"Nordland I" CD by Bathory

by Patrick Schmidt (10/02) "Destroyer of worlds" harvested some hard critiques and is surely not one of the better Bathory-albums. But with "Nordland", Quorthon gets back on the right track and delivers an album that can convince all through again - presupposed you like the epic "Hammerheart"/"Twilight of the gods"-phase. Already the opening title track clocks in at over nine minutes and rolls down everything that comes in its way. Only the vocals are a matter of taste, but you should know by now that Quorthon has never been a good singer. But this fact is not disturbing the quality of epics, like "Foreverdark woods" or the great ballad, "Ring of gold", no it rather underpins the uniqueness of Bathory. A first superficial look on the lyrics lets you guess that the master again devoted to nature-mysticism. Also if there will surely be some grumblers who like to reduce Bathory to the first three albums, I would claim that "Nordland" is a very well done, in times intoxicating document of sound of a still creative musician. And better than "Destroyer of worlds", anyway! (Patrick Schmidt - 10/02)