Bathory - Under the Sign of the Black Mark

Genre(s) - Thrash/black metal
Origin - Sweden
Year of release - 1987
Bitrate - 192 kbps
Size - 49.19

Arguably the first actual black metal project to survive its demo period (you can hardly call Venom a BM band and keep a straight face about it), and later the first, as far as I know, to release Viking-themed metal, Bathory was by all means an innovator, a flag-bearer, and a legend. The first two albums being generally too simplistic for me, and devoid of any emotional depth, third-born Under the Sign... is the spot Quorthon began developing his songwriting. Bathory suddenly had melodies - not too much though - and songs that actually went somewhere. Call from the Grave and most of all the long Enter the Eternal Fire are accurate forecasts on what was to come on Blood Fire Death and later: slow metal, but with a strong, impelling flow and epic riffs. Most of the other tracks were as fast as they used to be, but (still rather crudely) gained a melodic layer during the finale; quite something back in those days.

1. Nocturnal obeisance
2. Massacre
3. Woman of dark desires
4. Call from the grave
5. Equimanthorn
6. Enter the eternal fire
7. Chariots of fire
8. 13 candles
9. Of doom
10. Outro
    

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