March 2020 Feature Release - The North Edition

It's now March which of course means that we'll be nominating a brand new monthly feature release for each clan. This essentially means that we're asking you to rate, review & discuss our chosen features for no other reason than because we enjoy the process & banter. Ben & I will certainly be contributing & we look forward to hearing your thoughts too.      

This month's feature release for The North is 1990's classic fifth album from the Swedish kings of Viking metal Bathory entitled "Hammerheart". It was arguably the very first release for the Viking metal subgenre & to be honest I still find it to be the best so I can't wait to hear all of your thoughts on it.

Hammerheart has had a slow burn for me over the last year and a half or so. When I initially checked out Bathory's discography I was looking forward to Hammerheart the most, since I knew it was the true start of the Viking Metal genre, but at the time Blood Fire Death captivated me so much more with its balanced split of slower, more extended tracks and classic early Black Metal thrash. As I come back to it more and more, though, Hammerheart is really starting to win me over. Each riff is absolutely stellar, having an unmistakable raw heft that only early Bathory production can provide. Since Hammerheart is slower and more restrained in terms of songwriting it really plays to the strengths of its pushed back and crunchy production style. Although Quorthon is known for his signature and furious Black Metal barking, he somehow manages to find a strained but clear clean voice that is still filled with emotion and fits the style of the album superbly. I think it still takes some getting used to if you're not familiar with Bathory, but I'm just always surprised that it sounds so natural and good although it sounds like his throat is about to give out during certain parts of "One Rode To Asa Bay". The choirs that are so heavily used really give a nice contrast to Quorthon's ragged voice as well, giving Hammerheart its epic sound and quality. 

I think I've finally reached the point of truly appreciating this release, since I was still skeptical of all the hype even after many listens. Something didn't click, and this time around the wheels have really begun to turn. I still think "Home Of Once Brave" holds the album back a little, but with "Baptised In Fire And Ice", "Father To Son," and "One Rode To Asa Bay" I'll forgive it.