Downfall of the Gods (Requiem - Bathory)

Member Name: Frankingsteins

Product:	Requiem - Bathory
Date:	17/02/08 (17 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Will satisfy fans of the dark side of eighties European thrash.

Disadvantages: An unsatisfying backwards step.

'Requiem' was the most surprising album Bathory ever released, entirely abandoning the Viking style that had worked so well on the previous two albums and seeing Quorthon reinvent his sound once again, this time in imitation of 1980s European thrash from the likes of Kreator and Celtic Frost, rather than the less evil style practiced by more high-profile American acts. The return of snarled vocals and anti-Christian lyrics were perhaps an attempt to win back some of the early fans that Bathory had lost with the move towards a folkier sound at the end of the eighties, but for being so entirely unoriginal and frankly messy it doesn't really do the trick.

Some of the old Quorthon touches are still present here, and keep this from being completely mediocre. His guitar riffs are as enjoyable as ever, supplemented by great solos, and the ominous, chiming bell of the early black metal releases makes way for an equally effective air siren dominating 'War Machine' and a subtle chanting section in the centre of 'Pax Vobiscum' that provide an incredible atmosphere. Unfortunately, this is where the inventiveness ends, and the listener is left with nine songs of primitive, dirty thrash metal ranging from pretty good to pretty dull. Vvornth's drums are the key player in this monotony, placed far too prominently in the mix and never doing anything interesting outside of the repetitive and often irritating bashing, and while the prominence of Kothaar's bass makes for a nice sludgy sound, it does tend to overshadow Quorthon himself.

It's alleged that the previous 'Twilight of the Gods' was intended as Bathory's final album, and although that would have made for a fitting legacy, it's at least fortunate that he continued to release albums through the nineties so that this retro thrash period would be comparatively buried and not left as the final statement on Quorthon's ever-evolving musical approach, one that took its only faltering step in the middle of this decade. It's just a shame that the follow-up was ever worse.

1. Requiem
2. Crosstitution
3. Necroticus
4. War Machine
5. Blood and Soil
6. Pax Vobiscum
7. Suffocate
8. Distinguish to Kill
9. Apocalypse

Summary: Bathory's sixth album (1994).