Blood Fire Death vinyl

Heralded by many as the dawning of what we now know as, "viking metal"; the fourth full-length from Swedish extreme metal mainstays, Bathory, strayed far enough beyond the boundaries of their traditional blackened sonic landscape, to capture attentive ears. 'Blood Fire Death', would mark what frontman and mastermind Quorthon described as the beginnings of their "pre-Christian Swedish Viking Era", drawing heavily on Norse influences. From the iconic artwork, originally titled, 'The Wild Hunt Of Odin', to the blistering opening track which brings the imagery to life; 'Oden's Ride Over Nordland', to lyrical inspiration coming from authors such as Erica John and Robert W. Chambers; 1988 truly was the year where Bathory re-charted their trajectory, opting to stray further afield and build upon the birth of an accidental new sub-genre while black metal would completely mutate over the ensuing decade.