Metal Overview: Bathory (Part 2)

I’m so sorry fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

I had every intention of getting today’s post up around the middle of this month, but due to a computer overall, not to mention going to my first ever Katsucon (Might get a review up sometime in March), my schedule got messed up. Fortunately, I managed to listen to the subject matter of today’s post, as we return to the beast that is Bathory! We’ve now entered the 90s time for this band, where they proudly entered the nordic seas on the mightiest of longboats, ready to lay siege to any unsuspecting village. So let’s not waste anymore time, and take a look at part 2 of my overview of Bathory. Plunder awaits!

Hammerheart (1990)

After the release of the classic Blood Fire Death, Quorthon and the rest of Bathory decided that this new direction with Viking Metal was the way to go. Inspired by the equally iconic Manowar (Despite Quorthon describing the story as “another total misconception”), the band ditched the dark & satanic imagery of their prior output, and embraced the ways of the Norseman. Thus the start of their viking journey began with Hammerheart! Released on the 16th of April 1990, this release marks the first full blown Viking Metal album, and by god do I love it. Gone is the band’s blackened outlook, and in comes a more fantastical look at Norse mythology & culture. I should not that this is the only time that Bathory ever made a music video for anything off of their albums. Observe!

One Rode To Asa Bay

Best Track? Home Of Once Brave! At first the song isn’t much. Just some guitar work & drumming that rarely if ever changes in terms of volume and pacing. On top of that, Quorthon’s volume doesn’t change much either, leading to what might be for some a repetitive track. However, I’d argue that said repetition is actually what gives Home Of Once Brave it’s character, personality, and flavor! The simplistic nature of the track is what makes it so addicting & good, and I confess to repeat it once or twice when I listen. That might sound weird, but that’s why I think it’s Hammerheart’s best song.

Home Of Once Brave

Worst Track? While there’s no band songs of note, I did detect a hint of ego the first time I listened to it, and upon repeated listens I noticed it more and more. It’s not overwhelming in any way and it won’t ruin the experience, but it’s always going to be there. Like a shadow in an otherwise bright room, somehow it’s gonna stick around, and there’s no way to avoid it.

Hammerheart. The first Bathory album I listened to and bought, yet it’s not the first Bathory album I fell in love with. Still, this beast cements itself as the first true Viking Metal record for the band, and one that is considered to be a capstone of the genre. Next album!

Twilight Of The Gods (1991)

Released on the 29th of June, 1991, Twilight Of The Gods continues down the Viking Metal path that they first step foot on just 3 years prior. Titled after an opera created by Wagner, the album also shows off plenty of Classical influences and heavy Epic Doom as well, creating an album that’s quite impressive in terms of everything. However, Twilight Of The Gods is the first Bathory album were Quorthon had complete control over every aspect of the album. From the electric & acoustic guitar, keyboards, bass, and drum programming, he did it all. Even the background vocals was all done by him, as he multi-tracked himself on here as he did on the prior album, albeit in a more choir-like manner. All together, this makes Twilight Of The Gods perhaps the first opera-like metal album, and one bathed in blood & mead.

Best Track? It’s gotta go to the first three songs. Clocking in at roughly 30 minutes all together, the triumvirate of the title track, Through Blood By Thunder, and Blood And Iron all together tell a cohesive story that’s just mesmerizing. Epic in every sense, they take you on a journey through the Norse lands, all the while an incredible battle takes place every step of the way. It’s loud, it’s bombastic.....and I like it!

Twilight Of The Gods

Through Blood By Thunder

Blood And Iron

Worst Track? If there was one thing to complain about Twilight Of The Gods, it would be the immense pretentiousness that is felt throughout the whole record. Quorthon seems to let his ego go, and in the process made an album that think’s a little too much of itself. At the same time, I don’t know how it’s so pretentious. Hammerheart had an ego behind it, yet it never went quite as far as this record did, and it has a similar feel as well. Even if Quorthon didn’t do everything on the album, there’s something lurking within the music that just fuels it’s ego.

Twilight Of The Gods. Perhaps the most egotistical out of Bathory’s discography, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad in any capacity! The fantasy & epic nature of many of the songs on the album would be great for any session of D&D or Skyrim, and even if you don’t like those things, it’s still a great piece of music for anyone who likes mead & longboats. Next album!

Requiem (1994) & Octagon (1995)

Despite the creation of a new subgenre, Quorthon wasn’t going to rest on his ass. With the creative gears still whirling in his head, he set out to do something else to satisfy him. Problem is, by the mid 90s he was getting drained, and Bathory was beginning to not make him feel content. So, he put the band on hold for some time for a short solo record. While I’ve never listened to the music from this time, from what I’ve been able to find it’s had a more mixed reaction. However, even his solo career wasn’t what he wanted, and so he came back to Bathory, and in another shift, the band became like one of the retro Thrash Metal groups he & the rest of the guys liked. So, for a brief time Bathory were a thrash band, and 2 albums came from this. Requiem from the 14th of November, 1994, and Octagon from October the 17th, 1995. Each album harkened back to the routes of Thrash.....for better and for worth.

Best Track? Bit of a tough one, since both albums fundamentally sound & feel the same. On the Requiem side, I gotta say that the title track is quite nice. It definitely shows off what you’re getting into when listening to the album. No trace of Norsemen, and only the faintest wiff of anything blackened. Instead, you’re treated to some of the most lo-fi Thrash Metal you’ll probably every hear. Drums coming down hard, guitar work that screeches, and Quorthon’s voice still comes across as if he was a devil of some kind. If there was ever a way to open a Thrash album.....Requiem is one of them.

Requiem

On the Octagon side, I think that Deuce just pleasantly comes out of nowhere. On an album of thrashers, it’s funny to hear a KISS cover song, but at the same time it’s not surprising given one of Quorthon’s nicknames. Ironically, Deuce might be the best sounding thin on Octagon: while the recording still isn’t the best, the drum work seems much more serviceable here, and thus makes it easier to listen to. Not only that, but it’s weird (In a fun way) to see a Black/Thrash Metal take on a hard rock song from one of the most iconic bands in the world. Somehow, all three sides come together and create something that’s completely original....and I love it!

Deuce

Worst Track? While there isn’t exactly any bad song per se, I think what weighs both of these albums down is the drum work, which I can sincerely say......isn’t that good. Not abysmal necessarily, but on both albums the drumming can only be described as St. Anger-esque. Just mindless pounding all over the place, and nothing to focus it. On top of that, Requiem and Octagon aren’t exactly the best when it comes to production. I can only conclude that both records were recorded inside an echo chamber.....inside a blast furnace.....next to an airport! While anyone can listen to these 2 releases for a short term and not rip out your eardrums, long term listening can make you bleed from your ears. Yeah, it’s kinda that bad!

Requiem & Octagon. Not god-awful by any stretch of the imagination, but due to the drumwork and production behind them, I find that these two records are the ones I want to listen to the least for when I want to binge on Bathory. Still, there’s some material to sink your teeth into if you like your Thrash Metal on the lo-fi side of things.....but they don’t have the meat on it’s bones like on the release to come. Next album!

Blood On Ice (1996)

If there was one big positive about the band’s brief foray into Thrash, it gave Quorthon a much needed boost of energy. With his creative juices flowing once again, he decided that the past was needed to be called upon, and Blood On Ice was what he made. Released on 27th of May, 1996, Blood On Ice is.....dare I say.....the band’s first ever Power Metal album. Yes, I said it! For an even briefer period of time, Bathory may have gone down the Power Metal path with their ode to Norse Mythology & Robert E. Howard (More specifically, the Robert E. Howard book The Grey God Passes), and it happens to be my favorite Bathory album because of this. Hammerheart might have caused me to take notice, but it was Blood On Ice that actually got me hooked onto the band. That might be weird for those who like their Black Metal release more, but given my nature people shouldn’t be surprised.

Blood On Ice has a bit of interesting history behind it. Despite the mid 90s release, it’s origins can be traced back to 1989. Smackdab between the iconic Blood Fire Death and Hammerheart, Quorthon has recorded the foundation for Blood On Ice, yet he left it behind. The reasoning? Quorthon didn’t think that the blackened fanbase would appreciate the Nordic fantasy concept the record represented. So he fished up what he made a few years later, and was surprised by how well it aged. So, he re-recorded everything, added on some extra stuff, and put the album out for all to listen to.

Best Track? I kinda gotta give it to The Lake. Much like Home Of Once Brave from Hammerheart, the song has heavy repetition with it’s drums & guitarwork, but that repetition creates a hypnotizing atmosphere that just pulls you into album even more than it already has. This is even more remarkable when you realize that Blood On Ice was supposed to be released before the previously mentioned record, which technically means that The Lake did it first. Still, it’s a track I never skip when listening to the album, and in fact I sometimes find myself repeating it a few times cause it’s that addicting.

The Lake

Worst Track? To even remotely suggest that there’s any song on Blood On Ice is laughable! Each & every single tune is a treat to listen to! If there was one thing to complain about (Even then I wouldn’t be among these people) it would be that perhaps the more fantasy/Power Metal-like leanings of the album might be a turn-off for those who prefer the band’s Black Metal/Viking Metal material. As Quorthon said in interview, he wasn’t necessarily sure that the fans would like this album, and given the more mixed reaction among some listeners....he might not have been wrong.

Blood On Ice. My absolute favorite out of Bathory’s discography. The Power Metal tinged nature of the story, combined with the Viking imagery, makes for a unique concept. Not only that, but the instrumentation, vocal work, and atmosphere are at there best on this release. Perhaps out of everything that Bathory released in the 90s. Absolutely recommended for anyone into fantasy!

And thus ends part 2 of my look at Bathory. Again, sorry about being so late with this post’s release. I had everything on track for a smooth release for this and part 3, but the upgrade to my rig delayed things a bit. Still, I hope you enjoyed this article, and I’ll see you all in just a few short days for my final examination of this legendary band. Until then, pillage away!


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If you’re curious about these albums, then click on the links below to listen:

Hammerheart

Twilight Of The Gods

Requiem

Octagon

Blood On Ice