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Classic Review: Bathory - Bathory
Bathory
www.bathory.nu
Bathory

Label: Black Mark Productions
Year released: 1990
Duration: 26:52
Tracks: 10
Genre: Black Metal

Rating:
4.25/5


Review online: November 3, 2001
Reviewed by: Michel Renaud
Readers' Rating
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Rated 4.24/5 (84.78%) (67 Votes)
Review

Bathory currently have 10 studio albums and 4 compilation albums. This had to start somewhere and this is it. Released in 1984, the self-titled debut album is seen by many as the beginning of Black Metal - although this is disputed by just about as many people who pretty much consider Bathory to be a Venom ripoff. More on this later...

First off, this is a very short album at a little under 27 minutes. I have some EPs that are longer than that. Now add to this an intro that lasts over 3 minutes, with bell sounds and the like, kind of an atmospheric intro of some sort. It's not bad, but could easily have been kept to no more than one minute. That leaves room for about 23 minutes of music. It better be good. Well, it is. Sorry for the Venom deniers out there but this album shows a strong Venom influence, especially from their first two albums. It's raw, it's relatively simple yet very effective in the delivery, loud - pretty much in the same vein as early Venom. I wouldn't go as far as to call this a ripoff, but the influence is audible and pretty strong. I'd say Venom probably has a more easy-going attitude than Bathory, which seems a little bit darker than them on this release. Lyrically, the songs here will give nightmares to all the p.c. and religious people out there - hehehe. Goes with the genre!

This is probably the rawest Bathory release - anyone familiar with the band knowing that the band's style has changed a few times over the course of its 10 studio albums. A lot of early Black Metal bands were influenced by this Bathory material and therefore its importance in the scene cannot be denied. A must have...

Additional Information

Originally released in 1984

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