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BATHORY
1988 - Blood Fire Death.
1996 - Blood On Ice.
more BATHORY.
way more Helter Skelter.

October 8, 1988 - 2023: 35 years of: Blood Fire Death.

The Second Chapter of evil.

Following the cacophonic carnage of 1987's Under The Sign Of The Black Mark LP, an evolution / revolution was looming ahead. Incorporating Norse-mythology to it's fullest extent, BATHORY now crafts: Viking-Metal ...a new extreme inside the deep twilight of the night.

Horses and keyboard-effects sets the mood to conquer, on the 3min-intro "Oden's Ride Over Nordland", a beautiful acoustic-guitar piece clears the sky as "A Fine Day To Die" blasts-off into Pandemonium. Ravaging and refined, this next generation blackmetal re-opens the doors into darkness.

Power and sick speed is still present, as exposed on "The Golden Walls Of Heaven" and "Holocaust", while a rock-vibe takes control on "For All Those Who Died", a laid-back mid-paced metal-monster. The title-track, the 10min+ maelstrom of "Blood Fire Death" is a gloomy mature juggernaut of blackened metal with Eurometal undertones. A forbidden voyage into from beyond extremities.

The lavish cover-painting is from Peter Nicolai Arbo's 1872 epic "The Wild Hunt Of Odin". In a twist of hate, almost custom-made for BATHORY, this historic work of art, matches perfectly with Blood Fire Death's historic work of art, concept and morbid-mood.

This acid Nordic trek would further bloom with 1990's Hammerheart CD. Yet in the meantime, behind the curtains during 1988-89 and eventually released in 1996, the Blood On Ice CD was actually put to tape ...another sign of Quorthon's expressive atypical musical aspirations.

*
Blood Fire Death = full CD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zVmT_txUA0&list=PLIX5wZiD7pgaUjeVW_V6r50GYdo93rRk1

May 27, 1996 - 2021: 25 years of: Blood On Ice.

The creator of blackmetal heads North.

BATHORY's initial 1984-85 legacy spearheaded the first-wave of primitive blackmetal and then in 1990, in an era when thrashmetal was king and deathmetal was preparing a deadly take-over, BATHORY's creator Thomas "Quorthon" Forsberg audaciously crafted another adventurous metal-venture with the Hammerheart CD: Viking-Metal !

The fully mature vikingmetal projection expends to new heights, with the Blood On Ice concept-album. Although recorded in 1989, before 1990's Hammerheart, it was then deemed to far-ahead musically and was shelved for 7 long years.

The epicness swarms in with the solemn "Blood On Ice". Mid-paced metal with accompanying supporting choir. Metal made by a King, for Kings. The lonely folk-piece "Man Of Iron" sets a moon-lit campfire-mood, while the explosive meeting with the "One Eyed Old Man" is the blueprint for actual vikingmetal and everything role-playing game related.

The thrashy intro-riff of "The Stallion" gallops into greatness, a track not written by MANOWAR. More dungeon-related metal is exposed with the becoming of "The Woodwoman" ...a dangerous meeting.

Nordic-metal is here, escapade-metal is here, viking-metal is here. Thru their wide fire & death musical legacy, BATHORY have paved the way to most of today's scene. All of this grandiose heavymetal is signed in blood by the great Ancient One, the visionary of: Quorthon.

RIP Quorthon (1966-2004)

*
Blood On Ice = full CD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AEBrQU-aR8&list=PLiN-7mukU_RHa09Ds2iaRlXDZXeSkCkGY
Interview in 1997
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aXhIjkvi-s

more BATHORY:

Black-Metal 84-90