One of my favorite forms of music is metal that would be described as "epic". This is a nebulous term, and I imagine it means different things for everybody, but to me it's metal that does one or both of the following things: makes you, not just think of, but want to take up a sword and do battle and/or invokes images of grand fantasy-type themes, be it Tolkien or mythology. But it's hard to pin down exactly what this means, as there's plenty of power metal that references fantasy themes, but not all of it strikes me as "epic". Blind Guardian for instance has their moments, but generally I wouldn't describe them as epic metal (
Nightfall In Middle-Earth would qualify though). It's hard to describe, but I know epic metal when I hear it. I feel it in my chest. Best way to describe it would just be to talk about stuff that does strike me as "epic".
Bathory
The obvious choice. Their
Blood Fire Death,
Hammerheart,
Twilight of the Gods,
Blood On the Ice, and
Nordland albums are the embodiment of all that is epic. One can't listen to them without fantasizing about sailing the oceans of the frozen North and dying a warrior's death on the blood-strewn field of battle. But there's more to this band than just normal sword and sorcery schtick. Quorthon loved his country (Sweden) and it's heathen past and brings this love across by invoking the atmosphere of a Scandinavian epic. Even the imitators don't sound like Bathory. They can't.
Just a perfect song. The repetitive, crushing guitars (Viking metal-era Bathory's trademark) just make you feel like you're on a Viking longship bidding goodbye to the beautiful coastline of Sweden on your way out to sea, the prow of the boat rising on the crest of the waves before crashing down with a spray of brine. I can't listen to this song without a feeling of pride welling up in my chest, which is weird since I'm Irish as a potato.
I don't think I can think of a Bathory song that so perfectly expresses the love that Quorthon felt for his homeland. It's reverential, but also wistful and sad. He looks to the past with hope, but sees the present and feels anger at what has become of "this home of once brave". I imagine he's speaking specifically of how the Christian church destroyed the ancient Scandinavian culture and erased as much as it possibly could of its history and teachings. But whatever your feelings on Christianity, this is a beautiful song. I don't know why, but "Nordland" makes my chest swell, while this song makes my skin tingle. Not sure why the difference.
The first first song on Bathory's first "Viking metal" album,
Blood Fire Death, this song is the perfect introduction to this period of Quorthon's career. The keening wind, the cries and hoof beats of the horses, and the ever-building choral singing of the musicless intro, "Oden's Ride of Nordland", provide the perfect prelude to the raw embodiment of war that is "A Fine Day to Die". When I mentioned a song making me want to take up a sword? That's this song.
*Side note: When I typed the thread title, I accidentally capitalized the "u" in "F
ucking" and went back to fix it. I knew it was going to get censored, so it didn't matter one way or the other, but I had to do it anyway.