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Rating: Year: 1989
Location: Sweden
Artist: Bathory
Album: Hammerheart
After providing a brief summary of what I'm discussing, I would say it's time to start the review. Bathory, one of the longest-standing and most important metal bands in the world, devoted to the most uncompromising black metal around the late '80s and early '90s, returned to the market in 1989 with this "Hammerheart," bolstered by a contribution like "Blood Death And Fire"; the decisive shift towards more pleasant and less violent sounds heavily divided the fan base that our Quorthon had managed to attract with albums like "The Return..." and "Bathory." In fact, both themes and musical structures, along with the music, were completely upended.
The album reviewed here was then a true novelty, which (unfortunately) paved the way for all the epic/viking groups in circulation today; the album presents itself as very simple, almost austere, rich with ideas and beautiful songs: these always formed by a very linear structure, and lacking any technical evolution, and that's precisely the strength of the album: its directness.
The icy, Nordic sounds thus resonate throughout all the songs, which are a mixture of healthy American-rooted epic mixed with the cold rhythms of Scandinavian black. The strong pagan/Viking tradition to which the vocalist, as well as the mastermind of the group, Quorthon, is inspired, permeates the lyrics of all the tracks, which are real odes to Nordic culture. The album opens with the massive "Shores In Flames," which after an atmospheric intro complete with waves crashing on the beach, begins with an electric guitar arpeggio, to then make the track take off: an explosion of energy and violence, where Quorthon's ungraceful voice reigns supreme, masterfully leading the entire song thanks to a particularly convincing melody; 11 minutes of pure Viking will overwhelm you, transporting you to the icy lands of Northern Europe. The next "Valhalla," moves on similar coordinates to the previous song, with cues exploited even better, if possible: the broad and slow guitar riffs, as well as the rocky rhythms, make this song one of the true gems of the record. Quorthon once again proves to be particularly untechnical in the vocal parts, but precisely for this reason extremely theatrical and sharp. A drum intro leads us to the monolithic "Baptised In Fire And Ice," an extremely easy song, but no less beautiful than the others for this; the great linearity and melodicity of the track are often broken by the rough voice of the vocalist, who this time does not perform a commendable job, yet the song can be listened to with much pleasure. Glorious traditions are at the center of "Father To Son," another great piece signed by Quorthon. The song, led by a dark guitar riff, is surely one of the most personal and passionate on the record. The beautiful lyrics (the story of a father narrating the traditions of his people to his son) also make this track a real gem. The chorus is splendid. A classic guitar arpeggio instead opens the short but touching "Song To Hall Up High," a delicate yet sad piece that can be considered the ballad of the album: splendid the way Quorthon, accompanied by a very delicate choir, leads the vocal lines of this gem. We then arrive at "Home Of Once Brave," a song opened by a robust riff, accompanied by Quorthon's extremely raw voice, which however fails to make an interesting song a little predictable, which although not shining, doesn’t turn out to be particularly bad either. We thus pass to another Bathory classic: "One Rode To Asa Bay," a track opened by a choir accompanied by an electric guitar arpeggio. This is undoubtedly the episode that perfectly summarizes the new soul of the group: a wave of emotions and pure epicness will overwhelm you while listening to an extreme Viking masterpiece of such magnitude.
The album thus concludes, leaving the world a true masterpiece of music, unrepeatable and unmissable, which will lay the foundation for all future Viking albums.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Shores in Flames (11:09)
Mother winter leaves our land
And opens wide the seas
The lukewarm breeze does beckon me
As it whispers through the trees
It says: Set your sails
And let me take your ship to foreign shores
Take farewell of those near you
And your land of the North!
The wild cold deep black ocean's waves
Invites my hungry heart
Cry not my love I'll return
Only death can keep us apart
Oden in the sky up high
Let the Ravens of yours fly
To guide us on our sail to foreign shores
Let your Ravens fly
The wind blows through my hair
And fills our sails with hope and pride
Caress these lines of Oak, wind
Do not throw us all aside
The wild cold deep black oceans waves
As wide as sky above
Carry us, oh, Gods of sea
Don't take us down below
Now approach the shore at dawn
All is still the light of daybreak is yet to be born
Clad in morning dew asleep
The citys walls rise before us men from the seas
Carrying cold steel at our sides
No time to lose at sunbirth we attack the city by surprise
Down the coastlines with the wind we reign
Men of the North we leave the shores in flames
Shores In Flames Shores In Flames
Shores In Flames Shores In Flames
Fire!
Tor of thunder way up high
Swing your Hammer that cracks the sky
Send the wind to fill our sails and take us home
Guide your sons, us, home
When the wind cries out my name
And time has come for me to die
Then wrap me in my cape
And lay my sword down at my side
Then place me on a ship of Oak
And let it drift with tide
Let the flames purify my soul
On its way to hall up high
Up high
Up high
Up high
Up high
Fire!
02 Valhalla (09:34)
God of thunder
Who crack the sky
Swing your hammer
Way up high
In chariot of gold
Ride across the clouds
The black storm is unfold
Burning mist is but a shroud
Seeds and honey
Milk and blood
A sacrifice
To thunder god
Laid in ship of oak
On final sail to fate
Steel is at side
Drifting to the open gates of
Valhalla
Shields of gold
Valhalla
Great warriors hall
I swing my sword in the wind
I feel the powers all within
Valhalla
Valhalla
God of thunder
Lightning rain
The winds of glory
Whispers your name
Pounding pounding
Of hooves and wheels
Forks of lightning
At your heels
Sword of steel
Held up high
Lightning strikes
From blackened skies
Fallen heroes
In battle slain
Awaits my arrival
At the gates of
Valhalla
Shields of gold
Valhalla
Great warriors hall
I raise my fist to the air
In the creed of powers and glory swear
Valhalla
Shields of gold
Valhalla
Great warriors hall
I swing my sword in the wind
I feel the powers all within
Valhalla
Shields of gold
Valhalla
Great warriors hall
I raise my fist to the Air
In the creed of powers and glory swear
Valhalla...
04 Father to Son (06:29)
(Father to Son
Father to Son
Father to Son
From Father to Son)
Now born my son I name thee
After the sound of my Hammer's
Beat upon the anvil
On this chilly springtime day
The Hammerchild of my flesh
Of my blood to carry on
When I have reached Odin's end
Of my glorious warrior's trail
(From Father to Son
From Father to Son)
Call upon the spirits of our fathers
Long time gone with thunder
Ask them for truth and courage
When trouble is in your way
Learn to read and understand
The signs to few can clearly vision
Listen carefully to what
The Ravens has to say
Oh, hear the Thunder's roar
Greetings from our fathers long time gone
Tell so that no one ever will forget
What is in heart goes from Father to Son
(From Father to Son
From Father to Son)
Oh, watch the lightning strike
Feel the powers of the Hammer's pounding on
Take it to your heart and understand
What must live on from Father to Son
(From Father to Son
From Father to...)
Promise me my son to always
Cherish what is home to you
What is the truth and to
Defend all of your race
Never lose the values
I have taught to you
Always keep your moral and ideals
Do never bring your flag disgrace
(From Father to Son
From Father to Son)
Promise me my son before my corpse
Is turning pale to
Grab my sword hold it to the sky
And call out my hail
Listen for the sound of bronze horns
Watch the lightning strike then
You know I have reached Odin's end
Of my warrior's trail
Oh, my child please take heed
Through you I am granted to live on
These words more worth than you will ever know
Make them live on from Father to Son
(From Father to Son
From Father to Son
From Father to Son
From Father to Son)
[Dedicated to the Children of the North Star]
05 Song to Hall Up High (02:30)
I know you watch over me
Father of all the past
And all that will ever be
You are the first and the last
The watcher of all that lives
The guardian of all that died
The one-eyed God way up high
Who rules my world and the sky
Northern wind take my song up high
To the Hall of glory in the sky
So its gates shall greet me open wide
When my time has come to die
07 One Rode to Asa Bay (10:24)
One man rode the way through the woods
Down to Asa bay
Where dragon ships had sailed to sea
More times than one could say
To see with own eyes the wonder
People told of from man to man
The God of all almightyness
Had arrived from a foreign land
The rumours told of a man
Who had come from the other side the sea
Carrying gold cross around neck in chain
And spoke in strange tongue of peace
He had come with strange men in armour
Dressed in purple shirts and lace
Smelling not of beer but flowers
And with no hair in face
And the bold man carrying cross
Had told all one of Asa bay
The God of all man woman child had come
To them all save
And to thank Lord of Heaven
One should build to God a house
And to save one's soul from Hell
One should be baptised and say vows
A man of pride with the Hammer told new God
To build his house on own
And spoke loud of the Gods of their fathers
Not too long time gone
The rumours said the man with a beard like fire
And the Hammer in chain
By men in armour silenced was and by
Their swords was slain
Those who did not pay the one coin
Of four to man of new God
Whipped was twenty and put in chains then locked
By their neck to the log To the log
And so all of Asa bay did build
A house of the cross
Every hour of daylight they did sweat
Limbs ached because faith does cost
And on the day two hundred
There it stood white to the sky
The house of the God of the cross
Big enough to take two dragon ships inside
And all of Asa bay did watch
The wonder raise to the sky
Now must the God of the cross be pleased
And satisfied
Just outside the circle of the crowd
One old man did stand
He looked across the waters
And blotted the sun out of his eyes with one hand
And his old eyes could almost see
The dragon ships set sails
And his old ears could almost hear
Men of great numbers call out Oden's hail
And though he did know already
Though he turned face towards sky
And whispered silent words forgotten
Spoken only way up high
Now this house of a foreign God does stand
Now must they leave us alone
Still he heard from somewhere in the woods
Old crow of wisdom say
"...people of Asa land, it's only just begun..."
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Other reviews
By stargazer
"'Hammerheart' can therefore be seen as a concept album centered on the customs and traditions of the ancient Vikings."
"'One Rode To Asa Bay,' the quintessential Viking track, brimming with melancholy and epicness... the anger and hatred towards Christianity, a religion imposed by force."
By fjelltronen
The ideal soundtrack for a book of Icelandic sagas, the immortal 'Hammerheart.'
Quorthon’s guitar sounds like a bagpipe among rocky slopes, sketching fiery yet romantic harmonies.
