Bathory | Artist

Bathory was a Scandinavian Black metal band formed 1983 in Vällingby, Sweden and named after notorious Hungarian countess Elizabeth Báthory. The band's frontman and main songwriter was Thomas Börje Forsberg aka Quorthon, a 17-year-old guitarist (then known as Ace Shoot), who was joined by bass guitarist Frederick Melander aka Hanoi, and drummer Jonas Åkerlund aka Vans McBurger. Bathory abandoned the black metal sound for their fifth record, Hammerheart (1990), which is often cited as the first Viking Metal album. Bathory continued in the Viking Metal style for most of their remaining existence, although they experimented with a Thrash Metal style on the albums Requiem (1994) and Octagon (1995). They stopped performing live early on and never toured. Frontman, founder and main songwriter Quorthon was the sole constant member and at times responsible for all instruments. Bathory ended when Forsberg died from heart failure at the age of 38 in 2004. Their early albums were fast and heavily distorted but later albums were slower with acoustic passages and focused on Norse mythology. Outstanding albums include Under the Sign of the Black Mark, Blood Fire Death and Hammerheart. Quorthon also personally paid for the production of Bathory's only music video, for the song "One Rode to Asa Bay", taken from their fifth studio album, Hammerheart. The video was shown on MTV's Headbangers Ball.

Artist Website: bathory.nu

Featured Albums: Bathory

Related Artists: Quorthon, Jennie Tebler