Search - Bathory :: Jubileum Vol 3

Inconsistent, but one of the true innovators of metal

dirg77@aol.com | mi | 12/29/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Third volume of a three-volume retrospective of this seminal Swedish death metal band. Actually, it's a band in name only, singer/guitarist Quorthon being the only constant, while other members are pretty much just hired guns. Since 1983, Quorthon has been churning out original, experimental, and often unlistenable variations on death and black metal. Bathory is considered one of the originators of both those genres, most of the extreme Swedish and Norwegian black and death bands of the early 90s claiming Bathory as prime influence. Bathory's early material is pure thrash, fast and trebly, riffs sounding like a vacuum cleaner, blastbeats totally out of control. Over this raging din, Quorthon screeched out unintelligible odes to Satan, making him, along with Venom, Mercyful Fate and Slayer, one of the earliest groups to really embrace Satanic imagery (much of which sounds goofy today). Gradually, Bathory embraced more intricate riffs and the lyrics moved from Satan to Norse mythology (again, Bathory blazing the way for future Scandinavian metal bands). By the early 90s, the music had slowed down to a medieval/doom, nearly mellow sound recalling Manowar. All the while, the production job was always pretty loose, with fuzzy guitar and bass and drums that were either inaudible or too boomy. This compilation haphazardly covers all of it. More than anything else, Bathory gets credit for originality, true weirdness and a complete disdain for mainstream sounds."