The 12th and final album from Bathory is a continuation of the Nordland saga set forth on 2002’s Nordland I.  For better or worse, Nordland II is a case of “second verse, same as the first” meaning there are pockets of brilliance and pockets of just waiting for the next song to come on.  You can argue whether one album is better than another, but the truth is there’s a remarkable consistency to the records.  That consistency however means everything feels interchangeable instead of progression that leads to fabled destination. Continue reading “Bathroy: Nordland II (2003)”

After Twilight of the Gods solidified the place of Bathory among the progenitors of viking metal, things went a bit astray.  Quorthon put out a solo album, and Bathory went back to the blackened thrash of the earlier albums for a time.  Nothing quite seemed to congeal.  That is until Nordland I, the first of a planned four-part masterwork that would bring back the viking metal in full force to walk through the tales of Nordic myths and legends.  This was my first real experience experience with Bathory, and similar to to when I first heard it, there’s a lot that works and admittedly a bit that doesn’t. Continue reading “Bathory: Nordland I (2002)”