Bathory - The Return Of The Darkness And Evil

A great follow-up to their storming debut-heavier, faster and nastier.

I wouldn't call it great. Although the production is way better than the debut and even than "Under the Sign...", the vocals are kinda of "low", every song uses the same guitar riff played in the same speedy and all the songs lyrics looks like leftovers of the debut. While the debut album was more diversified and "Under the Sign..." more mature, this one was just used to fill empty spaces for a desired follow-up.

In other words, even Quorthon strongly disliked this album.

Since I was listening 1th album some month ago, i did not share it and comment(I did it back then), but to be honest this is nothing special, boring , Venom, Celtic Frost rip off, if bands would play like this , I mean more and more bands ehhh, this is Bathory but to me real Bathory begins whit epic albums

Bathory's only good black metal album is his debut.

Amazing album. So dark and perfect

Written by [user id=101272] on 03.01.2014 at 21:10

Bathory's only good black metal album is his debut.

its 1rh wave of BM, not real bm, AND rest after second is not even 1th wave of BM

Written by Bad English on 26.07.2015 at 17:39

Written by [user id=101272] on 03.01.2014 at 21:10

Bathory's only good black metal album is his debut.

its 1rh wave of BM, not real bm, AND rest after second is not even 1th wave of BM

1st wave black metal is black metal dude

Written by [user id=329624] on 26.12.2023 at 02:37

Written by suryanshkalia on 26.12.2023 at 02:07

Written by Bad English on 26.07.2015 at 17:39

Written by [user id=101272] on 03.01.2014 at 21:10

Bathory's only good black metal album is his debut.

its 1rh wave of BM, not real bm, AND rest after second is not even 1th wave of BM

1st wave black metal is black metal dude

No, it isn't. It certainly CAN be, tho. 1st wave was more of an movement rather than actual genre (same with trends like Visual Kei, you don't call something a coherent musical genre, if the defining traits of the movement are that you dress differently or sing about certain topics). It was too loosely defined with no real unified sound (Venom was more of a speed metal band, Bathory was an actual black metal band, while Mercyful Fate was heavy metal band with over the top falsetto vocals and corpse paint). It's more about satanic lyrical themes and imagery, rather than the music itself. Bands like Hellhammer and Bathory certainly fit into the overall sound that we associate the black metal with, but Mercyful Fate, on the other hand, doesn't. And I'm not saying that Mercyful Fate didn't have huge impact on the black metal scene and the overall direction it took, obviously it had, but it's like saying that Slayer was a death metal because it influenced many death metal bands that came after.

I dont consider mercyful fate, satanic themes black metal nor do i consider slayer death metal. I am just saying that bathory, hellhammer have the sound of black metal and its black metal before norwegians redefined black metal. This album is thrash but still its black metal to me just like human waste suffocation has thrash to it but its still pure death metal

1th wave is more heavy, speed, blacked even punk sound, whit specific lyrics. When users will learn that genre is how does guitars sounds, not as bands think they play. Venom is insulted because they think they are only tr00 and kvt bm band they are not. Kim Benedict Pedersen looks like bm nutter from Norway, but he us hm singer.

Written by Bad English on 26.12.2023 at 07:35

1th wave is more heavy, speed, blacked even punk sound, whit specific lyrics. When users will learn that genre is how does guitars sounds, not as bands think they play. Venom is insulted because they think they are only tr00 and kvt bm band they are not. Kim Benedict Pedersen looks like bm nutter from Norway, but he us hm singer.

I dont know what u r saying but i believe genres are what guitars sound like

Written by suryanshkalia on 26.12.2023 at 14:19

Written by Bad English on 26.12.2023 at 07:35

1th wave is more heavy, speed, blacked even punk sound, whit specific lyrics. When users will learn that genre is how does guitars sounds, not as bands think they play. Venom is insulted because they think they are only tr00 and kvt bm band they are not. Kim Benedict Pedersen looks like bm nutter from Norway, but he us hm singer.

I dont know what u r saying but i believe genres are what guitars sound like

That's what I said

I’ve been listening to this album and the first one more and more. Both have really grown on me as the years roll on. Great stuff.

Feels weaker than debut and maybe slightly repetitive, but it has some evil shit and I like it

I respect the staff pick but this can’t hold a black candle to the debut or “Under The Sign…”

Written by A Real Mönkey on 01.06.2025 at 19:52

I respect the staff pick but this can’t hold a black candle to the debut or “Under The Sign…”

I'm pretty sure staff picks aren't always about quality. I gave a thumbs-up to this one, even though I think it's not a good album at all. I did it to appreciate early Bathory's influence on black metal.

Written by A Real Mönkey on 01.06.2025 at 19:52

I respect the staff pick but this can’t hold a black candle to the debut or “Under The Sign…”

I love the debut, but always found it to be a more evil-sounding Venom album, with better songwriting than Venom. The Return, on the other hand, invented a new genre. Under The Sign is, to me, a perfect album of this new genre.

Written by Daniell on 02.06.2025 at 14:21

I'm pretty sure staff picks aren't always about quality. I gave a thumbs-up to this one, even though I think it's not a good album at all. I did it to appreciate early Bathory's influence on black metal.

I made this pick for reasons of anniversary, influence, and quality. All three of them, in that order.

My personal Top 3 songs from the album:

The Return Of The Darkness And Evil
Possessed
Total Destruction