Bathory

Bathory was an extreme metal band from Vällingby, Sweden founded on 16th March 1983. Named after the infamous serial killer Countess Báthory, the band was fronted by Quorthon with a rotating lineup of session players in the 1980s.

Bathory is widely recognized as a pioneer of black metal, particularly for their first four albums. In the late 1980s, they also delved into viking metal. All original songs were written by Quorthon, and some later albums were recorded solely by him. Known for using Satanic imagery in their music purely for entertainment purposes, Bathory's lyrics often criticized Christianity and other religions as mere illusions.

The influence of Bathory can be seen in many prominent bands within the black metal and viking metal genres. Unfortunately, the band came to an end with the unexpected death of Quorthon on 6th June 2004.