Twilight of the Gods --- Bathory --- 1991 (Black Mark)
Starting out as one of Scandinavia's first black metal bands, Bathory changed their style after 1990 towards a more viking/gothic metal approach, and this is where this album falls, their followup to "Hammerheart", on which the style is said to have changed first. At this point the band had shrunk to basically a one-man unit, comprising only Quorthon, founder of Bathory, who plays every instrument and sings on this album. Good man, Quorthon!
With only seven tracks, the album nevertheless falls just short of the hour mark, this being due to the opener running for fourteen minutes, while there is also a ten minute song on it. We open on the title track, mirroring the struggle at the end of the world in Norse mythology, called "Ragnarok", when the gods would war against each other, good versus bad, in a battle that would end up destroying both sides and leaving humans free of gods.
A howling wind blows across an icy plain, in the distance a guitar chimes out like a lonely sentinel, a witness left to observe the fall of the Gods of Asgard in their final climactic battle. Suddenly, heavy militaristic drumming booms out and deep choral voices add their lament; this is a battle chant, but a battle the participants know they are fated to lose. There's a sense of desperation, of finality and fatalism, but also heroism and stoicism, pride and determination to face the end with honour, and to fall bravely in battle. All has been foretold, there is no cheating prophecy and the Gods know that. Thor steps forth, his eyes flashing fire, his mighty hammer in his hand, and faces his half-brother Loki, smaller than him but in terms of evil twice his size. Bifrost, the Rainbow Bridge, shakes to the sound of battle, echoes with the screams of dying men, rings to the sound of steel clashing on steel. (Yes, I love Norse mythology, in case you were unaware!)
Quorthon's vocal breaks in now, joining the cry of the wounded, the lost, the dying, the music swelling behind him like a battle cry, a last fist raised in defiance as the Gods ride to war one more time and face their age-old enemy. I have to say, for a fourteen minute song, we're halfway through it and it hasn't really changed much, but it's certainly evoking the spirit of Ragnarok. Against an expressive guitar piece a spoken vocal opens "Through blood by thunder", which turns into another anthemic cruncher with a real feeling of pathos and tragedy with some great fretburning action, and on into the second long track.
Of seven tracks here, three have the word "blood" in their titles, but then when you're dealing with the final battle for Asgard I guess that's expected. "Blood and iron" opens with more introspective guitar, some acoustic, quite relaxed and moody, which takes it into the second minute of the song, after which the power chords churn out and percussion hits. Again, it's a slow, grinding marcher with another spoken vocal this time telling of Man's discovery, through the gods, of steel which could be forged into swords. And ploughshares. But mostly swords. "Under the runes" has a very Led Zep/Dio sound to it, very dramatic and powerful, bringing in the choir again and racking off a superb solo near the end.
Sounds sort of like a sitar at the beginning of "To enter your mountain", and you can see the deep effect of doom metal on this music. It's all slow and grindy though with a certain gothic and at times even progressive metal influence. "Bond of blood" is another plodder with heavy guitar and choral vocals, then "Hammerheart" is really clever, with lyrics given to Gustav Holst's "Jupiter, the bringer of Jollity" from "The Planets Suite". Great job, and an excellent closer. Perhaps odd that this is the title of the previous album, but there you go.
TRACKLISTING
1. Twilight of the Gods
2. Through blood by thunder
3. Blood and iron
4. Under the runes
5. To enter your mountain
6. Bond of blood
7. Hammerheart
Although this never got going with any even slightly uptempo tracks, my approval was always assured by the fact that it deals with Norse legend, and particularly Ragnarok. When you consider this is all the work of one guy it's pretty staggering. Quorthon certainly knows his Norse mythology and brings to life the world of Asgard and the Aesir here in a way I've seen few other bands manage. Although this was a change in direction for Bathory I certainly enjoyed it and I may look back into their catalogue --- or forward, from here --- they have twelve albums in all, and though some of the earlier ones may not be to my taste I feel sure I may find at least a few that will be.
For Asgard, Valhalla and Odin!
Note: I have just read that Quorton died from heart failure at the age of thirty-eight in 2004. A sad loss, considering the talent displayed here, and such a pity we will hear no more from him. Based on that, I definitely need to listen to more Bathory. RIP man.
Read more here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bathory_%28band%29