A masterpiece!

It doesn't quite reach the standards set by 'hammerheart' in my opinion, but it comes damn close. The title track is a legendary epic, and most of the songs here really grab your attention with their victorious melodies and viking imagery. Brilliant album, even if it is the last truly brilliant bathory album.

Unique album.

I never heard a album like this ... pure magic ...the entire album is so magic, i can't say anything else about it... Odin bless the superior Quorthon

This and Hammerheart must be my favourite albums ever...

Another epic viking journey, king of epicness, there are not such epic album at all, how ppl simply can not love Bathory ? great album, great lyrics and feeling, its not shame die young,

Written by Bad English on 14.01.2014 at 21:09

its not shame die young,

Yes,but I'm just thinking how many good albums we miss because he's dead He didn't get ready this Nordland saga thing...

This album and all his later albums all are not listenable due to his damaged vocals.

Written by deadone on 19.06.2015 at 03:05

Written by Dr. Strawberry on 18.06.2015 at 21:31

This album and all his later albums all are not listenable due to his damaged vocals.

I like his vocals on this and especially the 2 Nordlands. I'm not hearing damaged vocals.

His vocals started gaining more textured on Blood Fire Death and Hammerheart, especially Blood Fire Death which packed with wonderful black "harsh shrieking" that really damaged his vocals few years later. His vocals became thin which can't drag to the extreme (most of the time stop half way), what a shame.

Mr. Q run out of ideas....
This album shows a lot of indian music composition. Indian music is not my cup of tea, this is Indian Metal not Viking Metal.
Track No. 07 - Hammerheart is extremely awful

I love Quorthon's pop days

Written by Dr. Strawberry on 19.06.2015 at 10:10

Track No. 07 - Hammerheart is extremely awful

I think it's one of his best songs.

Written by Guest on 20.06.2015 at 02:01

I love Quorthon's pop days

Obviously he looked older when he was young. :-) and...gayish...

Written by Dr. Strawberry on 21.06.2015 at 17:44

Written by Guest on 20.06.2015 at 02:01

Obviously he looked older when he was young.

That Benjamin Button film was based on him.

Written by Dr. Strawberry on 21.06.2015 at 17:44

Written by Guest on 20.06.2015 at 02:01

I love Quorthon's pop days

Obviously he looked older when he was young. :-) and...gayish...

lol he looked young all time

Written by Dr. Strawberry on 21.06.2015 at 17:44

Written by Guest on 20.06.2015 at 02:01

I love Quorthon's pop days

Obviously he looked older when he was young. :-) and...gayish...

Sorry you are just so funny

Absolutely breath-taking!

Excellent album, indeed.
It cannot challenge his masterpiece (Hammerheart). But this one has always kept a firm place in (the upper part of) my top 200 of all time.
It didnt get any better for him after this album (though I enjoy Blood on ice quite a lot).
Incredible atmosphere. Production is probably the only downside.
I think the title track is clearly the highlight here. But Blood and iron, To enter your mountain and Hammerheart are also very enjoyable tracks. Through blood by thunder is very good too.
About 9.3 for me.

Between 1991-1993, this album was my best friend and day-to-day companion. Heard it countless times together with my girlfriend and it accompanied me through the best years of my life. In my collection, there are only four albums (and one EP) I rated 10/10 and this is one of them. "Under The Runes" and "Hammerheart" still belong to the best and most special songs I ever heard; it's hard to describe how much they mean to me.

For me, this will forever remain the most classic, epic and timeless album of the last millennium.
(although I have to admit that nostalgia plays the biggest role while saying that...)

Epic!

Almost as good as Hammerheart. Almost.

My favorite Bathory album, top notch viking metal. only the final track don´t stand as high as the rest of the album. apart from that, an amazing experience. Hail Quorthon!!!

Bathory is difficult for me to get into. I like the vocals in small doses. But usually they're not to my liking (for example on Blood Fire Death and Hammerheart). The instruments and viking atmosphere are cool though.
My favorite track here by far is "Under the Runes". Awesome song about fighting till death in a battle in the heavens!
"Hammerheart" is also an interesting song - I find the melody makes it sound like a Christmas carol
The opening title track also has nice moments - Great atmosphere and some sweet solos

Written by F3ynman2000 on 03.11.2021 at 15:38

Bathory is difficult for me to get into. I like the vocals in small doses. But usually they're not to my liking (for example on Blood Fire Death and Hammerheart). The instruments and viking atmosphere are cool though.
On this album, there are songs where I like the vocals, that's why it gets an 8 instead of a 7.
My favorite track here by far is "Under the Runes". Awesome song about fighting till death in a battle in the heavens!
"Hammerheart" is also an interesting song - I find the melody makes it sound like a Christmas carol
The opening title track also has nice moments - Great atmosphere and some sweet solos

If you find Bathory's Viking era albums hard to get into, in particular Quorthon's vocals, then I would recommend avoiding his early albums, they are much more raw, and his vocals are much harsher.

Written by AndyMetalFreak on 03.11.2021 at 19:10

Written by F3ynman2000 on 03.11.2021 at 15:38

Bathory is difficult for me to get into. I like the vocals in small doses. But usually they're not to my liking (for example on Blood Fire Death and Hammerheart). The instruments and viking atmosphere are cool though.
On this album, there are songs where I like the vocals, that's why it gets an 8 instead of a 7.
My favorite track here by far is "Under the Runes". Awesome song about fighting till death in a battle in the heavens!
"Hammerheart" is also an interesting song - I find the melody makes it sound like a Christmas carol
The opening title track also has nice moments - Great atmosphere and some sweet solos

If you find Bathory's Viking era albums hard to get into, in particular Quorthon's vocals, then I would recommend avoiding his early albums, they are much more raw, and his vocals are much harsher.

I agree, even they are iconic , legendary, whit kult status of first waiv of bm, but I hate those, sound is horible, its just drunk teenager in garage try mix something. Today bands whit such sound suually are forgotten in metal archives. If bathory wont have Viking era, I think band would stop activities in late 80's

Written by Bad English on 03.11.2021 at 19:19

I agree, even they are iconic , legendary, whit kult status of first waiv of bm, but I hate those, sound is horible, its just drunk teenager in garage try mix something. Today bands whit such sound suually are forgotten in metal archives. If bathory wont have Viking era, I think band would stop activities in late 80's

I thought the same with Venom and Celtic Frost, they all made a significant contribution to metal back in the day, but if a band made music of that same quality today, they won't get a look in, even the cheap production nowadays have far better sound quality, although some would argue that they prefer the old low quality raw sound production of the early black metal scene, because it's more authentic.

Written by AndyMetalFreak on 03.11.2021 at 19:30

Written by Bad English on 03.11.2021 at 19:19

I agree, even they are iconic , legendary, whit kult status of first waiv of bm, but I hate those, sound is horible, its just drunk teenager in garage try mix something. Today bands whit such sound suually are forgotten in metal archives. If bathory wont have Viking era, I think band would stop activities in late 80's

I thought the same with Venom and Celtic Frost, they all made a significant contribution to metal back in the day, but if a band made music of that same quality today, they won't get a look in, even the cheap production nowadays have far better sound quality, although some would argue that they prefer the old low quality raw sound production of the early black metal scene, because it's more authentic.

I think CF best works is Cold Lakes, Venom, Countless Bathory and Nightmares are best songs, its it

Written by Bad English on 03.11.2021 at 19:41


I think CF best works is Cold Lakes, Venom, Countless Bathory and Nightmares are best songs, its it

I agree "Countess Bathory" is a very good song, and there is no doubt in my mind, the song title inspired Bathory to choose the band name from it.

Written by AndyMetalFreak on 03.11.2021 at 19:30

I thought the same with Venom and Celtic Frost, they all made a significant contribution to metal back in the day, but if a band made music of that same quality today, they won't get a look in, even the cheap production nowadays have far better sound quality, although some would argue that they prefer the old low quality raw sound production of the early black metal scene, because it's more authentic.

The best first wave of black metal BY FAR is Mercyful Fate's Melissa and Don't Break the Oath

Written by F3ynman2000 on 24.01.2022 at 23:47

Written by AndyMetalFreak on 03.11.2021 at 19:30

I thought the same with Venom and Celtic Frost, they all made a significant contribution to metal back in the day, but if a band made music of that same quality today, they won't get a look in, even the cheap production nowadays have far better sound quality, although some would argue that they prefer the old low quality raw sound production of the early black metal scene, because it's more authentic.

The best first wave of black metal BY FAR is Mercyful Fate's Melissa and Don't Break the Oath

Celtic Frost's 'Morbid Tales' every day of every week for me. It's top 10 favourite albums of all time material.

W.r.t Bathory though... Under the Sign of the Black Mark is my favourite album by him.