OK, this is a very serious matter here! At first I was listening to Bathory - Valhalla and I heard this
"God of Thunder
Who crack the sky
Swing your Hammer
Way up high" - and I started thinking... "Where have I heard this before?" Soon I realised Manowar - Thor ...
"God of thunder, god of rain
Earth shaker who feels no pain
The powerhead of the Universe
Now send your never ending curse
Swing your hammer to crack the sky
Lift your cape so that you might fly
Back to Odin and the Gods on High
And leave this mortal world" - OMG... I looked it up and Hammerheart was released in 1990, 6 years after Sign Of The Hammer (1984) ... in Wikipedia it says that Bathory's Viking Metal was influenced by Manowar's Into Glory Ride and Sign Of The Hammer... OMG!!! is it really like that???

Damn sorry Manowar and Bathory are same time band how tahy can influenced each other and USA hear about Bathory after MTV in headbanger Ball show video 'One Road To Asa By' and in UISA thhere was no such viking metal, and Manowar lyrics maybe thay are about vikings and scandianvian themes but thay are varius and Quorton was sweed and he knows more about vikings and Bathory lyrics was more complicated and about Influencies Manowar start in 1980 and bathory in 1983 so go search soemwher ehow popular and how good sels Manowar in Sweden in 80ties and earl Bathory was more Venom, Merfifull Fate type band and never Manowar-ish

hmmm it could be, though i would have said that Manowar was influenced by Quorthon....

Written by Valentin B on 01.03.2008 at 15:13

hmmm it could be, though i would have said that Manowar was influenced by Quorthon....

Yes it can be but only leither bathory because thay are almoust same age we can saw for example Bathory was influenced by Black Sabbath and bands who start at 2000 was influened from Bathory

Written by Bad English on 01.03.2008 at 14:46

Damn sorry Manowar and Bathory are same time band how tahy can influenced each other and USA hear about Bathory after MTV in headbanger Ball show video 'One Road To Asa By' and in UISA thhere was no such viking metal, and Manowar lyrics maybe thay are about vikings and scandianvian themes but thay are varius and Quorton was sweed and he knows more about vikings and Bathory lyrics was more complicated and about Influencies Manowar start in 1980 and bathory in 1983 so go search soemwher ehow popular and how good sels Manowar in Sweden in 80ties and earl Bathory was more Venom, Merfifull Fate type band and never Manowar-ish

What exactly are you trying to imply? That just because Manowar is from here in the U.S. and Bathory was from Sweden means that Quorthon never heard Manowar and was inspired by their lyrics and music? That doesn't make any sense.

Written by Guest on 01.03.2008 at 17:30

Written by Bad English on 01.03.2008 at 14:46

Damn sorry Manowar and Bathory are same time band how tahy can influenced each other and USA hear about Bathory after MTV in headbanger Ball show video 'One Road To Asa By' and in UISA thhere was no such viking metal, and Manowar lyrics maybe thay are about vikings and scandianvian themes but thay are varius and Quorton was sweed and he knows more about vikings and Bathory lyrics was more complicated and about Influencies Manowar start in 1980 and bathory in 1983 so go search soemwher ehow popular and how good sels Manowar in Sweden in 80ties and earl Bathory was more Venom, Merfifull Fate type band and never Manowar-ish

What exactly are you trying to imply? That just because Manowar is from here in the U.S. and Bathory was from Sweden means that Quorthon never heard Manowar and was inspired by their lyrics and music? That doesn't make any sense.

i dont sad it but in those times it was harder how nowdays and moust americans know about bathory whan saw One Road To Asa By video in MTV .... thats a fackt!!!

Written by Bad English on 01.03.2008 at 14:46

Damn sorry Manowar and Bathory are same time band how tahy can influenced each other and USA hear about Bathory after MTV in headbanger Ball show video 'One Road To Asa By' and in UISA thhere was no such viking metal, and Manowar lyrics maybe thay are about vikings and scandianvian themes but thay are varius and Quorton was sweed and he knows more about vikings and Bathory lyrics was more complicated and about Influencies Manowar start in 1980 and bathory in 1983 so go search soemwher ehow popular and how good sels Manowar in Sweden in 80ties and earl Bathory was more Venom, Merfifull Fate type band and never Manowar-ish

Bathory was never inspired by Venom and that's a fact, in interviews Qourthon is asked if he was influenced by Venom and he replies that he has never had a Venom CD and has only heard a few songs by Venom ... And anyway how can being bands form the same period of time mean they weren't inflencial to each other, there's even a six year gap inbetween the two albums and by the way, Mike Pornoy ,Dream Theater's drummer, states in an interview with Metal Sorm's staff member Jeff "- As I know you use to listen to a lot of music from a lot of different "universes". A lot of people say that you take your inspiration from bands like Muse, U2 or Evanescence?. Is it a good think for you to be compared to these bands?

I think that in our whole career we used a lot of different influences for our inspiration. I mean that I'm music man and I will always be one. I use to listen to a lot of music, I'm constantly listening to a lot of different and new bands. So all these stuff are in my heads and when I start to write new songs, I think that these bands influences give the direction of Dream Theater's musical melting-pot. But of course, we always try to do our own music and sound like Dream Theater so even if you say that a song like "Prophets Of War" sounds a bit like Muse, its still has sections that Muse will never play." So why would that mean that the 6 years gap between the two albums stop Bathory form using Manowar influence... It sure doesn't seem to stop Dream Theater form being into all sorts of all and new music...
Yet there is a connection - that Bathory's original drummer was a big fan of Manowar, yet Quorthon doesn't admit to taking influence of their lyrics...

Might be possible but I would never have guessed it myself.

Manowar lyrics are simply thay are not like Bathory Bathory are like stories what Quorthon wrote like lil viking sagas or ruins but Manowar are simnple texts combined together taht tahy be like are

Written by Bad English on 01.03.2008 at 20:19

Manowar lyrics are simply thay are not like Bathory Bathory are like stories what Quorthon wrote like lil viking sagas or ruins but Manowar are simnple texts combined together taht tahy be like are

I don't think that would stop Quorthon from making the lyrics more complex ... still they are astonishingly similar

I dont really listen to much Bathory, but from what Ive heard it doesn't really sound like theres much similarity. I somehow doubt there influenced by one another....

I can believe that. Manowar were pretty much the first band to address Viking Themes in their music.

Written by Guest on 02.03.2008 at 03:32

I can believe that. Manowar were pretty much the first band to address Viking Themes in their music.

Led Zeppelin - Immigrant Song (1970)

Quoted from Wiki:
One of the lines from the song became part of Led Zeppelin lore. The line, "The hammer of the gods/will drive our ships to new lands" prompted many to start referring to Led Zeppelin's sound as the "Hammer of the Gods." The phrase was used as the title of Stephen Davis' famous biography of the band, Hammer of the Gods: The Led Zeppelin Saga. The lyrics also did much to inspire the classic Heavy Metal myth, of mighty Viking-esque figures on an adventure, themes which have been adopted in the look and music of bands from Iron Maiden to Manowar.

It sounds plausible to me. I have never heard any Barthory, but looking at the lyrics you quoted they seem pretty similar

Written by Guest on 02.03.2008 at 03:32

I can believe that. Manowar were pretty much the first band to address Viking Themes in their music.

Thay had alot of emic, wiking, battle, and sch the,mes also rock n roll, womna, and booze themes but Bathory was pure viking themes

Written by Bad English on 02.03.2008 at 12:10

Written by Guest on 02.03.2008 at 03:32

I can believe that. Manowar were pretty much the first band to address Viking Themes in their music.

Thay had alot of emic, wiking, battle, and sch the,mes also rock n roll, womna, and booze themes but Bathory was pure viking themes

What exactly are "pure" viking themes? Yes, I know about the stories, sagas, and such. One could argue Manowar had those also. Who cares if they influenced Bathory or not?

Written by Clintagräm on 02.03.2008 at 12:12

Written by Bad English on 02.03.2008 at 12:10

Written by Guest on 02.03.2008 at 03:32

I can believe that. Manowar were pretty much the first band to address Viking Themes in their music.

Thay had alot of emic, wiking, battle, and sch the,mes also rock n roll, womna, and booze themes but Bathory was pure viking themes

What exactly are "pure" viking themes? Yes, I know about the stories, sagas, and such. One could argue Manowar had those also. Who cares if they influenced Bathory or not?

Pure viking are only about vikings not about women and booz elike in some Manowar songs

Written by Bad English on 02.03.2008 at 12:13

Written by Clintagräm on 02.03.2008 at 12:12

Written by Bad English on 02.03.2008 at 12:10

Written by Guest on 02.03.2008 at 03:32

I can believe that. Manowar were pretty much the first band to address Viking Themes in their music.

Thay had alot of emic, wiking, battle, and sch the,mes also rock n roll, womna, and booze themes but Bathory was pure viking themes

What exactly are "pure" viking themes? Yes, I know about the stories, sagas, and such. One could argue Manowar had those also. Who cares if they influenced Bathory or not?

Pure viking are only about vikings not about women and booz elike in some Manowar songs

Well, Bathory didn't sing about only vikings, so I guess they're lyrical themes weren't "pure" viking either.

Written by Introspekrieg on 02.03.2008 at 04:13

Written by Guest on 02.03.2008 at 03:32

I can believe that. Manowar were pretty much the first band to address Viking Themes in their music.

Led Zeppelin - Immigrant Song (1970)

Quoted from Wiki:
One of the lines from the song became part of Led Zeppelin lore. The line, "The hammer of the gods/will drive our ships to new lands" prompted many to start referring to Led Zeppelin's sound as the "Hammer of the Gods." The phrase was used as the title of Stephen Davis' famous biography of the band, Hammer of the Gods: The Led Zeppelin Saga. The lyrics also did much to inspire the classic Heavy Metal myth, of mighty Viking-esque figures on an adventure, themes which have been adopted in the look and music of bands from Iron Maiden to Manowar.

Sorry, I didn't word it too nicely........... I meant that Manowar were the first to use it as a major theme. It's like How Black Sabbath mention Lucifer in one song, but Venom made it a major theme

I think bathory really inspired by bob dylan. for example u can compare vocal of Quorton in One Rode To Asa Bay with bob dylan in hurricane

Written by Introspekrieg on 02.03.2008 at 04:13

Written by Guest on 02.03.2008 at 03:32

I can believe that. Manowar were pretty much the first band to address Viking Themes in their music.

Led Zeppelin - Immigrant Song (1970)

Quoted from Wiki:
One of the lines from the song became part of Led Zeppelin lore. The line, "The hammer of the gods/will drive our ships to new lands" prompted many to start referring to Led Zeppelin's sound as the "Hammer of the Gods." The phrase was used as the title of Stephen Davis' famous biography of the band, Hammer of the Gods: The Led Zeppelin Saga. The lyrics also did much to inspire the classic Heavy Metal myth, of mighty Viking-esque figures on an adventure, themes which have been adopted in the look and music of bands from Iron Maiden to Manowar.

i instantly thought about that song when i saw that comment, but extensive usage of viking mythology and stuff was something which Manowar did first as far as i know.

Written by Guest on 02.03.2008 at 22:48

Sorry, I didn't word it too nicely........... I meant that Manowar were the first to use it as a major theme. It's like How Black Sabbath mention Lucifer in one song, but Venom made it a major theme

Slightly off topic, but some contemporaries of Black Sabbath, like Black Widow and Coven, already had satanic lyrics more than 10 years before the first Venom album.

On the subject of Bathory, Quorthon has said in interviews that during the time they recorded Hammerheart, Bathory's drummer was a Manowar fan, but he himself wasn't influenced by Manowar. Quorthon's credibility may be questioned though, since, for example he has also said that the goat picture used as the cover of the first Bathory LP was a collage from comic books or something like that, while the picture looks very similar to an illustration drawn by Jos A. Smith for Erica Jong's book Witches.

http://www.thelefthandpath.com/lefthandpath/index.cfm/event/read/entry/On_Jos_A_Smith_s_illustrations_for_Witches_A_statement_from_Black_Mark_Records

Just because they wrote about Thor doesn't mean that one influenced the other... It's not like Manocheese were the first pop-culture force to re-introduce Thor to the modern world.

fuck, Marvel Comics started publishing stories about Thor back in 1962. an argument could be made that Stan Lee therefore influenced Manowar.

come to think of it, if you look at those loincloths they are so fond of posing in and compare it to old comics about savages and Conan and the like, it's probably more plausible than Manowar influencing Bathory.

Yeah, I think Thor and Norse mythology in general is far too much a popular subject in metal to be able to link it all back to Manowar.

Bathory is among my favorite bands, but I like only their earlier stuff (until "Blood Fire Death" incl). And this stuff has nothing in common with Manowar musically, it's old-school blackened Thrash Metal or old Black Metal, depending on albums. It doesn't sound at all like Manowar's cheesemetal. Satanic for the most part, I would say. Much harsher, faster and aggressive than anything Manowar have ever done.

http://www.anus.com/metal/about/interviews/quorthon/

Quorton: "I know some people believe the change of style for BATHORY, in terms of the music and lyrics around 1988-1990, happened because we must have got turned on from Manowar. That's another total misconception. I have never owned a Manowar record. And I don't give a fuck if people believe that either. Not that it matters though. "

...

"In 1986-1988, BATHORY had a drummer who was heavily influenced by Manowar. He didn't enjoy any other type of metal, but he was somehow sold on Manowar. It wasn't like we decided to copy what they were doing. However, the typical heavy Manowar beat seemed to perfectly suit my new ideas for lyrics at the time. The way it came about was this; in an effort to get away from the whole "are they true satanists or not"-discussions that went on in the media at the time (sort of drawing the attention away from what was truly important, the music), I felt I wanted to replace the whole demonic & satanic bag with something that was pure from christian and satanic bullshit.

The pre-christian Scandinavian Viking and vendel era seemed perfect for lyrics and arrangements. Had BATHORY been a japanese act, we might as well have picked up the Samurai culture. Had we been an Italian act, it could easily have been the Roman empire era. Now, we happened to be a Swedish act and the Viking and Vendel era seemed exciting in terms of writing music and lyrics. The heavy Manowar beat that this one-time BATHORY drummer came up with one day in the rehearsal place, is a Manowar contribution. But I wonder if that's enough to be called a source of inspiration or influence.

My personal reason for forming BATHORY was I wanted to create a mix of the atmosphere of early Black Sabbath, the energy of early Mot�rhead and the pace of early GBH. We were just three shit kids coming out of school at the time, with absolutely no knowledge at all about any other acts."

that's all folks...

Written by Nimlot on 01.03.2008 at 18:43

Written by Bad English on 01.03.2008 at 14:46

Damn sorry Manowar and Bathory are same time band how tahy can influenced each other and USA hear about Bathory after MTV in headbanger Ball show video 'One Road To Asa By' and in UISA thhere was no such viking metal, and Manowar lyrics maybe thay are about vikings and scandianvian themes but thay are varius and Quorton was sweed and he knows more about vikings and Bathory lyrics was more complicated and about Influencies Manowar start in 1980 and bathory in 1983 so go search soemwher ehow popular and how good sels Manowar in Sweden in 80ties and earl Bathory was more Venom, Merfifull Fate type band and never Manowar-ish

Bathory was never inspired by Venom and that's a fact, in interviews Qourthon is asked if he was influenced by Venom and he replies that he has never had a Venom CD and has only heard a few songs by Venom ... And anyway how can being bands form the same period of time mean they weren't inflencial to each other

1) I'm a huge Bathory fan, but everyone knows Quorthon was full of shit
2) Listen to Venom's Don't Burn the Witch and Born For Burning and tell me there are no similarites
3) Bands from similar time periods influence each other all the time. It's not like bands just started playing thrash out of the blue in the 80s.
4) The Manowar influence is obvious in more than just the lyrics and drumming.
5) There's nothing wrong with Manowar or being influenced by them. Except for some crappy bass solos, their first 4 albums are legit and respected by anyone with taste.

Written by brc2000 on 01.05.2011 at 00:14

Written by Nimlot on 01.03.2008 at 18:43

Written by Bad English on 01.03.2008 at 14:46

Damn sorry Manowar and Bathory are same time band how tahy can influenced each other and USA hear about Bathory after MTV in headbanger Ball show video 'One Road To Asa By' and in UISA thhere was no such viking metal, and Manowar lyrics maybe thay are about vikings and scandianvian themes but thay are varius and Quorton was sweed and he knows more about vikings and Bathory lyrics was more complicated and about Influencies Manowar start in 1980 and bathory in 1983 so go search soemwher ehow popular and how good sels Manowar in Sweden in 80ties and earl Bathory was more Venom, Merfifull Fate type band and never Manowar-ish

Bathory was never inspired by Venom and that's a fact, in interviews Qourthon is asked if he was influenced by Venom and he replies that he has never had a Venom CD and has only heard a few songs by Venom ... And anyway how can being bands form the same period of time mean they weren't inflencial to each other

1) I'm a huge Bathory fan, but everyone knows Quorthon was full of shit
2) Listen to Venom's Don't Burn the Witch and Born For Burning and tell me there are no similarites
3) Bands from similar time periods influence each other all the time. It's not like bands just started playing thrash out of the blue in the 80s.
4) The Manowar influence is obvious in more than just the lyrics and drumming.
5) There's nothing wrong with Manowar or being influenced by them. Except for some crappy bass solos, their first 4 albums are legit and respected by anyone with taste.

It is extremely clear Bathory was influenced by Venom. I don't believe a word of what Quorthon said at the time. Hell, almost anyoone listening to metal at the time had at least heard Venom once in his or her life.
Bathory's first two ever recorded tracks (on Swedish Metal Attack) are extremely Venom sound alike.

Agrees with Marcel, it's quite obvious.

I recall reading in an interview that Quarthon denied any Manowar influence.