IN MEMORY OF : QUORTHON (02/17/1966 - 06/06/2004)

Among other articles, reviews, or news, you can find to our blog every month a tribute to an extinct artist, who left his mark indelible to our music with his work, over the years. This month we pay homage to a legend of extreme music, who created music which was influential for innumerable bands in metal music, from black to epic metal bands. We pay homage to a man who was creating music straight from his heart. We pay homage to a man who listened to his heart, before his every step, without compromising. This legend’s real name was Tomas Forsberg, but he will stay immortal in metal’s music history as QUORTHON.

Quorthon created his band Nosferatu, at 1983, which later renamed to BATHORY. Bathory released their same name debut at 1984, which was an irregular mixing of Motorhead, The Exploited and GBH influences, with totally insane solo parts and vocals from the other side. The first critics were disappointing, but a core of fans, who were thirsty for extreme and uncompromising music, created in due. In 1985 “The Return” released and the music turns to a more thrashy direction. What released on that album, was that created a whole scene some years later. That scene was the famous Norwegian Black Metal scene. The lack of promotion of Bathory’s albums, the lack of photos in albums’ inlays, the lack of interviews and the denial for live shows, was spreading a veil of mystery around Bathory, which helped their myth to become huge enough, among the metal fans. That fact leaded fans to confess their dedication to group with very weird ways. For example, Quorthon received once, a letter from two Japanese girls, fans of the band, which was written to a four meter long rice paper. In 1986’s “Under the Sign of the Black Mark”, Bathory let some epic elements to make their apparition into some songs, fact that leaded to the next album’s songs, the epic elements to be dominant. 1988’s “Blood Fire Death” was a masterpiece, with lower speed tempo, majestic melodies, brutal and hymn vocals and lyrics taken straight from the Scandinavian mythology and tradition. “Blood Fire Death” was the beginning of a trilogy, which continued to 1990’s “Hammerheart” and 1991’s “Twilight of the Gods” albums. These two albums are full of Viking related music, effects and lyrics and they are probably the most original epic albums in the history of heavy metal. After all these albums, Quorthon showed signs of tiredness and a transition era started for the band. Two compilation with unreleased songs and also two albums free from the epic elements released. Those albums brought back the thrash character of the band, and they were 1994’s “Requiem” and 1995’s “Octagon”. After these, “Blood on Ice” released in 1997, which was an album with leftovers from 1990-91 sessions. Two more compilation albums followed and after 5 years at 2001 “Destroyer of Worlds” released. The last two albums that Bathory released were 2002’s “Nordland I” and 2003’s “Nordland II”, which were a return to the epic sound, after fans’ demand.

Unfortunately, Quorthon didn’t have the chance to create more albums, since his heart betrayed him and all his fans. Tomas Forsberg passed away at 06/06/2004 due to heart failure. He was found dead in Monday 7^th of July, in his small apartment at Stockholm. It was not later than that moment, that it was made known that the last years he encountered some heart problems. He was only 39 years old. The figure that Quorthon dedicated most of his songs, took him to the other side. His life’s ending had the same ending with the most Scandinavian myths, a sad one. Even to his last moment he stayed consistent to the principles, that he chanted to his songs. The world and our music are poorer with his absence. Only Valhalla earned from this departure.

Influencial for: Black metal bands (Darkthrone, Mayhem, Burzum, Emperor and more), Death metal bands (Amon Amarth, and more) Epic metal bands (Doomsword, Grand Magus and more)