Bathory - Nordland I (Black Mark Production, 2002)

This album is one of the last albums that Quorthon ever recorded, and oddly enough it was the first of his albums that I bought. I got some recommendation or other from a friend on an Internet site to look into a band named “Bathory” (who were completely new to me at the time, shocking as it is to say that!). Anyway, after a lot of messing around, I bought this album. I wasn’t really sure what to expect, to be honest. The only “Black Metal” I’d heard at that time was some Dimmu Borgir and late Darkthrone. But the moment I heard that crashing opening, I knew I was in for something completely different. I didn’t think it was “Black Metal” back at the time of purchase (despite my relatively clueless knowledge at that time) and nowadays naturally I know this isn’t “Black Metal.” I suppose it would be more accurate to label it “Viking Metal,” but whatever it is, it’s absolutely superb.

This album really possesses little similarity to any of Bathory’s previous releases (excepting “Destroyer of Worlds” which had a more “Viking” feel to the music) except three aspects: one is that it is overly masterful and filled with a real passion. Another is that there are still superb solos from Quorthon, that are always worth listening to, and the other is that once again, like in “Hammerheart,” we take another trip to “Asa Bay” in some of the songs. I have no idea where “Asa Bay” is, if indeed it is a non-fictional place at all, but from the amount of times Quorthon has written about it and described it with such beautiful lyrics, I feel as though I want to go there to see this majesty for myself.

As I said, this album has an opening intro containing crashing drums and haunting male vocals. Then the melodic keyboards accompany the male vocals as they twist and turn through the drum passages. I would have to say that this frosty entrance to “Nordland I” is indeed befitting to the title of the album. You couldn’t make this opening track much more “Nordland” if you’d had wolves howling in the background and Vikings warring with each other! Just listening to this track alone will tell you that this album is far away from being the work of an amateur. The album continues the powerful play that Bathory invokes in the opening track – crashing drums, sensational solos (but usually slow), and Quorthon’s vocals simply captivating the entire song with their unique styling of mixing clean vocals with a harsh tint. The only two exceptions I came across for this pattern was on “Broken Sword” and “Ring of Gold.” Nevertheless, I enjoyed both tracks immensely. “Ring of Gold” because it’s so very simple, and yet it seems to explain to the listener exactly what Quorthon is trying to express in this album. All this track actually contains (musically) is two gently played guitars and Quorthon’s beautifully sung vocals. If you listen to this song when all else is silent, you can almost hear the ravens calling to each other as you stroll along wintry paths in search of Asa Bay. In a sense, when Quorthon sings

“To bind us beyond end of time to thee
I give a ring of gold”

It’s almost like Quorthon’s describing what Bathory has given to us all – a lot of fantastic, unique and masterful metal – and no matter how many ages pass in this world, I’m inclined to doubt that there will ever be another band as prominent or as consistently good as Bathory were. Bathory’s music was the “ring of gold” and I feel that the music produced by Bathory will indeed bind us to that band “beyond end of time.” The other exception is found in “Broken Sword” because it returns to old-style Bathory, with lightning-fast guitar work, and yet it also utilises the newer style of Bathory – the more “passionate” side of Quorthon – with a soft piece of guitar work at the end of the track followed by the sound of waves lapping against a shore.

Unfortunately, despite Quorthon’s vocal genius, it does take a certain style of song to accept them into the song properly. This was well and truly brought home when I listened to “Dragon’s Breath.” The intro is fantastic, but when Quorthon’s vocals crash in, I just wanted to run into the recording studio and shout “Stop!” But to appreciate the wonder in some albums, you also have to accept the parts that are not as good. The music for this track I don’t have a problem with – in fact I find it exceptionally good, with some marvellous guitar work from Quorthon. I just find it horribly marred by the chaotic mix of Quorthon’s harsh vocals and the mesmerizing sound of the passionate guitar work. However, this is the only bad point that I can find anywhere on the album.

There are several aspects of this album that I find intriguing, aside from those aforementioned sections. One of them is that in “Vinterblot.” In this track, it seems that Bathory has used the musical composition “In the Hall of the Mountain King” (composed by Edvard Grieg) but played on guitar instead of being composed, so to speak. Another point that I find interesting is that for those people who have ever heard the song for the film “The Neverending Story” then you will notice a lot of similarities between the music played in that song and the music heard in “Great Hall Awaits a Fallen Brother” by Bathory. As soon as that song began, I was filled with thoughts of “The Neverending Story,” which wasn’t very pleasant!

I have to encourage every single fan of Bathory to pick up a copy of this album. It’s not like Bathory’s older work (except the blisteringly fast “Broken Sword”), and it’s not Black Metal. This album has a distinct quality to it that is somewhat difficult to match - this quality being the heartfelt lyrics. The crashing drums depict the frozen floors of Nordland perfectly, and the magnificent solos summon older styles of Bathory into this album. It’s almost like everything Bathory ever produced rolled into one, but with that rare added touch of the love for your homeland that, despite being instilled in us all, can be conveyed by some better than others. After this album, Quorthon is definitely one of those musicians who are better at conveying their love for their lands. In simple terms, this album is a masterpiece (like almost all Bathory albums, but each in their own way) and one that if it is not in your collection, you’re sorely missing out on something. (Loki)

Overall Rating: 9.7

Line-Up
Quorthon - Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Drums, and Keyboards