

[Victim of Deception]

In addition to what has already been posted:

Mr. Bungle - Mr. Bungle
The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced?
Metal Church - Metal Church
Machine Head - Burn My Eyes
Dissection - The Somberlain
Down - NOLA
Mastodon - Remission