BATHORY - Under the Sign of Black Mark (BLACK MARK - LP 1987)
People sometimes ask in the interviews about
the top ten (or five he!) of metal albums of all time. And usually the
questioned musician would say “oh, it is impossible to say just ten, if there
are so, so many amazing albums”. I totally agree with it, it is just impossible
to name just few LPs, if metal history is 30 years old or more and during this
period there were thousands of albums released and among them there are so many
absolutely astonishing LPs... But if I was about to make such impossible list,
then I am sure that I know at least five LPs, which would just have to be
there… sometimes more due to the memories, which I have about them than the
actual musical value (which is still brilliant, anyway!). One of such LPs would
definitely be Bathory’s third opus “Under the Sign of Black Mark”. I do realize
that most people would like either “Bathory” or “Hammerheart” or “Blood Fire
Death” LPs more, and sure, they are also fantastic, but for me “Under the Sign
of Black Mark” is the most thrilling and perfectly composed and arranged piece
of Quorthon’s music. It was also my first encounter with his music and that
happened I think back in 1993, maybe 1994. At that time I knew only very few
black metal bands – Beherit and Blasphemy, which I didn’t like at all, and
Darkthrone (“Under the Funeral Moon”) and Burzum (“Hvis Lyset Tar Oss”), which
I liked way more, mainly due to that incredibly dark and ghoulish atmosphere of
these albums (I wasn’t so much into their raw production at that time)… And
then someone taped me “Under the Sign of Black Mark”… well, I have been hooked
by this album immediately, even if I was more into death metal at that time.
But there was something truly unique about Bathory’s third album, what I liked
so much. Later on, around 1997-98, when I had a two piece black metal project
with my friend, we started to play three or four songs of this LP, so much
influence it had on us. The feeling when playing them was amazing. So, not only
“Under the Sign of Black Mark” is just amazing musically, but also it gives me
a lot of good memories. This is why I consider it to be one of my top ten
albums of all times, even if I don’t know if making such list is possible at
all.
Composition wise “Under the Sign of Black Mark”
is pure perfection; an album, which delivers a collection of astonishing, quite
often almost catchy, but devastatingly dark and eerie songs. But that’s not
all; even the order of tracks, how they’ve been putted together, seems to be
carefully thought through, so the album starts with a pure destruction of
“Massacre”, then goes through such classics of atmospheric, epic black metal as
“Woman of Dark Desires” or “Enter the Eternal Fire”, to finish with such gloomy
songs as”13 Candles” and “Of Doom”. When listening to “Under the Sign of Black
Mark” I must admit that the production of this album is definitely my favourite
one from all three albums, which Bathory has released so far. Both previous LPs
were much rawer and almost primitive in many ways, while “Under the Sign of
Black Mark” is much heavier and aggressive, but also open for those atmospheric
parts, which this LP is filled with. I mean no way would “Bathory” – with the
sound it has - be able to have such song as “Call from the Grave” and make it
sound so powerful, but dark and eerie, with its fantastic, melodic guitar solos
and all the stuff like keyboards in another songs. More so, I must also say
that while the guitar sound is just excellent for my taste here, also Quorthon’s
voice is just fantastic. OK, it always was, really, especially on “The
Return…”, but his voice on “Under the Sign of Black Mark” is even rougher and more
powerful, at the same time it’s quite understandable and with some brilliant
arrangements. Really, when I listen to “Under the Sign of Black Mark” I just
cannot think of ANYTHING, what would be done wrong. From start to finish this
LP is perfect. Pure masterpiece…
It’s also just impossible to pick up two or
three songs from “Under the Sign of Black Mark” and call them standout tracks.
Each song is brilliant, each offers something truly exceptional and each has
perfect arrangements, riffs, vocals… “Massacre” opens this album and is fast as
fuckin hell, very brutal, uncompromising black metal song and then “Woman of
Dark Desires” and “Call from the Grave” are more epic and atmospheric, with
fuckin hooks all the way through. Once you’ll hear it, you’ll remember those riffs
until the end of your miserable life, trust me! And then “Equimanthorn” will
strike again with faster, viciously powerful riffing... and that awesome chorus
part… you just wanna fuckin scream “Equimanthorn!!!!!!!!!!!!”! And this is how
side A finish and when you’ll hear it, you may understand what I meant when I
wrote that the order of track is not accidental here!
And I would think that it couldn’t get any
better than side A, but that is until “Enter the Eternal Fire” opens side B…
and man, isn’t it one of the best black metal anthems of all times??!! The riffing
in it is just mighty and the atmosphere… well, it is gloomy, sinister and the
whole effect is even deeper with the bells tolling. The impression is just
huge, more so because the structure of this song is quite simple, I mean it is
basically based on one main riff, where Quorthon just toys with it, changing
the tempos or whatever… Well, you don’t need much to compose a masterpiece. “13
Candles” is another truly exceptional song, one with similar sort of riffing as
the one from “Enter the…” or “Call from the Grave”, which doesn’t mean it is
exactly the same, only structure wise it also is pretty simple, with basically
just one or two riffs, similar tempo and that infectious catchiness. And in
case if you don’t have enough then “Of Doom” will massacre you with probably
the most insane, vicious, mayhemic, fast and uncompromising riffing from the
whole LP. I really, really like this song a lot!
While finishing this review and paying a
tribute to Quorthon and his third album, I must also point out how brilliant
and fast this composer was evolving and progressing. I mean just listen to
“Bathory” and then “Under the Sign of Black Mark”. The difference is big, but
from the other hand this third LP still has some traces of Bathory’s old style.
More so, I must also notice that the debut was nothing more or less but a Venom
/ Motorhead influenced black ‘n’ roll sort of stuff, but just take a listen, which
way did Cronos and Venom go and how the Bathory style was developing. Isn’t it
one of the examples of “the student becomes the master” thing? For me Bathory
was always way better than Venom and such LPs as “Under the Sign of Black Mark”
only proves me right. I’ve been listening to it for almost 20 years now and
still I feel thrills like it was my first time, it just doesn’t get boring. This
definitely is one of my top ten metal albums of all time and one, which just
must be in everyone’s collection, best on vinyl, if you ask me!
Standout tracks: ALL OF THEM!!!
Final rate: 100 / 100
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