Nordland II

Do you remember the first metal album that was entirely dedicated to the glory of the vikings? Quorthon invented viking metal with the release of Hammerheart, a cult and respected work in the scene whose first glimpses were seen in 1988 when he was already shaping the genre with the incredible epics Blood Fire Death and A Fine Day to Die. From that time until this point, we would see the Nordland saga that would supposedly be published in 4 volumes, which according to Quorthon, the remaining two would be published after a long hiatus. However in another interview he hinted that Nordland II would be the temporary end of their/his viking sound. Still, Nordland II is the continuation of Bathory's revival, a work that speaks about the land's beauty where the vikings came from, addressing concepts related to mythology rather than topics such as the forced conversion of their people to Christianity.

So what's so special about this album? It's curious to talk about the new details of an album that could be considered a sequel or twin of the previous one. Some claim that the album is inspired by classical music, and while true, I must add that what predominates here is extreme folk metal with approaches that range between thrash and doom metal. I know the tag "folk metal" may be repellent to those who find this genre uninteresting, but don't be fooled, there's some very interesting material that is far above your average modern folk metal. Those tribal backing choruses and multi-layered guitars are still present and act as the main engines that make the songs captivate you with their great atmosphere. By the way, there are no catchy marching-on songs like the title track Nordland, nor acoustic tracks like Ring of Gold. Quorthon's clean vocals fit very well with the production and lyrical themes, and if you thought the melodic riffs were better worked out, the vocals also show that very melodic effort, especially on tracks where they slow down a bit, such as Blooded Shore, The Land, and The Wheel Of Sun.

Analyzing songs individually can be a bit redundant. They fulfill most of what one might expect from a viking metal album: sound of sea waves, birds, stormy thunder and gloomy winds. There are no acoustic tracks like Ring of Gold, but there are brief acoustic passages that serve as interludes in songs like The Messenger, and Death And Resurrection Of A Northern Son. But the most distinctive aspect here respecting the previous disc is that melodic riffs are more varied and better worked. If you add melodic riffs with old school 1990-1991 solos, is when it feels like the album has more highlights than the previous one; clear examples being tracks like Sea-Wolf and The Land with their melodic, penetrating leads that stick in your head throughout the whole song. However, the last 4 songs flow better since Death And Resurrection Of A Northern Son crushes you with thrash riffs and folk melodies while Quorthon offers a performance in the vein of Twilight of the Gods. The Messenger shines with melodic tribal vocals that amplify the potency of melodic riffs; and while it's barely similar to Nordland (title track) in the galloping issue, it's melodically more outstanding and with a more captivating ending.

The absolute best is saved for last, obviously sticking to what the album has been offering. The closer is another unique extreme folk/doom song as you would expect from this multifaceted band. Hammerheart's closer is Bathory's greatest achievement and is difficult to match, but The Wheel of Sun reclaims the throne as the best closer after 1990. Featuring distant laid-back drums, this song seems like a hybrid between One Rode to Asa Bay and The Woodwoman. The melodic riffs are less present, putting the doom atmosphere in focus, but finally, a solo breaks through and then extends into an astral ride. A great ending to one of the most enviable careers in the genre.

My rating may be misleading as it may be considered perfect, but this is the kind of album that is not necessarily addictive. For me, at least, there are bands I always listen to and never leave them aside. On the opposite side there are bands that, no matter how classic and famous they are, I’ll never care about them. Then, there's a third category that I think is for particular, very specific moments, which includes the Nordland saga (both function as a common entity, without colliding with each other). For me at least, this type of music can accompany me for an introspective moment, because otherwise, frankly, it can become a monotonous experience. This music with its atmospheric things, the litanies, the sounds of animals and nature, comes in handy, but in doses of specific listening.

This album defines well what epic means, and would still fall short. Magnificent and gloomy, a timeless engraving dedicated to the unsung viking warriors and to Quorthon himself. This is, not his Magnum Opus, but his swansong, the album for which Quorthon must be remembered as a matured musician.

Quorthon's last opus contains elements accumulated from all those years of experience and all those masterful works, although evidently less from the first 3 and more from the latter works (besides Octagon/Requiem). It is easily labeled as Viking metal (if you use that label) together with his previous works that pioneered Viking themed metal. The music itself is mostly midpaced heavy metal with a large tendency to repeat 'massive' feeling riffs and establish and epic atmosphere. There are touches of doom, thrash, and Bathory's style of proto black metal.

Like the previous Nordland, it begins with a very competently made intro that sets the mood, immediately transitioning to the grand intro of Blooded Shore, which goes from a simple power chord progression with a choir into an epic midpaced folky melody, before the signature Quorthon singing/shouting begins. The song remains on a constant upwards flowing melody, and could act as an post-intro intro to the rest. It feels like a grandiose announcement or opening, and flows into the next song with some ambiance and sea-sounds. The next track continues in the same midpaced fashion, but with a less grandiose feel. These songs don't exactly have a lot of variation within them (as does most of the album) but they are extremely good at establishing precisely the right atmosphere that I think Quorthon was going for, and all work together for the same goal.

Vinlandcontinues in the fashion of Blooded Shore in being more 'epic', but it only acts as a preparation for the first highlight of the album - The Land, which is easily one of the best Bathory tracks, from lyrics to the catchy intro melody and the massive riff afterwards. Speaking of massive - the guitar tone on this album, similarly to the previous Nordland, is fucking great. Extremely fitting for the atmosphere and adds to the impact of the simple but extremely well crafted riffs. The next track is significantly faster than anything before, and is placed in a very good spot for it, right after the conclusion of the first half with the strongest track so far. It draws inspiration from Quorthon's thrash/black releases, and is very good at that, before going into a slow acoustic part.

The following two tracks continue with the thrashier more aggressive feel, before the colossal track that is The Wheel of Sun. Although unplanned, this track is the perfect conclusion to Bathory's Viking era albums. Quorthon is a master of making extremely simple riffs feel significant and impactful, and making tracks over 10 minutes that have zero progressive noodling and other similar horseshit simply flow smoothly.

Despite fusing so much, this album never feels inconsistent or messy, everything makes sense. Every track belongs here and contributes to the feel of the album. Most songs lean on a couple very powerful high impact riffs as well as choirs that create the glorious mood Quorthon's works are known for. Bathory continues to be by far the best Viking themed metal band, avoiding all the goofy bullshit that is associated with the genre.

It always makes me wonder what could have been.

It's already been over 15 years since the release of Bathory's final album, and the saddest thing to me is that Quorthon's Nordland saga seems to have been buried by his older masterpieces. To be quite honest, it does not really surprise me because albums such has "Under the Sign of the Black Mark", "Blood Fire Death" or "Hammerheart" are his most known releases. I can't deny how good all these albums are because Bathory being my all time favorite band, disliking his 80s and early 90s work is nonsense to me. However, after coming back from his music experimentation with his solo moniker simply named "Quorthon", he made a comeback album with the 2001 "Destroyer of Worlds". That album is far from being my favorite one, but still marked a partial return to the viking stuff while still having some songs that sounded like what we could hear in "Octagon" or "Requiem". The main idea on that album was to try to please both viking metal fans and the "black/thrash/death" metal fans. The following year, "Nordland I" was released and marked a total return to viking metal, a first since Blood on Ice, which was released in 1996, despite being recorded in 1989, but polished in 1995. Both Nordland I and II were recorded at the same period of time, but released one year after the other, thus Nordland II being released in 2003.

The "Nordland" saga in general features a more mature songwriting and overall sound. Being well experimented in the genre he created himself at the end of the 80s, Quorthon knew very well was he was doing when composing the tracks for these albums. Aside from the better produced sound compared to the older viking albums, a big difference is the use of folk instruments in the music. Quorthon messed with them in the studio and thought it sounded cool, and goddamn right he was! The addition of new instruments brought something unique to the sound in Nordland, and it's basically a perfect fit in the music played in Bathory. The vocals of Quorthon are also a bit different from the older viking albums of course. They are just more mature as well, but he still manage to put out emotions in his voice as much as before, and it's definitely not a thing to complain about. Just looking at the cover art (made by Necrolord) shows how awesome this album is, I struggled so many years to get my hands on this album shirt that it's not even funny.

Well, one cannot say that Bathory left us with poor material. The "Nordland II" album has 10 tracks, but nine officials and we have an hour and few minutes of listening pleasure for the last part of the saga. "Nordland I" last instrumental track "Heimfard" made a good ending for the beginning of the part reviewed here. This album starts with "Fanfare", another epic instrumental that serve as an introduction. When I was younger, I always skipped those tracks, but now I always listen to them as they put you in the mood. If you listened to the first part of the saga, you will notice a slight difference in the sound as both albums were not mixed at the same time. Personally, I have a sound preference for "Nordland II", but it doesn't make the first part less good. As soon as the first "real" song kick-off, you will easily recognize Bathory's viking sound, but refreshed. "Blooded Shore" is exactly what you could have heard in albums such has Twilight of the Gods or Blood on Ice. It's epic, has the classic choirs and a mid-paced riff with a beat really nice and enjoyable to follow through.

A new sound exclusively present on the "Nordland" albums appears in the second track called "Sea Wolf" with its folk elements that add even more epicness, mixed with the intense choirs. We can also hear Quorthon using different kind of vocals in the chorus, and useless to say how intense the instrumental part is at the end of the song with its guitar solo. Like most viking metal tracks released by Bathory, they are to me, for some reason, catchy as hell. Like "The Land" track is incredible, as well as the vocal performance on it, the lyrics are easy to get into and the melody is good as fuck. What is also cool in this album is the variety in style while still incorporating that atmosphere. Take for example "Flash of the Silverhammer" that has a main groovy riff compared to the other tracks, the kind of riff that I would never expect such a guitar riff mixed with epic choirs. Another surprising example of variety is the aggressive "Death and Resurrection of a Northern Son". This one has a fast-paced guitar riff that you could find in a speed/thrash song as well as the pretty intense drumming. Being the heaviest track of the album, it still has that epic atmosphere and a slow part in the middle that focus on the vocals, before returning to the aggressive riff.

"Nordland II" also has two of the most epic Bathory song ever, which are "The Messenger" and "The Wheel of Sun", which is unfortunately the last Bathory song aswell... With a length of 10 and 12 minutes respectively, they goes in the same veins has legendary tracks such as "One Rode to Asa Bay", "Shores in Flames", or "Twilight of the Gods" and more. Both tracks has amazing unique melodies and vocal performances, but in my opinion, "The Wheel of Sun" is definitely the most emotional Bathory song in a long time, which makes it even more sad that it's Quorthon's last song. Listening to this song actually makes me sad every time mainly because of that, but also because of how emotional his voice sounds with the scream on the chorus. Other than that, the guitar work is flawless and everything here makes me realize why the guy is a legend.

Even though most people listen only to the old records, I have to say that this album and the "Nordland" saga altogether is as good as the older viking metal albums. Maybe they are more known because of becoming classics over the time, but this album right here is definitely worthy of having the title of a masterpiece among the other records. Useless to say how much I recommend this album to experiment the true viking metal with. The legend that is Quorthon will live on, and like he would have said ... Hail the Hordes!

Favorite tracks:

­­­­­­All of them

When someone so iconic, legendary, and influential leaves a void impossible to fill after his death, it's not uncommon for fans to rummage through some material that might appeal to them. In this case, it is a sequel that Quorthon recorded as a continuation of his previous album in Bathory. The project ended up unfinished though, as it was thought that Quorthon would record a series of offering until "Nordland IV". However, some people purported (even Quorthon himself) that the story ends here. Everything has an ending. Even with all that, Nordland II is still a great work where an emotive track called "The Land" highlights the album. And we can arguably agree that the mentioned song is one of Quorthon's magnum opus. There's practically a trace of explicit magic and pagan spirit of its early years in this release. The band continued to polish, with artisan patience, the idea of composing with progressive planes. This style of Bathory's songwriting modernized the album concept, in search of rhythms and environments that can flow naturally inside the mathematic instinct along with the import of scales from Scandinavian folk music.

The album has that powerful punch even in the beginning moments. This certain impact gives the album a character that seems to impose an impression that the whole offering was specially dedicated (again) to those who had waited (including yours truly), with hopes of listening to the legendary Swede again, for ten years. Listeners are enchanted on this stuff that doesn't leave you indifferent from the first second; because, unlike an ordinary disc, this record starts with a slow and heavy riff accompanied with vocal lines which transmit a lot of energy without much effort. The opening track itself is a piece of art in the same vein of previous Bathory album openers. This reminds me of a competition between Bathory's Storm of Damnation and Revelation of Doom, in which those two has the creepiest opener. But the creepy aspect disappears here and it opens to a new age style, announcing good aura. The roller coaster ride continues with songs which reflects majestic lead guitars and contains lyrics that will make you catch your breath once you abide by, because of its extreme emotions and physical resistance. The ending track is a proof that songs do not need to implant too much speed and extreme resources. That is why we find dynamic composition and varied structure in this release, plus it is full of vitality. The production itself is one of the raw ones you can find in the genre. That new age style mixed with old Bathory material is just great. It is rawer than Blood On Ice, but it’s subservient in terms of songwriting.

If Bathory did rescue the scene during the late 90s with Blood on Ice, Quorthon rescued Bathory once more with this offering and end up reconquering the scene with an endorsed attitude. The band is reborn for a second time with a work that offers prodigious minutes of musical glory. Nine songs in which Quorthon demonstrated that he can still continue giving class regardless of the decade, thanks to moments in the album that will give the audiences nostalgia of Bathory's best classics without leaving aside the necessary renewal. It really feels good how the band had managed to sound like a full-fledged band, since the intentions were clear from the first chord, and Bathory held its stance throughout each piece of music. The instrumental verbiage, characteristic of Bathory, persists through a more paused eloquence which doesn't lose its appeal. I mean, a mosaic of rhythms that passes quickly by the ears which simply stands as a warning of the potential that this disc brings. The choirs sound powerful and it shines with their own lights.

I think Nordland II is an easy record to listen to, but it takes several turns in our players to convince us how good it is. And that's not even calculating the countless arrangements and colors which are being discovered with each listening. It’s an elaborate, complex, and very well cared-for production record. For die-hard fans of this style, the album can be considered as one of the great releases of Bathory for the last time. Fans of both the band and the genre won't regret to hear it. For those who are not into the genre and Bathory, it will be a good album to have in the library. Bathory condensed its most spectacular features, where melody matters as much as precision and fierceness. It has not been the pagan fantasy -the usual resource- which had given the most accurate ingredient to this final chapter. Instead, it is the love of Quorthon's culture and Norse mythology. Quorthon, an illustrious expression of Scandinavian folklore, simple and eternal, thanks for the tireless struggle against time and its advances.

Nordland II rocks considerably harder than their predecessors, like Destroyers of World, which, although bearing a good number of excellent songs on it, seemed to be thematically and musically inconsistent, with no discernible rhyme or reason to their ordering. Not so with this record which virtually every song on this disc is cut from the same epic vein. This helps the album maintain a steady flow throughout its duration, making it undoubtedly, one of the most consistent record in Bathory's discography. Listening can prove a chore for the impatient fan, but the attentive listener will feel the brooding atmosphere seep into their skull by the third song. This album builds on the sonic landscapes presented in albums such as Nordland I or Blood On Ice, but also somewhat throwback to an older sound. It is a beautiful, rich combination of wonderful music and poetic lyrics that make sense.

Nordland II, as the album title says, is the second part of Nordland saga, and therefore it shows again the epic viking ambient and Nordic nature. It's a very good record with a lot of guitar riffs, plus great drum that adds an invaluable worth of basic instruments, and everything accompanied by keyboards that show a great job in making music, totally atmospheric. Quorthon's voice is in form, never fast but always trying to give that message of majesty in the stories narrated. As if it were something planned, this album goes very well for the end of Bathory's life chapter, simple act of complex life.

The album begins with "Blooded Shore", this one opens up with a fairly northern riff and some work from the choir, Quorthon gives us a nice piece of guitar-driven music. His vocals are pretty much same as always, although he may be at his finest on this song, he sings it all pretty aggressively, although we're talking clean vocals here. No more black metal screams of old. "Sea Wolf" is another highlight which has some nice folk-style keys throughout and again utilizes the choir sounds. Then "Vinland" opens up with sounds of sea/ocean, and kicks into possibly the heaviest and most crushing riff on the entire record. I'd also say this is the single best guitar performance on the album, it includes some orchestral sounds and the best chorus on the album. Quorthon's vocals are nearly as strong as good here as on the second track, but this is probably my favorite one.

Though it's less extreme than its beginnings, this is a more polished, elegant, gleaming pagan metal. This album has a lot of main riffs that are very strong and crunchy, and the choirs are once again, used in the background to give the song some substance. Through verses, Quorthon almost sounds like he wants to give us some black metal vocals, but maintains a very raspy version of clean singing. You can tell he's really into the lyrics, by the way he forcefully delivers them on this album, the songs are carried by the verses and the bridge, which are very dark and almost black metal oriented in itself. Admittedly, there is some keyboard work here that feels somewhere "norse", and the choir kept to still project the viking metal style.

The shocking reality and quality of his lyrics and music are awe-inspiring and just plain good. Quorthon being the only consistent member of Bathory throughout the band's tenure since 1983, he has been the only solid part of this band and all credit goes to him. The only disappointment being that he couldn't continue to make brilliant music. Do you want Bathory? 'Hammerheart' and 'Twilight of the Gods' or 'Blood on Ice' are still remembered as untouchable? Nothing I do will make you remember the past? Well, let's go to the past, fuck. That's what Quorthon thinks, and he does, the icon can't stop being an icon. Before Bathory's last war cry, the father of black and viking metal, the master of shadows, says goodbye of this world, that so much has contributed to metal. His gift: "Nordland II". A good sequel/saga that you can find in the genre. Admiration forever.

Bathory is a band that has gone through many changes since its creation in 1983. The early album helped give birth to black metal and in 1988 Bathory released Blood Fire Death, which created a new sub-genre in the metal, the viking metal. The greatest boss, the most ambitious architect of epic-astral riffs, Quorthon, returns with the second installment of "Nordland", the record that marked the return of the viking sound to Bathory.

Nordland II returns us to the best Bathory. Recreating the mystical era, the time when Venom meets Conan. Demons, swords, violence, villages in flames, pain, passion, adventures... and Quorthon converted again into the style's messiah, the maximum guru. The guitars sound very heavy, a bit fuzzy, but still great, when he hits those power chords you realize why they call them POWER chords. The drums sound good, no problem there, the only problem I have with this album is that on a few of the songs I can not hear Quorthon singing, at all, and on this album I think his vocals sound the best out of all of Bathory's albums.

The album begins with “Fanfare” which is an all synth song that drags on for three and a half minutes, only about one maybe two minutes of this song is needed. Next is my personal favorite “The Land”, which is the pinnacle of the album, during its six minutes it never slows down or gets boring. "Death and Resurrection of a Northern Son" and "The Messenger" are very memorable, as long as you accept that you’ve already heard the songs a thousand times before, are songs that sound more true metal than the fucking Manowar’s Louder Than Hell.

This is Bathory's last album and one of most underrated albums along with Blood On Ice, this second part shows a difference in songwriting compared to past works. Some like Blood On Ice were mainly used always both heavy and soft elements in their songs, but on this album we get heavy with tons of cool vocals. A lot of these songs caught my eye with a first listen, which is great because some of their previous works (Destroyer of Worlds) took me longer to dig. There is a vast amount of good songs on here, and everything seems to be in the music for the right reasons.

Quorthon lits fire to the heart of warring army with discs like Hammerheart, Blood Fire Death, Twilight of the Gods or the later Blood on Ice. Even "Nordland" was praised. Nordland II is a very epic album featuring lyrics describing viking battles and nature. Overall it's a very good album with many great riffs and solos, beautiful keyboard/synth work and great vocals, all done by Quorthon. Nordland II is a great epic album and I would recommend it to anyone how is into viking/folk music. Navigating the same seas in which battles were once fought, Quorthon rewards us the Nordland saga and says goodbye with this effort. A great way to close Bathory's career.

Standout Songs:
Blooded Shores, Sea Wolf, The Land, The Messenger, Wheel of Sun

“Thursday 7th June, 2012 will mark eight seemingly long years since one of the world's most talented and ambitious musicians left this cruel world”. Of course, that's what any devoted fan of Bathory mainman Quorthon (AKA Tomas Ace Forsberg) and his work will probably tell you. Is it any surprise that the last known album under his belt is one based on a Viking concept then? Certainly not. For anyone who has heard the supremely spectacular black metal force of 'Under the Sign of the Black Mark', the triumphant aggression and victorious sounds of 'Blood Fire Death' or the sorrowful yet still significant 'Hammerheart' albums however, these eight years will not have passed without grief and mourning. It may seem a slight exaggeration to say so, but Quorthon has been loved (and perhaps worshipped) by the metal world ever since the raw madness and evil destruction of Bathory's debut album hit international shores back in 1984.

This introduction merely signifies the build-up to Bathory's last (but not least) release, 'Nordland II'. The second part to the apparent four-album concept that Quorthon had prepared to unleash upon the world certainly seems an interesting one. Those who have heard 'Nordland I' will by now have either listened to 'Nordland II' or disowned it completely, and that may only be determined by whether you believe Quorthon still had it in him over twenty years after his first musical outputs or the fact that his vocals and musicianship is, well, just horrible. Plenty will have eventually given up on Bathory for the latter of these two reasons, but one thing stands clearly head and shoulders above the rest: The concept never gets boring.

Whereas 'Nordland I' covered mostly Norse mythology, perhaps being what most of Quorthon's lyrical content has ever been based around, 'Nordland II' returns simply to the excessive use of Viking folklore and victorious events. No, it does not involve Quorthon repeating his raspy scream on the extremely aggressive track 'War' (WAAAAARRRR YEEEAAHHHHH WAARRRRRGHHH!!!). What it does contain a lot of is extremely good songwriting, but you will naturally expect this from listening to other Bathory albums of the same concept.

The album itself is slightly longer in total than its predecessor, but that doesn't mean to say it isn't as exciting or indeed as accessible. Whilst the album's introduction, 'Fanfare' is perhaps a little too atmospheric for its own good, there is plenty to be admired here. You will know that Quorthon loved to work with choirs, as on albums even as early as 'Blood Fire Death' and 'Hammerheart', and on 'Nordland II', he doesn't waste any time taking advantage of this. However, the album isn't exactly helped when Quorthon tries to sing in synchronization with these choirs, and especially when he tries to hit too high a note. This is because the obvious weakness that has been recurring in his vocals ever since he first sang harmoniously on 'Hammerheart' is also shown on this album. My point here is that, not only is Quorthon's voice the one true downside of this album, it also brings down the quality of songs such as 'Blooded Shores' and 'Vinland', making the album seem incomplete. If it was the choir work that only sang, and Quorthon stuck perhaps to sorting out everything else (bar his own singing), then 'Nordland II' would be infinitely better than it actually is.

One other negative aspect of the album is, however hard you may try to ignore it, the production itself. The performance of every guitar note, drum roll or instance of atmospheric sounds is astounding on here, but once again, the performance lets the album down almost too much to be regarded as anything else but a decent effort. It can't be ignored that the very well executed guitar solos and the thundering drums are marred by a half-hearted production quality, and even though Quorthon had the best intentions of making this album as unique as it could be, he really should have paid more attention to the sound. However, you could also argue that the production was made this way to reflect a Viking-like atmosphere, which is understandably relevant thanks to the lyrical themes themselves.

“So 'Nordland II' doesn't sound like a very good album at all, does it?”. I expected some of you may be asking this having read the first half of this review, but don't worry, because what keeps this album from falling flat on its face is the absolutely brilliant songwriting and very significant song structures. As said before, each and every song flows with such beauty and power that it really is hard to forget the music itself. On 'Blooded Shores' and 'The Land' Quorthon uses choirs to represent such victorious yet harmonious sounds, that one could almost forget the muddy production and focus on the excellent songwriting itself. Of course, Quorthon is no stranger to thundering guitar work and equally as powerful drum work, as on the epic songs of 'Hammerheart' and 'Twilight of the Gods'. On the eye-opening epic 'The Land' and sprawling overture 'The Wheel of Sun', guitars weave their way through every minute like its their last, and not a note is out of place. The drums, whilst not particularly sophisticated, also contribute to the power and grandiosity contained within each solitary anthem on 'Nordland II'. This is no different to Bathory's past releases, but it certainly has been enhanced.

Another similarly advantageous highlight of 'Nordland II' is the lyrical content itself. You will be asking yourselves “Well of course the lyrical content's a highlight!” for sure, but what is special about the lyrical content here is that it contains a certain sense of being higher in power than anyone else. Here's a few examples:

This land is mine to the end of time
none it shall claim or conquer
the mountains high : the endless sky
the forests and the sea (The Land)

Shields I have crushed with my sword
women have I pleased endless nights
on foreign coast my brother did fall
he now dines in hall up high (Sea Wolf)

As you can see, Quorthon does not let up on the importance of being a Viking warrior at all. 'The Land' is but one important example of the significance of the 'Land' itself, this time being 'Nordland'. 'Sea Wolf' shows the importance of being a Viking warrior, and also the pleasures of 'pleasuring' women. It is yet another traditional aspect of the genre that Quorthon has managed to enhance to an almost unforgettable level, and yet fans of the band may still cast this off as “just another Bathory album”.

So is this Bathory's best album? Perhaps not. But whereas it could have been improved in a lot of areas, it could also have been much worse than it actually is. Some may say the rating given for this album is too high, but it is entirely justified on the album itself, and not merely the significance of his entire career as a musician. Perhaps right now, Quorthon has already released the other half of the 'Nordland' album series in Valhalla. If he has, this other half may well have been a distinct improvement on 'Nordland I' and 'Nordland II'. For those who prefer the Bathory of the early days, you may or may not like this album at all. For those who wish to hear the last pieces of music he made before Quorthon's untimely death, you may listen to 'Nordland II' with caution, but also pride. Pride that he didn't make a completely horrible album. Because on this evidence, Quorthon exited the world in a truly memorable way, and one that would not make others forget about him.

As previously noted, Bathory is a band that came to my attention posthumously, in spite of being an avid consumer of its contemporaries for more than 10 years prior. The road that led me there began with the last 2 testaments of their greatness, the “Nordland” series, an unfinished series of albums that while not in and of themselves stylistically influential, nonetheless represent the culmination of a still relatively young style that traces its roots back to this same band 15 years prior. It takes into account not only the first official releases that kicked it off in “Hammerheart” and “Twilight Of The Gods”, but also some elements of the transitional effort of “Blood Fire Death” that was still mostly lodged in the band earlier, extreme thrash days.

It is important to note that while these two albums are classified by the Viking metal genre, they are a bit different from many of the bands that go by this label today. Quorthon’s lead vocal approach, while gritty and rough, does not mirror the toneless barks and mutterings that were a staple of the 2nd wave of black metal that he also influenced, a style which is still readily employed by Ensiferum despite coming to a level of mainstream prominence. The background choirs that are also a staple of this style are heavily reverb laden and give the album a slight 80s flavor, as is the case with the drum and keyboard production. The only thing about this album that really fits with the 2000s paradigm is the guitar character, which has a cold combination of crunch and fuzz that is actually fairly similar to the latter day Immortal releases that fairly closely coincided with this.

In comparison to its predecessor, “Nordland II” could be likened to a mirror reflection with a slightly darker tint. The overall pacing and scheme of things is the same, but the folk and acoustic elements have been downplayed slightly in favor of a more bombastic, film score approach of a grand dragon boat off to the distant horizon. Such slow yet striking anthems of seafaring quests in “Blooded Shore” and “The Land” marry together the dense atmospheric layering of vocals and droning guitar and keyboard melodies with a steady groove to create a veritable tapestry of glorious imagery. “Death And Resurrection Of A Northern Star” brings in the faster, thrashing element with an agitated vengeance while still maintaining that Manowar-based pomp that characterized “Hammerheart”, and also shows Quorthon gritting up his voice a bit more.

The really pivotal goods that this album delivers, however, is actually saved until the latter half of the album in two riveting 10 minute plus epics. As is the case with most in this style, the longer these songs go (to a point of course), the better they tend to be, and “The Messenger” proves to be one of the better examples of how great ideas deserve repetition and a very gradual development. For anyone wonders where Ensiferum got longwinded classics like “Heathen Throne”, look no further than this towering example of droning melodies and pummeling grooves. But the absolute high point is “The Wheel Of Sun”, a spellbinding epic of changing seasons that begins from a modest clean guitar intro and grows into a colossal celebration of Norse landscapes. Through its entire 12 minute duration, this song perfectly recaptures the massive atmosphere accomplished on “Twilight Of The Gods” album, right down to the slightly blues/rock infused principle riff that channels “Blood And Iron” to a fault.

This is a fine end, albeit an unfortunately incomplete one, to the Bathory legacy, showcasing a man’s work coming full circle from where it left off at the close of the 80s, where metal music came into prominence and ushered in more than a decade of world changing music. If there were an elite group of artists whose portraits should appear next to the metal name in any encyclopedia or lexicon, Quorthon’s would share space alongside the likes of Ronnie James Dio and Tony Iommi. While much of his music tends to be polarizing because of the radically different influences that shaped it over the years, the “Nordland” albums stand as his most accessible works, and followers of metal of all stripes should definitely give these a spin.

Released about 5 months after Nordland I, Bathory would not leave us waiting long for what was originally intended to be the second of four total chapters in the Nordland saga. Unfortunately, as we all now know, that would not turn out to be the case. Quorthon's tragic passing in the following year (2004) would retroactively establish Nordland II as the grand finale of one of the most important and influential legacies in all of metal. No pressure, right? Well, perhaps its not remotely fair to judge the record on such grounds, and I won't, but there is no escaping the fact that it often feels like a bunch of leftovers from the previous effort, or rather that he front loaded the content to the series and intended the garner interest on momentum alone with diminishing returns.

Not that Nordland II is necessarily a negative experience. In fact, I feel that tracks such as "Sea Wolf" and "Blooded Shore" create quite a cloud of nostalgia for the Hammerheart album, and I admire the grit he exhibits in his vocal performance here and elsewhere on this sequel. Slow, pendulous heavy metal hammer riffs drowned in choirs, synthesized organs and steady drums that create a dramatic subtext to the sailing, drawn out voices in the late bridge of "Sea Wolf". Chunky momentum and crashing chords dialed straight back to the late 80s glories. I also feel that some of the longer tracks like the 10 minute "The Messenger" (with that incredible, simple melody) and the 12 minute "The Wheel of Sun" with its leaden grooves and gleaming spikes of zephyr-like guitars, are far better at balancing their content and shifting necessary gears of composition thank some of the whales from the previous album.

There are also no crappy thrash tracks like there were on Destroyer of Worlds. The closest the record comes is "Flash of the Silverhammer" a mid-paced chugger which reminds me of the older, primal doom/thrash crunch of their countrymen Memory Garden, making decent use of the vocals to carry what otherwise might be a dullard. Like Nordland I, there's an 8 minute tune which makes good use of a propulsive, brutal into ("Death and Resurrection of a Northern Son"), but I don't exactly love this song, and along with other middling fare like "The Land" or the desolate "Vinland" I just feel like it treads on previous ground. With Hammerheart, Blood Fire Death, Twilight of the Gods, Blood on Ice and Nordland I already out in circulation, I got the impression of rinsing and repeating here, which I'm sure might have stretched out its welcome if the ensuing chapters were to manifest without significant deviations.

In the end, as usual, evaluation comes down to the songs. Some of their older albums had them in spades, but Nordland II doesn't really have much to recommend it unless you're obsessed with its stylistic and spiritual forebears and demand more of the same. I'll grant that there are a few epic climaxes here, and an atmosphere which sparks up fond memories for the influential storms Quorthon rode in on, but it's not an album I would choose over others in the canon. Let's face it: the guy more or less created two massive, enduring substrata of the extreme metal realm, and both within a brief span of years. About 13 years after that period, nothing innovative or really interesting had manifest from Bathory. But he had nothing more to prove, and so he resigned himself to small tweaks on the existing formula. I like the simplicity of the lyrics here, their dependable imagery and adherence to the atmosphere or the songwriting.

But where Blood Fire Death summoned up an eternal wrath from my soul, called my imagination to war forever, this album is more or less a pleasant fjord surfing experience with a few gut wrenching moments of anger. A functional successor to Nordland I, and not a regrettable experience, but not a source for much fascination.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

With a discography as extensive as Quorthon’s, it is easy for certain releases to overshadow others, especially when the quality of his material is as incredible as it is. Now, while it is undeniable that Blood Fire Death, Hammerheart and Twilight of the Gods are all absolute masterpieces, I feel that Nordland II, the final chapter of Quorthon’s legacy, deserves far more recognition than it receives because it is honestly just about flawless. Following much the same direction as part I of the Nordland saga, this hour long epic crowns one of metal’s most important and influential figure’s legendary career, featuring some of Bathory’s finest material ever written.

Like its predecessor, Nordland II is a thunderous return back to the epic viking metal sound of mid-era Bathory, but only better. The song-writing is simply masterful, displaying a true sense of wisdom and maturity through nine magnificent compositions, which is complimented by Quorthon’s genius lyrical musings, that transport you right into the middle of a bloody battle raging on across a barren, permafrost laden plain, all taking place underneath an ominous, swirling vortex of black and grey, with the occasional fork of lightning piercing through the clouds and illuminating the sky. The music itself is to a similar effect, with the combination of Quorthon’s riffing, lead and keyboard work all predominantly accompanied by a steady, mid-paced beat conjuring a mental image of charging into battle along side your fellow warriors, with shield in hand and sword at the ready. It is the way the riffs and melodies just feel like they are marching into battle themselves as well as possessing this warlike conviction, which makes this album so damn spectacular and just so majestic. Channeling Bathory’s more thrash orientated material, “Death and Resurrection of a Northern Son” however, shows that Quorthon has not completely ditched the furious pace of his early and mid-90’s records, opening up with a fast, pummelling barrage of double-bass and thick, gritty tremolo picking which continues on right throughout the verse. This ferocious assault though, is short-lived, as we are soon greeted with soaring leads and epic keyboard choirs which make for a climatic build-up into the second verse, which is slightly disappointing as the verses are pretty average both instrumentally and vocally compared to the rest of the song, and is actually the album’s weakest moment.

The following track “The Messenger” however, is absolutely flawless, and one of the stand-outs on the album. Once again, an elevating keyboard and guitar melody kick off the song, accompanied by the sound of the wind howling through the air, which soon explodes into a herd of storming power chords rolling across a field along side a troop of thundering horses galloping into the distance. At 10 minutes in length, this phenomenal track is one of the longest songs on the album, together with “The Wheel of Sun” which clocks in at just over 12 minutes. Plodding along at a much slower tempo, this epic album closer flows much smoother, with Quorthon churning out walls of slower, sustained chord progressions, as well as two conquering guitar solos full of soaring string slides, pulls and bends as well as blazing shredding runs, which also make appearances in “Blooded Shore,” “Sea Wolf” and “The Land,” and are all just loaded with a tonne of pure, emotional energy. Quorthon’s vocals are also just packed with loads of raw energy, utilizing a combination of aggressive, yet brilliantly executed singing, the occasional full-fledged scream and almost archaic sounding chanting, which are all usually accompanied by beautiful back-up choirs. Overall, Quorthon’s vocal performance from a technical standpoint is the best of his career despite a few shaky passages, with his voice sounding better than it ever has and just booming with confidence and maximum energy.

Driving the songs forward towards the horizon with a valiant force, the drums further compliment Quorthon’s mighty guitar and vocal performances, and while they are relatively simplistic consisting of fairly basic beats and patterns with minimal fills, they are still immensely powerful and work with the music exceptionally. Production wise, they’re not perfect, but I don’t feel this is to the album’s disadvantage in any way, and actually adds to its overall charm. The heavily distorted, fuzzy tone of the guitar and gritty bass tone initially didn’t sit to well with me though, but, after a few listens I had no problem with them, as every last instrumental nuance just blends together perfectly. From the epic keyboard droning opening the album in “Fanfare,” to the pan flute synth melody that kicks off “Sea Wolf” or the soft, atmospheric build up in “Death and Resurrection of a Northern Son,” as well Quorthon’s extraordinary vocals, everything just comes together as one charging, triumphant mass of pure brilliance and majesty.

While it doesn’t quite match up to the almost unparalleled magnificence of Blood Fire Death, Hammerheart or Twilight of the Gods, this phenomenal record is certainly still worthy of any metal fan’s attention, and is a grand testament to one of the most legendary musicians to ever grace this planet.