[Ragingwinter]

Not sure why most fans can't stand the viking metal style that Quorthon took on in the early 90s. Tracks like Valhalla, Shores in Flames, To enter your mountain, Blood and iron, foreverdark woods.. etc are all fantastic pieces.

Any thoughts or do I stand alone on this one?

[Candlemass]

The viking era is my favorite by FAR. I worship the first 3 albums, but the viking era albums get played and enjoyed WAY more than the "classic" stuff here.

[Ragingwinter]

Hell yeah. First 3 album worship is fine and dandy, but the viking era is fantastic.

I was blasting Twilight of the Gods on my way to work, what a fucking album.

[jameswolfe]

I love both eras. Oddly Im not as big on "Under The Sign" a lot of people. But I can also same the same for "Twilight." For me Twilight is a little too much mid-paced and not enough dynamics. But to your point I think the viking era is just as good as the bm era. My favorite Bathory albums in order:


Blood On Ice
The Return
Hammerheart
Bathory
Under The Sign
Twilight
Octagon


I havent heard the rest
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[under a funeral shroom]

I can't say I've really ever met/heard off people bashing the viking Bathory albums, generally the exact opposite. The garbage that came after them is a totally different story altogether.

[Ragingwinter]

I met some dude at a 1349 show that said he loathed the viking albums, even saying certain songs reminded him of Bon Jovi... then going on to say everything after the ruturn was shit haha.

I've heard other opinions on it, alot of them were negative and i never understood why.

I agree that mostly everything after twilight was garbage though.

[under a funeral shroom]

The Nordland albums aren't bad actually.

[Ragingwinter]

Nordland's are great. Part I in particular.. to be honest I never heard Blood on Ice.

[under a funeral shroom]

You need to rectify that.

[Ragingwinter]

Agreed. Have you heard Quorthon's version of War pigs?

[nileppez]

I love those records (Hammerheart the most non surprisingly), but I love most of viking/pagan/folk type stuff in general, always had a weak spot for bands themed around prechristian history and religions, no matter how many times it's been done before.
Kind of sad most popular folk metal bands are Korpiklaani, Eluveite and Finntroll, putting the genre in bad light. Still, I don't think most people who listen mainly to black/death could enjoy more than few bands in this genre...

[Mysticus]

1984 - 1987 : excellent (I'm spinning "Under..." LP right now. Pure classic.)
1988 - 1991 : amazing

1994 - 2001 : disappointment, except "Blood On Ice" - this LP is topnotch

2002 - 2003 : Nordland era was again really essential.

Under the Sign of the Black Mark is still BM album number ONE for me!
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[deathevocation]

Hammerheart & Blood On Ice are my favourite Bathory.

Nordland albums are also quite good. Best of the non-viking is Under the Sign. Most over rated Bathory is Blood Fire Death.

[morbiddeceiver]

Never gave Bathory viking era a listen to this day. I borrowed Hammerheart from a friend a month ago and still have not listened to it. May get around to it one day.

[Nocturnal Deathstrike]

Don´t know... But my impression was always that both eras are equally worshipped...
I only ever heard bad words about Octagon and I think that´s good album too... Just a lot different than the others...
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