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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Let the Darkness begin..., March 19, 2003
Nothing quite compares to placing a record on one's record player, placing the needle on the vinyl, & absorbing that particular sound that only a record can emminate - soft crackles & all. Just light some candles in a darkened room, burn some incense, & experience the evocation; so much the better if you happen to possess a novelty grammophone connected to perfectly placed speakers.
The first time I ever saw this recording, I was in a Moby Disc Records Store, where I would always peruse the imports section. I was immediately drawn to the striking cover, which bears the demonic image of the Baphomet Goat --- a veritable bust which would look quite handsome as a statuette in one's parlor. I eventually sent away for a poster & a T-shirt bearing this image. I also eventually met with Quorthon at a local Metal store, where I got the poster & the LP signed, with a firm handshake to boot.
On the original record, the Black Goat had red burning eyes. On the back cover, the songtitles were printed in bloodred Olde English lettering, imposed upon a large blazing white pentagram on black backround. Again, quite striking. It no doubt found itself on many a xian pyre, in the hopes of ridding the land of the evil it wrought. Indeed, I have seen this very record on the "death row" of records destined to be burned, as I went undercover amongst the xian deathcult's "occult seminars" {a couple of instances in order to view My own artwork which had been first confisctaed by school staff, xeroxed, then eventually returned to Me}.
This is pure Black Metal, with 9 songs, including the Intro.
Storm of Damnation
Hades
Reaper
Necromansy
Sacrifice
In Conspiracy With Satan
Armageddon
Raise The Dead
War
On the CD, the Black Goat is still thereon, sans the red glowing eyes, & the back cover sans the pentagram & the Olde English font. Still, the musick is brutal, heavy, & dare I say it? Possessed vocals spewn from the depths of Hell.
"Storm of Damnation" sets the eerie mood with sounds seemingly drifting up from The Abyss. Very doom oriented. Useful for Destruction rituals & Hex Spells.
The so-called "re-mastered" version here, is really just a recording from vinyl straight to CD, as I was delighted to hear very subtle traces of those unmistakable needle noises from time to time, whioch really adds an arcane element to the recording. So now, you can listen to Bathory on your CD player, whether it be in your automobile, on a discman, at your friends' homes, or in your own Lair.
Bathory, along with Venom, Celtic Frost, Possessed, & Mercyful Fate, formed the bedrock for the current Black - Death Metal underground, which continues to thrive in the darkened shadows; the occult recesses of the nightmarish musickal black.
As I have stated before, some Musick is timeless --- & I will add some of the Primevil Black Metal along with it.
Despite what happened to Bathory after 'Bathory', 'The Return', & 'Under The Sign of The Black Mark', {the Infernal Trinity, & the best Bathory ever created}, these three opuses are as a triune barb of Hell thrust into a bleeding Heaven, & remains a classic in Luciferian blasphemous rage.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Heart Of Evil, January 15, 2005
This is pure black metal at at its roots, preceeded only by Venom in 82. Tomas Forsberg is amazing, seeing how he is the only one in the band. He created an album not only leading to other greats but that totally stormed the gates of the early 80's. This is not to be confused with symphonic black metal, this is not COF or Dimmu, for those of you new to the genre. This is stripped to its core, no sustaining atmosphere is provided by keyboard. But if you are into black metal at all this is at the heart of it. A must have for any metalheads collection.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Classic early black metal, December 25, 2004
Anyone interested in the origins of black metal will love this. While "Bathory" is not the "first black metal album" as some suggest - Quorthon (Tomas Forsberg) was obviously influenced by Venom, and possibly the first Slayer album also - this album undoubtedly inspired many of the more recent black metal bands (Satyricon, etc.). Quorthon wrote this album when he was 18 years old, and he recorded it himself at "Heavenshore Studios"(a garage) in 36 hours; not surprisingly, the music and lyrics are somewhat basic, and the sound quality is a bit rough (especially the vocals on some tracks). Don't let this deter you, though; this is great stuff. In my opinion the final song, "War", is a bit weak, but the other 7 songs and the intro (which is a bit too long) are excellent. The songs are for the most part up-tempo, but not ridiculously fast like some black metal bands. Most of the songs sound at least somewhat different, which I find very impressive coming from a 19 year old songwriter. Albums on which all of the songs are played at the same speed bore me; the somewhat slower "Raise the Dead" (not the old Venom song) is a nice change of pace. The lyrics? Pretty basic stuff, but on a groundbreaking album like this, that can be easily overlooked. Hey, how many black metal albums have great lyrics anyway?
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