{"id":5210,"date":"1987-06-01T00:00:44","date_gmt":"1987-06-01T00:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/?p=5210"},"modified":"2012-05-11T14:52:30","modified_gmt":"2012-05-11T14:52:30","slug":"feature-bathory-mf24","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/feature-bathory-mf24\/","title":{"rendered":"BATHORY – Out Of The Black Hole (MF24, 1987) | Features \/ Interviews @ Metal Forces Magazine"},"content":{"rendered":"

BATHORY – Out Of The Black Hole<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\nBernard Doe<\/span>
\nMetal Forces, Issue 24 (1987)<\/span><\/p>\n

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Bathory first came to the attention of the world\u2019s metal underground hordes when they appeared on the Scandinavian Metal Attack<\/em> compilation album in 1984, and gradually built up a cult following with the release of two albums \u2013 Bathory<\/em> (1984) and The Return\u2026<\/em> (1985) \u2013 on the Swedish label, Black Mark. Both sold very well despite only being available as imports and without the aid of any live appearances and very little press.<\/p>\n

However, earlier this year Music for Nations signed the band for their Under One Flag label and promptly made Bathory\u2019s first two albums available in the UK for the first time and in May released their latest offering, Under The Sign Of The Black Mark<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

But to find out more about Bathory, let\u2019s talk to the band\u2019s mainman Quorthon (aka Tomas Forsberg) who has virtually been on his own since the original line-up split in April 1984.<\/p>\n

Okay Quorthon, since this is the first time you\u2019ve appeared in Metal Forces<\/em> let\u2019s start right at the beginning. Were you in any bands before Bathory? \u201cNot really… well none that are worth mentioning anyway, because before Bathory I was just playing punk and Mot\u00f6rhead-type stuff and it was only just for fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

So you used to be a punk did you? \u201cOh yeah, when I was a kid I was walking around with green hair and safety pins and stuff. I was totally into it. Ha! Ha!\u201d<\/p>\n

When did you form Bathory? \u201cThat was in March 1983 when I met these two guys who had a lot of equipment and had somewhere to rehearse for free. We recorded two songs (\u2018The Return Of Darkness And Evil\u2019 and \u2018Sacrifice\u2019) for the Scandinavian Metal Attack<\/em> compilation album in February \u201984, but soon after that we split up because I wanted to play faster metal which they didn\u2019t… we just grew apart from each other. Then a few months later, the record company got in contact with me and said they had been receiving lots and lots of fanmail because of the compilation album and they wanted Bathory to record a full-length album. I told them that the band had split up but they still wanted me to do it. So, I started to write some new songs and create a new style for how I wanted Bathory to sound, which was very difficult because at the time I was also auditioning a lot of musicians for the new line-up.\u201d<\/p>\n

You\u2019ve never really had a stable line-up with Bathory have you? \u201cNo, there has been a lot of different line-ups and that\u2019s because I often didn\u2019t realise until a couple of months after people had joined that they were not the right guys\u2026 so I had to kick them out. They didn\u2019t even last long enough to have our photos taken, so that\u2019s why when I\u2019ve done interviews with magazines we\u2019ve only given them photos of me. It\u2019s only now that I\u2019ve managed to find two guys at the same time that I\u2019m satisfied with. They both have the same attitudes and ideas that I have about the music… they\u2019re just perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n

What are the names of the new members in Bathory? \u201cOh, we haven\u2019t come with any names as yet, but I think on the next album we will have pictures of all of the members.\u201d<\/p>\n

Are the new guys from Sweden? \u201cYes they are.\u201d<\/p>\n

Have they been in any metal bands before? \u201cThat is of no importance at all. The important thing is that they are now the new drummer and bass player in Bathory, and that\u2019s all the people need to know.\u201d<\/p>\n

Okay, but have either of them had any recording experience before? \u201cI think the drummer has, but that\u2019s not important either.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fine. Well, we\u2019ve at least established you\u2019ve got two new members in Bathory. Will they contribute to the writing side at all? \u201cNo, I\u2019m the one who will be writing all the music and the lyrics.\u201d<\/p>\n

You\u2019ve already mentioned punk and Mot\u00f6rhead, but what other influences do you have? I read somewhere that you liked The Beatles? \u201cOh, I listen to a lot of different stuff, from classical music to the most outrageous music you could possibly imagine. I personally think that The Beatles are the best band that have ever lived, but that\u2019s obviously got nothing to do with Bathory.\u201d<\/p>\n

I understand that you\u2019re a big Kiss fan as well? \u201cI used to be a Kiss fan when I was a kid. When you are young you tend to be influenced by everything that is outrageous and at that time Kiss were very theatrical and outrageous.\u201d<\/p>\n

Why do you use the name \u2018Quorthon\u2019? \u201cYou have to have a stage name to separate yourself from the private person to the one that plays in a band, and I think \u2018Quorthon\u2019 fits me quite well. It means a prince who is half-human and half-demon.\u201d<\/p>\n

How seriously do you take the satanical image that you\u2019ve built up about Bathory? \u201cI\u2019m not into that anymore. That was something that happened two or three years ago. You see, once you\u2019ve read the Christian bible and found out about one side you want to find out about the other side as well. But once you\u2019ve done that you then realise that both sides are just bullshit. So I don\u2019t need any of that anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n

But you\u2019re still writing satanical songs on your latest album? \u201cWell, I do mention the word Satan in \u201813 Candles\u2019, but that is the only song, and that particular song is very old. I could have included that on the first album. The only reason that it\u2019s on the new album at all is because I didn\u2019t feel I had a stronger song at the time.\u201d<\/p>\n

I take it from your comments that you are not religious at all? \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

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But in the song \u2018Call From The Grave\u2019 you are actually asking the question, is there a God? \u201cThat\u2019s a very good remark from you, because I didn\u2019t think anyone would realise the whole point of the lyrics. In that song, I scream \u2018If there\u2019s a God in heaven, hear my call from the grave…\u2019. And my point is this. No matter what sins you may have committed in this world, there is always someone to who you can ask for forgiveness and you can enter the holy gate. Anyone would ask for forgiveness if they could. In which case, why is there a hell? Also, if God is the Almighty then why doesn\u2019t he destroy the evil side? So \u2018Call From The Grave\u2019 isn\u2019t just about being buried alive or being abandoned by God, it\u2019s really questioning the religious theory from both sides.”<\/p>\n

So really you\u2019re undecided about religion? \u201cNo, personally I\u2019ve decided about religion but I\u2019m still fascinated by it and will continue to write about it in the future. I\u2019m really playing with people\u2019s imaginations about the evil and good side.\u201d<\/p>\n

But you dismiss that you\u2019re a black metal or demonic band, which you\u2019ve been labeled by just about every metal magazine? \u201cI think it\u2019s totally wrong to put labels on a band\u2019s music because you should let the music speak for itself and it doesn\u2019t matter if you wear chicken bones, studded leather, spikes and upside-down crosses. The way you dress has nothing to do with the music at all. I mean, you don\u2019t play any better because you wear studded leather or not, do you?\u201d<\/p>\n

No, but it\u2019s the job of music journalists when reviewing a band to let their readers know what style of music a particular band play and the best way of doing that is, to a certain extent, make comparisons with other more established acts. Admittedly that, at times, can be misleading because everybody views music differently, but there are a helluva lot of albums being released every week and metal fans just don\u2019t have the cash to buy literally every album that comes out, and rely on music publications like ourselves to give them a guide as what to buy. So I certainly don\u2019t think making comparisons is a bad thing and I\u2019m sure a majority of our readers would agree. Anyway, back to the interview…<\/p>\n

Venom is of course a band that Bathory have been compared to on many occasions. What are your views on them? \u201cI don\u2019t think there are any similarities musically between Venom and Bathory at all. But I do think Black Metal<\/em> (1982) \u2013 which I heard for the first time three months after we formed Bathory \u2013 is one of the best albums ever made because it has genuine feeling. At that time there was no speed or thrash around, so Venom were very unique, even though they wimped out later on and spoiled the whole thing. I mean, At War With Satan<\/em> (1984) and Possessed<\/em><\/a> (1985) are shit compared to Black Metal<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now you\u2019ve got an established line-up can we expect to see Bathory play some live shows? \u201cWell, we intend to record a live video as soon as possible to give all of our fans, wherever they live, an equal chance to see our stage show. But to go on the road touring and putting on the type of show we have, would cost a lot of money which we don\u2019t have right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Is that going to be a promo video or one that will be available commercially? \u201cYeah, the kids will be able to buy it. It will have about six or seven tracks and we will probably incorporate a little bit about the history of the band as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

When do you think the video will be recorded? \u201cProbably after we\u2019ve recorded the next album in the summer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Did you write the track \u2018Of Doom\u2019 especially for your older fans? \u201cYes, that is totally dedicated to our fans, because they\u2019ve been so patient and very supportive towards me through the years. They\u2019ve been totally aware of the member situation and have always kept on encouraging me to carry on. So, \u2018Of Doom\u2019 is especially for them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Who plays keyboards on the track \u2018Woman Of Dark Desires\u2019? \u201cI do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now a lot of metal fans say that keyboards should not be used in metal. What are your views on that? \u201cWell, I think it\u2019s okay if you use them the right way. I know if you mention the words synthesizer or keyboards that everybody goes crazy and says that it\u2019s not metal, but that\u2019s just bullshit. If you use a synthesizer as an instrument it works quite well, but only as a compliment to the other instruments because the guitar, the bass and the drums will always be the most dominant part of Bathory.”<\/p>\n

What musical direction do you see Bathory taking in the near future? \u201cWell, I\u2019ve written six new songs so far and I think I\u2019ll probably write about ten more and then decide which ones to use on the next album. But I think the album will contain both fast and slow songs because we want to please the doom metal fans as well as the people just into speed metal.\u201d<\/p>\n

Well, Under The Sign Of The Black Mark<\/em> (reviewed in Metal Forces<\/em> issue #23) is certainly the band\u2019s best release to date and should expand Bathory\u2019s growing following even further. Incidentally, American readers will be pleased to know that the album will, at last, get a US release on New Renaissance Records shortly.<\/p>\n

Interview taken from Metal Forces, Issue 24 (1987)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

BATHORY – Out Of The Black Hole Bernard Doe Metal Forces, Issue 24 (1987) Bathory first came to the attention of the world\u2019s metal underground hordes when they appeared on the Scandinavian Metal Attack compilation album in 1984, and gradually built up a cult following with the release of two albums \u2013 Bathory (1984) and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[273],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5210","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bathory"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5210","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5210"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5210\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5255,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5210\/revisions\/5255"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5210"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5210"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5210"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}