By 1985, Black metal was alive and well thanks to its two founders: Venom and Bathory!
There’s been widespread debate over who deserves the credit for inventing the genre into its true form. While the topic can be analyzed more appropriately in a future article, it’s safe to say that Bathory’s sophomore album perfected the genre in question.
After releasing a borderline thrash metal effort in 1984, the band set out to identify as the leading pioneers of black metal. Frontman and songwriter, Quorthon, combined all his influences from Motörhead to G.B.H. in order to create the indisputable masterpiece known as: The Return
Starting off with another ambient intro, this set the stage for what will be classified as the definitive black metal sound. There is no other album let alone band in the genre that pulls off the tone better than The Return according to the taste of Darkthrone‘s Fenriz, Mayhem‘s Euronymous and members of Abbath.
Once you’re past the sinister prologue, listeners are demolished by the onslaught of Total Destruction. The standards quickly build as the record belts out classic after classic, especially the groove laden anthem by the name of Born For Burning.
Everything from the speed metal classics like Possessed and Son Of The Damned to the infernal masterpiece that is both The Rite Of Darkness/Reap Of Evil. While the original pressing left both songs separate, it’s best to enjoy the down paced preamble before diving into the latter.
It’s not until the epic closing track where the full title of the album is revealed: The Return Of The Darkness And Evil, ending in the same aggressive style as the opener with one final wave of satanic brilliance.
While it’s easy to criticize the overall production, the inescapable fact is that this is top-notch songwriting.
As far as whether or not this album surpasses the band’s follow up release, Under The Sign Of The Black Mark, that depends on what the listener prefers. There’s more heavy songs on The Return, but lacks the polished production which skyrockets the value of Under The Sign Of The Black Mark. The songwriting quality between the two is a toss up, however The Return is without a doubt the purest album in the genre.
For anyone who wants to rank The Return towards the bottom of the pile, remember that this is where black metal found its roots. Venom started it, but Bathory perfected it.
From the violent drumming by Stefan Larsson to the distinctive croaking of Quorthon, Bathory had everything in their bullet belt to dominate the genre. While the critics drone on about the “unlistenable sound quality” they immediately expose their lack of awareness on black metal itself. Not only is it a founding trait of the genre, but it’s also worth mentioning that The Return is the only Bathory album to be recorded in a studio. But I guess the facts don’t matter…
Overall, it’s the embodiment of black metal and one of the finest albums in all of heavy metal.
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