Heavy-Metal.Info

Bathory, a band of heavy metal created in Sweden in 1983, became popular. Quorthon is thought of as the major forefather in Black Metal and the founders of metal know as Viking. The band, who went through various name possibilities and finally decided on Bathory got the first deal in recording, the same year, to make two separate tracks for on the album, “Scandinavian Metal Attack”.

Unexpected attention and praise by fans prompted the release of their first album of full length. Quorthon took styles from bands like Motorhead, Black Sabbath, and GBH to another level. Bathory’s new release of “The Return” and “Under the sign of the Black Mark” is thought of as the major reputations of the Norwegian bands that made the Black Metals popular in the nineties.

The Viking theme was introduced on what most fans think of as the Bathory’s best album, “Blood Fire Death”. Some of the tracks had a tempo that had slowed down to let for a more epic sound come through. When the band released “Hammerheart”, Bathory surprised most of their fans, with a not so aggressive music. The style of Hammerheart was made even more perfect by the release of “Twilight of the Gods” and “Blood on Ice”.

In 1994, Bathory changed their band style once again and became a large influence on bands like “Marilyn Manson”, “Cradle of Filth”, The Smashing Pumpkins”, and many others. Quorthon was pronounced dead in his own house. He died of heart failure in 2004. Quorthon may be gone, but his music lives on the the hearts of many.