Bathory is the self-titled debut album of the Swedish black metal band Bathory. It is considered one of the first recorded examples that defined the black metal style. This web page has photos of album covers, inner sleeves, record labels together with production details, musicians and track-listing.
This is an initial release with the generic inner sleeve with rounded corners (Patent No. 1.125.555 MADE IN GREAT BRITAIN G.H.)
Extreme Black Metal, Viking Metal
Under One Flag FLAG 8
Record Format: 12" Vinyl Stereo Gramophone Record
Total Album (Cover+Record) weight: 230 gram
1984 Made in United Kingdom ( UK )
How can the album cover be distinguished from other versions of this album
How does the album back cover be different from other versions
Record label information:
This album was produced by Quorthon and The Boss.
Stig Börje "The Boss" Forsberg was a record label owner, music producer and drummer. He was father of Quorthon ( Thomas Forsberg ) and has produced several of Bathory's as well as albums for "The OZ".
Sound Engineer: The Boss
Sound mix: Electra Studio, Stockholm, Sweden.
Heaven Shore Studio, Stockholm, Sweden.
Ace Spunky Black Spade, Quorthon
Quorthon ( real-name: Thomas Börje Forsberg ) is founding member of the Bathory band (1983 ) and is singer and guitarist in the band. He has been with Bathory from 1983 until 2004 when he was found dead, due to heart failure.
Stefan Larsson - Drummer with the Swedish Black Metal band "Bathory" from 1984 until 1986. Before joining Bathory, Larsson played with the punk band: Obsklass.
Note: The images on this page are photos of the actual album. Slight differences in color may exist due to the use of the camera's flash. Images can be zoomed in/out ( eg pinch with your fingers on a tablet or smartphone )
Bathory was a Swedish black metal band formed in 1983 by its sole member, Thomas Forsberg, who went by the pseudonym Quorthon. Despite being one of the earliest pioneers of the genre, Bathory has had a profound and lasting impact on the development of black metal, as well as heavy metal as a whole.
Bathory's early work, released between 1984 and 1986, is widely considered to be the blueprint for the Scandinavian black metal style. These albums, "Bathory", "The Return..." and "Under the Sign of the Black Mark", feature raw, chaotic and aggressive music, with Quorthon's raspy vocals, buzzsaw guitar riffs and pounding drums, all set against a backdrop of grim and often occult-themed lyrics.
One of the most distinctive features of Bathory's early work is the sense of atmosphere it creates. Quorthon's lyrics often evoke images of pagan rituals, war and death, while the music itself is unrelenting and abrasive, painting a bleak and hostile sonic landscape. This sound, combined with the band's aggressive and anti-religious stance, set the stage for the emergence of black metal as a sub-genre of heavy metal.
As Bathory's career progressed, Quorthon's musical vision evolved and matured. While the raw energy and intensity of the early work remained, the band's sound became more structured, incorporating elements of folk music, classical music, and even opera. This new direction was first showcased on the 1988 album "Blood Fire Death", which is widely regarded as one of the greatest black metal albums of all time.
Bathory's influence can be seen in the work of many of the black metal bands that followed in its wake, including Mayhem, Burzum, Immortal, and Darkthrone. These bands took the raw, aggressive sound of early Bathory and refined it, creating a more sophisticated and layered sound that continues to inspire new generations of metal musicians.
Quorthon's death in 2004 marked the end of an era for Bathory, but the band's legacy lives on. Its music continues to be celebrated and revered by fans of extreme metal, and its influence can be heard in the work of countless bands to this day.