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Bathory - Blood On Ice



8.2 | 372 votes |
Release date: 27 May 1996
Style: Viking black metal

Owners:

396 have it
34 want it
4 trade it


01. Intro
02. Blood On Ice
03. Man Of Iron
04. One Eyed Old Man
05. The Sword
06. The Stallion
07. The Woodwoman
08. The Lake
09. Gods Of Thunder Of Wind And Of Rain
10. The Ravens
11. The Revenge Of Blood On Ice

Additional info
Produced by Boss and Quorthon
Recorded at Heavenshore and Hellhole Studios, Stockholm Sweden
Album cover design by Quorthon
Album front cover exclusive painting by Kristian Wåhlin
Originaly 1988, 1989, with additional material recorded in 1995. Mixed in 1996.

Guest review by
Marcus
Rating:
8.2
One of the best albums by Bathory, although not the best, (I save that spot for Hammerheart), it's their most unique as far as storytelling though. The entire album is the story of vengeance for a young man whose village was destroyed and family killed. All of the song lyrics are based upon a story written by Quorthon, and the lyrics follow in a summarized chronological version of the short story. Blood on Ice really follows the typical low quality epic sound that similar viking-esque Bathory albums have. One of the different things on this album, besides the telling of one great story, is the largely varied song types in the album. From soft arppegios in "The Ravens" to epic, empowering songs hailing the gods in "Gods of Thunder of Wind and of Rain." Quorthon did not vary these song just because he felt like it either. The music in these songs all fit the tone of the lyrics they represent. It appears that the music was based upon the lyrics, not vice-versa as is common with many other bands. Every song on the album, including the intro, really helps to tell the story and makes it much more submerssive than a movie or book could ever be. Each song also captures the emotion of these events and helps pass that emotion onto the listener, whether that be anger, sadness, or a lust for vengeance.

Read more ››
published 13.05.2007 | Comments (12)

For many years, an old tape from 1988/89 lay dormant somewhere in the vaults of Quorthon's Heavenshore Studio, and it was probably due to the pressure and the pestering of his fans that exactly 25 years ago - on May 27, 1996 - these almost forgotten recordings were finally allowed to see the light of day.
Thank God Odin!
For even if Bathory's ninth studio album is somewhat overshadowed by previous milestones such as Blood Fire Death and Hammerheart, it is nevertheless one of the most important albums in Bathory's impressive discography. Because on the one hand, it marks the departure from the widely unpopular retro-thrash phase of Requiem and Octagon, and on the other hand, it is a return to Quorthon's true strengths: timeless Viking metal ballads such as "Man Of Iron", "The Woodwoman" and "The Lake", and epic battle hymns like "Gods Of Thunder Of Wind And Of Rain".

"Realms of the shadows bring me no fear
I may stand or be beaten and torn
The mountains will stand but the life of a man
Was decided long before he was born."


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Comments

Comments: 9   Visited by: 602 users
13.09.2011 - 18:24
Rating: 8
musicalkaratekid

I don't think this album is too bad! Its not the best bathory album but i'd say it features Quorthon's best clean vocals.
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13.09.2011 - 20:10
Sean 79

Great album. Epic as hell
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23.01.2014 - 22:24
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
Why Old One Eyes Man and Lake has same lyrics and song? mine version has

This is epic, Tomas understand , crappy music wont bring him glory and he went back to epic roots, more 90's epic whit acoustic passages and great lyrics, really , this is better then those 2 ''classical epic'' albums, good good work
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Life is to short for LOVE, there is many great things to do online !!!

Stormtroopers of Death - ''Speak English or Die''
apos;'
[image]
I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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04.02.2014 - 05:41
Maco
Pvt Funderground
Not my favorite from the "viking era" but it's still a good album.
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Crackhead Megadeth reigns supreme.
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26.07.2015 - 21:26
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
Written by deadone on 04.02.2014 at 06:07

I found this one to be somewhat "meh."


you really cant get into good Europian darker music?
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Life is to short for LOVE, there is many great things to do online !!!

Stormtroopers of Death - ''Speak English or Die''
apos;'
[image]
I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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26.03.2017 - 01:34
Rating: 9
Redel

I grew up with this album. His 3rd best imo, after Hammerheart and TOTG. Convincing stroyline. Production maybe only downside here. Highlights: Man of iron, Woodwoman, and Lake (latter two among best Bathory songs ever for me).
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29.11.2018 - 14:02
Rating: 9
Starvynth
i c deaf people
Reading the last comment this may now sound like a poor copy/paste attempt, but truly, "The Lake", "Woodwoman", and "Man Of Iron" have also always been my favorite tracks of this album. They even helped me to forget the crap Quorthon published prior to this release (Requiem and Octagon)...
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signatures = SPAM
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23.09.2021 - 06:01
Cthulu

My favorite Bathory album. Only song I didn't care for was the title track (Blood on Ice). Everything else else is amazing.
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11.12.2023 - 16:10
Rating: 10
Ryanm123

My favorite concept album of all time and an album that has always sounded like home to me. The songs all sound like the part of the story they are telling. If you want atmosphere this is for you.
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