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Nothing quite compares to placing a record on one's record player, placing the needle on the vinyl, & absorbing that particular sound that only a record can emminate - soft crackles & all. Just light some candles in a darkened room, burn some incense, & experience the evocation; so much the better if you happen to possess a novelty grammophone connected to perfectly placed speakers.
The first time I ever saw this recording, I was in a Moby Disc Records Store, where I would always peruse the imports section. I was immediately drawn to the striking cover, which bears the demonic image of the Baphomet Goat - a veritable bust which would look quite handsome as a statuette in one's parlor. I eventually sent away for a poster & a T-shirt bearing this image. I also eventually met with Quorthon at a local Metal store, where I got the poster & the LP signed, with a firm handshake to boot.
On the original record, the Black Goat had red burning eyes. On the back cover, the song titles were printed in blood red Olde English lettering, imposed upon a large blazing white pentagram on black background. Again, quite striking. It no doubt found itself on many a xian pyre, in the hopes of ridding the land of the evil it wrought. Indeed, I have seen this very record on the "death row" of records destined to be burned, as I went undercover amongst the xian death cult's "occult seminars" {a couple of instances in order to view My own artwork which had been first confiscated by school staff, xeroxed, then eventually returned to Me}.
This is pure Black Metal, with 9 songs, including the Intro.
Storm of Damnation
Hades
Reaper
Necromansy
Sacrifice
In Conspiracy With Satan
Armageddon
Raise The Dead
War
On the CD, the Black Goat is still thereon, sans the red glowing eyes, & the back cover sans the pentagram & the Olde English font. Still, the musick is brutal, heavy, & dare I say it? Possessed vocals spewn from the depths of Hell.
"Storm of Damnation" sets the eerie mood with sounds seemingly drifting up from The Abyss. Very doom oriented. Useful for Destruction rituals & Hex Spells.
The so-called "re-mastered" version here, is really just a recording from vinyl straight to CD, as I was delighted to hear very subtle traces of those unmistakable needle noises from time to time, which really adds an arcane element to the recording. So now, you can listen to Bathory on your CD player, whether it be in your automobile, on a discman, at your friends' homes, or in your own Lair.
Bathory, along with Venom, Celtic Frost, Possessed, & Mercyful Fate, formed the bedrock for the current Black - Death Metal underground, which continues to thrive in the darkened shadows; the occult recesses of the nightmarish musickal black.
As I have stated before, some Musick is timeless - & I will add some of the Primevil Black Metal along with it.
Despite what happened to Bathory after 'Bathory', 'The Return', & 'Under The Sign of The Black Mark', {the Infernal Trinity, & the best Bathory ever created}, these three opuses are as a triune barb of Hell thrust into a bleeding Heaven, & remains a classic in Luciferian blasphemous rage.
THE RETURN... . Sex, Satan, Metal, Sin, Death!
The harvest moon glows eerily in the darkened sky, Lucifer's gaze through the misty night upon the black earth, emminates a haunting and comforting rapport amidst the cold autumnal nocturne. Dancing shadows upon the walls depicting images of bale fire ceremonies, growing into grotesque apparitions foretelling impending doom...
REVELATION OF DOOM veritably sounds like a microphone lowered down into the depths of The Abyss, and besides makes for an appropriate infernal meditation, to place one "in the mood", as it were, establishing that nefarious atmosphere which betokens the presence of diabolical projection. TOTAL DESTRUCTION is an apocalyptic tale of omni-annihilation to bring forth a renewal of stronger and more evolved elements. THE WIND OF MAYHEM comes forth from The West, filling one with Strength and Passion - it whispers your name... BESTIAL LUST lets loose the Satanimal Beast in a Satantric frenzy. POSSESSED invokes the demon within to surface; THE RITE OF DARKNESS invites you to participate, holding a black candle at a point in The Pentagram, and thus usher forth the denizens of the void to reclaim the earth and its inhabitants. REAP OF EVIL contains marvellous poetry of the classic darkened fane; SON OF THE DAMNED, infernal progeny, thus prepares to ascend the earthly throne. SADIST manifests the cruel master ready to grant pain and pleasure...; THE RETURN OF DARKNESS AND EVIL concludes where Revelation of Doom began, with a veritable doomsday prophet enunciating the terrible fate of the human race.
This album radiates the impression of those arcane phrases haunting in the air, the echoing vocals, the eerie quality brings pleasure to My ears - at once mesmerizing, and inspiring towards feral expressions from the darkest recesses of the imagination. This album is one of the original "Satanic epic" creations, along with Venom's "At War With Satan" opus, which set the anti-xian mythology to optimum psychodramatic proportions. Each and every song is a masterpiece of Black Metal composition, like opening up an olde musty book from some dusty cobwebbed shelf, only to unleash the horrors within. Wave after wave of sonic bliss. In My opinion, it is only a small bit 'better' than the first, only in that the sound quality is improved, for the first was recorded using a small Yamaha amp due to monetary limitations, so The Return really delivers Quorthon's potential in veritos. 'It is said that The Return was recorded in a church to capture that certain reverberating embience. The Return...' is itself a portal to the Underworld - the Abyss of the Psyche - so as the CD case is opened, so are The Gates of Hell...
Track List:
"The REVELATION OF DOOM comes forth from Hell, foretelling of TOTAL DESTRUCTION upon those who were BORN FOR BURNING as THE WIND OF MAYHEM blows to revitalize the Legions of Darkness and infuse with BESTIAL LUST, that they may be POSSESSED and serve as The Gates of The Abyss to unleash The Ancient Ones through THE RITE OF DARKNESS, that we may REAP OF EVIL, the carnal delights and spoils of War, as we are the embodiment of the SON OF THE DAMNED and the SADIST, as we welcome THE RETURN OF DARKNESS AND EVIL upon the world forever more..."
Under The Sign of The Black Mark
Quorthon the ever-possessed returns again, a gateway to Hell himself, that the sounds therein may haunt into the mortal realm, possessing other to summon forth the rage and fury from within the black heart, as the clenched fist yields into the Sign of The Horns.
As with previous opi, this infernal offering also begins with what may be construed as the sounds of The Abyss, as if a microphone was lowered thereof; could also be construed as the residual sounds of battles past - this one is entitled "Nocturnal Obeisance" - perhaps the sounds of the enchanted etherial night as it floats by; tuning in to Thge Underworld. Actually, it sort of sounds like the sublimated underpinnings of My own Haunted Noctuary Chamber...
Suddenly and without warning, a demon burst of sonic wrath explodes in the air, like a mushroom clouds bearing the face of Satan, pulled in by bestial claws unto the center of musickal mayhem.
Massacre thunders as quick as lightning, the fury of war, the adrenaline, the blood-spray through the air, the euphoria of the kill, the battle cries, the crash of flesh and steel, plumes of flame and smoke...destroy by any means necessary.
Woman of Dark Desires is about our own dear Countess Bathory taking her rejuvenating bloodbaths, the "scarlet makeover", as it were; echoing guitars, as if resounding across The Highlands at sunset, and pounding double-bass drums quakes the earth, with snares replicating the rhythm of a heart beat. The Countess was subsequently walled up alive for her effectual methods for the preservation of her beauty, in her own home in the darkness without so much as a looking glass - all that beauty put to waste like a nun until she finally excarnated, but not before uttering one last curse upon her jailors and anyone who would dare deem to judge her.
Sweet Countess, beautiful Countess filled with Lust, partaker in sublime perversity, clothed in the deathshade, they have gone forth enshrouded by the night, glowing hazel-brown eyes in the red-waxed candlelight, with fangs and extended claws to draw the life force from their hapless husks. The immortal countess returns...
Call From The Grave screaming up to the heavens from within the coffin; a doomed soul paralyzed and lowered into the earth, buried alive, minds tormented with horror, begging for death unto "God", yet the torture persists.
It was the manner of the time to attach a cord to the feet of the dead, which were themselves attached to small belfries because of an epidemic of misdiagnosed deaths. Hence, many were buried alive. The idea was to speedliy disinter the ex-mortis corpus, yet these were also sometimes left to die in order to harvest fresh organs and bodies for medical experimentations, as corpses were in high demand at the time.
Suffocation and fear will eventually take its toll; then come the worms...
This song contains a melancholy tone demonstrating a terrible futility, and either the mercilessness of "God", or the complete non-existence thereof.
Equimanthorn is another battle hymn, seemingly a continuation of Massacre. But as a matter of fact, this is also another name for Crowley's Goetic Circle of Black Evocation. Another high-energy cantible which stirs the black flame to intensify even higher.
I bid you Enter The Eternal Fire, which shall either purify or destroy. The hellflames penetrating to the center of being. This song relates an infernal journey to Hell in the vein of Dante's Inferno...and here, a man's fate "for years of pleasures, victory, and gold." {a rather xian depiction of vicariously punishing The Strong; the song lends an impression of temporary excarnate travel experiencing. At a ponderous pace, this piece is a condensed mini-epic accessing the darkside if xian mythology.
Chariots of Fire is another maniacally-velocified piece which could very well be part three of the triune battle hymns contained in this opus. "A thousand Chariots of Fire...", perhaps likened the cavalry, shaking and quaking down from the blackened hills to dispatch what is left of the enemy, and ensure Victory.
Thirteen Candles lit for the Child of The Underworld; could very well be an ode to Infernal Progeny. The Son of Satan is born, rejoice and make merry! Moderately paced.
...Of Doom is not a continuation of the previous song as some may mistake, but is in fact a brutally-paced series of sonic strikes to the eardrums with screaming guitars and uvula-splitting vocals; dedicated to Bathory fantoms who hold high The Banner of The Black Mark.
And once again the mysterious evil monk-like chanting of dark spechtres fades in and out...And thus the blood-rusted gate creeks shut once more until the next barrage of devilish tales of blasphemy, lust, and destruction.
