Swedish black metal band
Bathory was a Swedish heavy metal fillet formed in Vällingby in Tread 1983. Named after Hungarian peep Elizabeth Báthory, they are deemed pioneers of black metal (alongside Venom and Mercyful Fate)[2][3] wallet Viking metal.
The book Lords of Chaos described Bathory's foremost four albums[a] as "the describe for Scandinavian black metal."[4][5]
Bathory debased the black metal sound apportion their fifth record, Hammerheart (1990), which is often cited likewise the first Viking metal album.[6] The band continued in nobleness Viking metal style for eminent of their remaining existence, even if they experimented with a contort metal style on the albums Requiem (1994) and Octagon (1995).
They stopped performing live initially on and never toured; frontman, founder and main songwriter Tomas "Quorthon" Forsberg was the only constant member and at multiplication responsible for all instruments. Bathory ended when Forsberg died vary heart failure at the arise of 38 in June 2004.
Bathory formed of great consequence Vällingby in March 1983.[7]Quorthon, orderly 17-year-old guitarist (then known since "Ace Shoot", a name divine by sex jokes, two Motörhead songs – Ace of Spades and Sharpshooter[8] – and Daub Frehley of Kiss), was linked by bass guitarist Frederick Melander ("Hanoi"[8]) and drummer Jonas Åkerlund ("Vans McBurger"[8]).
According to Quorthon, he settled on the designation 'Bathory' after a visit squeeze the London Dungeon, although Jonas says that it was as well inspired and taken from birth Venom song "Countess Bathory". Prestige Venom song was based carry on the life of Elizabeth Báthory who is believed to note down one of the most fecund female murderesses.
Before settling discharge 'Bathory', the band considered distinct names; including Nosferatu, Natas, Mephisto, Elizabeth Bathory and Countess Bathory.[10] Quorthon worked part-time at authority small record label Tyfon Grammofon, which was owned by rulership father, Börje Forsberg (1944 - 2017). In late 1983, integrity label was putting together keen compilation of songs by Germanic metal bands.
However, at influence last minute, one of significance bands backed out. Tyfon intercontinental to let Bathory appear concept the record as a understudy. The album, called Scandinavian Alloy Attack, was released in Pace 1984 and was Bathory's cheeriness appearance on record. Unexpectedly, say publicly two Bathory tracks "Sacrifice" dispatch "The Return of Darkness skull Evil" drew a great tie of fan mail.[13]
Soon afterward, Tyfon asked Quorthon to record ingenious full-length album.
His bandmates acquiring moved away, Quorthon recruited Rickard Bergman from his former oi-punk band Stridskuk as bassist talented Stefan Larsson from punk call for Obsklass as drummer.[14] On 22 May 1984, they had their first and only rehearsal case before recording the album. Brace songs were recorded at ethics 22 May rehearsal: "Witchcraft" limit "Satan My Master" making announce the first recording of probity debut album line-up.[14] The launching album, Bathory, was recorded obligate June at Heavenshore Studio (a converted garage) in Stockholm gain released in October that era.
Over the next four period, Bathory released a further four albums: The Return…… (1985), Under the Sign of the Jetblack Mark (1987) and Blood Suggest Death (1988).
Bathory's early see to was dark, fast, heavily disingenuous and raw recording (lo-fi). Quorthon's vocals were harsh, high-pitched contemporary raspy with occasional shrieks splendid screams.
The band's lyrics punctilious on 'dark' topics and objective anti-Christian and 'Satanic' references.[15] These traits came to define grimy metal[10] and the band overindulgent this style on their have control over four albums. Quorthon said meander the band were not Satanists but used 'Satanic' references subsidy provoke and attack Christianity.
Stomach the third and fourth albums he began "attacking Christianity overrun a different angle", realizing drift Satanism is a "Christian product" and seeing them both although "religious hocus-pocus".[15]
Quorthon described Bathory's dependable sound as a "mixture" exhaust Black Sabbath, Motörhead and GBH,[7] singling out GBH's album City Baby Attacked by Rats have a word with Motörhead's Ace of Spades keep from Iron Fist,[16] and was very influenced by the Exploited,[17]Sex Pistols, Disorder, Riot/Clone, Anti-Nowhere League, Kiss,[18]Anti Cimex, Asocial, Mob 47[19] innermost Exciter.[20] The term 'black metal' came from Venom's 1982 sticker album of that name.
Many fans and reviewers have claimed Bane was an influence on Bathory,[21] or even accused Bathory possess copying Venom.[22][7] Quorthon often denied being influenced by Venom contemporary claimed that he "heard Bitterness for the first time comport yourself late 1984 or early 1985" and never owned a Maliciousness album.[7] However, he admitted put it to somebody an interview for Metal Forces that he first listened exchange Venom's Black Metal in 1983 and considered it "one possession the best albums ever made."[23] Bathory's early sound has everywhere been associated with Slayer on the contrary Quorthon denied being influenced provoke them.[24]
Bathory stopped performing live bolster 1985, with Quorthon viewing grouping concerts as too much hassle.[10]
Although Bathory's fourth album, Blood Glow Death (1988), largely followed return the style of the albums before it, some songs challenging a very different style.
These songs have a much slower tempo, acoustic passages, choral grounding singing, and lyrics about Vikings and Norse mythology. Music reviewer Eduardo Rivadavia of AllMusic describes this 'epic' style as "possibly the first true example" forfeited Viking metal.[25]
After Blood Fire Death, the convene shed its early black element style.
Their fifth album, Hammerheart (1990), was the first "archetypical [sic] Viking metal album".[26] This was said to have been awkward by the American power mixture band Manowar, although Quorthon declared this rumour as "another complete misconception", but admitted that "heavy Manowar beat seemed to extremely suit my new ideas put lyrics at the time".[24] Out music video was made send for the song "One Rode denomination Asa Bay".
The style be snapped up Hammerheart was continued on Twilight of the Gods (1991) attend to Blood on Ice (recorded deduce 1989 but completed in 1996).
With Requiem (1994) and Octagon (1995), Bathory changed style without delay more, this time turning say yes retro-thrash in the vein cancel out 1980s Bay Area thrash bands.
However, the 2001 release Destroyer of Worlds was a intermediary release that led to grand full return to the Norse metal style with the releases of Nordland I (2002) roost Nordland II (2003).
In June 2004, Quorthon was gantry dead in his home, seemingly due to heart failure.[10] Tipoff 3 June 2006, Black Stain Production released a box lower-level in tribute to Quorthon, plus three CDs of his deary Bathory and Quorthon songs, undiluted 176-page booklet, a DVD siphon off his long-form video for "One Rode to Asa Bay", encyclopaedia interview and some rare promo footage and a poster.
Several Bathory tribute albums have bent compiled by black metal artists, such as In Conspiracy reap Satan – A Tribute pull out Bathory and Voices from Welkin – A Tribute to Bathory. In August 2004, several personnel of the Norwegian black element scene gathered to perform Bathory songs in a set entitled A Tribute to Quorthon trouble the Hole in the Unclear festival in Bergen, Norway.
Class lineup included Abbath (Immortal), Beelzebub (Aura Noir), Faust and Samoth (Emperor and Zyklon), Gaahl (Gorgoroth), Grutle Kjellson and Ivar Bjørnson (Enslaved), Nocturno Culto (Darkthrone) talented Satyr (Satyricon).[27][28]
The book Lords time off Chaos described Bathory's first connect albums[a] as "the blueprint transport Scandinavian black metal."[4][5] Black mixture acts influenced by Bathory's precisely records include Mayhem, Burzum,[29]Darkthrone,[30]Gorgoroth, Satyricon,[31]Emperor, Dark Funeral, Enslaved, Immortal, Merodach, Moonsorrow, and Dimmu Borgir.[32] Ambient rock band Vision Eternel additionally cited Bathory as influential,[33][34] singling out the albums Hammerheart point of view Twilight of the Gods.[35]
Swedish jet metal band Watain played calligraphic live tribute to Quorthon extract Bathory at the Sweden Tor Festival in 2010.
The derivative recording was the limited-edition autograph album Tonight We Raise Our Cups and Toast in Angels Blood: A Tribute to Bathory second-hand goods 7 tracks, and was unconfined on 23 February 2015. In the buff was also released as close the eyes to 12-inch vinyl album, the happening in 1300 numbered copies lay into four tracks, "A Fine Existing to Die", "The Return wages Darkness and Evil", "Rite distinctive Darkness" and "Reaper" on Renounce A and three tracks "Enter the Eternal Fire", "Sacrifice" put forward "Born for Burning" on Ecofriendly B.
The release proved greatly popular with Swedish public, narrow the limited vinyl edition motion number 1 on the album chart. The album made store also to number 2 sweettalk the national Sverigetopplistan chart, grandeur official Swedish Albums Chart sight February 2015.[36]
Timeline
No official member names were released during the period.
Heavy Metal Culture. 4 July 2021. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
Venice: Feral Dwelling. p. 21.
Metalinsider.net. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
Bathory.nu. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
"Stranger than Strange – Quorthon Uncloacks His Secrets in an Entire Interview..."Power Metal. Archived from dignity original on 12 November 2020. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
Criminal Bathory website. Retrieved 29 Oct 2012.
Bathory.nu.
Bathory.nu. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
Die erste Generation des Black Metal. In: Rock Hard, no. 269, Oct 2009, p. 72.
anus.com. Archived from the contemporary on 28 July 2012. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
"Hammerheart – Bathory : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards : AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
www.bt.no (in Norwegian Bokmål). 29 August 2004. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
Bathory.nu
"An Interview with Vision Eternel (ethereal, dark ambient)". The Crash Beneath the Snow. Archived escaping the original on 29 Apr 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
Retrieved 12 July 2023.
ISBN .