Bathory

I guess these guys were considered "Black Metal"? If they were/are? This is the only "Black Metal" band I have ever dug. The first three, S/t, The Return, and, I think the third was called, "Under the Black Mark". Anyways, been a long time since I listened to them. I remember smoking mass quantities and listening to the intro to The Return, if memory serves. Then, popping out of my haze when the guitars kicked in. Can anyone fill in my blanks?

Under the Sign of the Black Mark is an absolute great album. All three of those are great actually. Then later on when quorthon changed it up with the Viking metal, that took me some time to get used to, but now I think it's great. I was just listening to Hammerheart a couple days ago. Venom gets credit for creating black metal, but Bathory was one of the first to actually sound like what black metal is today.

I'm guessing you don't know they are no more. Qrorthon, the man that was pretty much the whole band passed away several years ago. He recorded a ton of albums but rarely toured. I think he had some sort of phobia or something. He died of a heart condition I believe.

I first discovered them from a kick ass underground radio station. They played once a week for two or three hours on a Thursday I think, all the new up and coming metal bands. The good shit like Bathory, Celtic Frost, Slayer etc. I used to record it and listen to them trying to figure out the song names so I could go to the record store and try to match the songs to the records. Or call and bug the dj to find out who he played. Bathory was an instant purchase once I heard it. Still one of my favorite bands.

Viking metal...

Yeah, Wrecky. This was just a blast from the past as I lay in my enclosure. I cranked the Return so often back then. But, that was like mid 80's. Girls, thrash, CROSSOVER came along and I lost track of any of that scene. Just put on The Return on Amazon Music Prime Whatever and,.......Well, I have not indulged in a long time. But, that intro brought me back. Was there anything like Bathory in the mid 80's that I missed? I would put on Eternal Devastation, then, Krank - Hideous, then end the night with Bathory. That was a solid night in NordEast Minneapolis in 1986 for me. Of course, I was living behind the library. But, my little boombox kept me company!!

I sort of lost track of them myself when Hammerheart came out. Then years later when I got a computer I discovered they had a lot if albums I didn't know about, so I started listening again. I still love the first three best, but his Viking metal days were pretty strong too.

Far as bands like Bathory go back then, none that really come to mind. Early Sodom maybe is the closest I can think of. Hellhammer too I guess. They were pretty raw and ahead of their time. I'm sure there are tons of bands around that time, but I can't think of any.