Octagon [Original recording reissued]

Bathory | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 17, 1995)
• Original Release Date: October 17, 1995
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued
• Label: Black Mark Germany
• ASIN: B000001H3Q
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #203,805 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars ok, December 29, 1999

By 

"[e-mail]" (mi) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Octagon (Audio CD)

After trailblazing through black metal, death metal, and viking metal, Bathory for the first time takes on an already established style - Pantera-style aggro metal. Unfortunately, Bathory doesn't get a good enough production job to pull it off. A weak drum sound and awkward sounding vocals just make this seem like a watered down version of Pantera. Quorthon can scream, and he's even proved that he can sing, but he's not too good at the hardcore-style shout. The underlying songs aren't too bad, but they just don't come across.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fully rebel. This is Bathory in thrash mode., August 18, 2007

By 

Electro-Industrial madness "80's electro 4 ever" (where else, infront of PC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Octagon (Audio CD)

This is the only Bathory album with such a rebel filled sound. It kinda sounds like slowed down thrash. I had this album many years ago and then sold it because I didn't like it. But recently I remembered how different this album sounds from their other albums and I decided to pick it up once again. And I'm glad I did because it is a really great thrash/black metal album. Listen to it when you're drunk, it's the best.
Quorthon you rebel.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Bathwater!, February 1, 2002

By 

emperorcaligula (Glen Burnie, MD.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Octagon (Audio CD)

One of the great mysteries in life has to be why metal scribe Martin Popoff ('The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal') dismisses Bathory's first four albums (including...'Blood Fire Death') as "vacuum-cleaner-with-drums ...metal" and loves First, the production and mix: the worst of any Bathory album, including 'Requiem'; thin guitars andnoisy biscuit-tin drums that are borderline unlistenable...it almost strikes me that Quorthon is trying to artificially recreate the garage feel of the Heavenshore days, but he forgot to include the chainsaw on steroids and the vomit vocals. And speaking of vocals...yeesh. Utterly tuneless shouting and without either the sickness or the vitriol he's known for. The songs: like leftovers from 'Requiem' with ridiculous social commentary ("Century" is utterly insipid) or lyrics that are just over-the-top disgusting ("33 Something", which describes John Wayne Gacy's sex murders in repulsively explicit detail). Did Quorthon REALLY want this album to come out this way?

'Octagon' is so bad that it has actually discouraged me from plopping down my (cash)to check out 'Destroyer of Worlds', and anyone who questions my devotion to this band is advised to check out my other reviews. I heartily encourage any young black metal devotee who hasn't heard a Bathory album before to check 'em out...but avoid this one like the plague.