'Twilight of the Gods' is the sixth album of Bathory and continues the exploration of the newly created Viking metal style and also shows a strong classical influence; it is titled after an opera by Wagner, and the melody of 'Hammerheart' is taken from Gustav Holst's "The Planets" (more precisely, from the fourth movement, Jupiter).
Bathory was formed in Stockholm in 1983. Founder Quorthon, a seventeen-year-old guitarist, was joined by bassist Hanoi and drummer Vans. After various name changes (first Nosferatu, then Natas, Mephisto, Elizabeth Bathory and Countess Bathory) they finally settled on Bathory. Their first record deal came in the same year, when Quorthon managed to get the approval of Tyfon Grammofon's boss to record two tracks for the compilation Scandinavian Metal Attack.
The tracks he recorded gained unexpected attention from fans.Soon after, Tyfon Grammofon contacted Quorthon and asked him to record a full album. Although Venom's 1982 black metal album was the first track to coin the term, it was Bathory's early albums that defined the genre with their satanic lyrics, low-fi production and inhuman vocal style. Many fans suggest that Venom had an influence on Bathory; however, Quorthon said in a 1985 interview with Kick Ass Magazine that he had not heard of Venom until after the release of the first Bathory album. He also expressed his dislike for many influential and popular heavy metal bands of the time, such as Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. He also stated that the band's early work was mostly influenced by Black Sabbath, Motorhead and punk rock.
Bathory's self-titled debut album and subsequent releases 'The Return' and 'Under the Sign of the Black Mark' are now considered important influences on the Norwegian bands that drove the musical development and popularity of black metal in the early 1990s.
CD version
Tracklisting:
1. Prologue - Twilight of the Gods - Epilogue
2. Through Blood by Thunder
3. Blood and Iron
4. Under the Runes
5. To Enter Your Mountain
6. Bond of Blood
