Was QUORTHON a "liar" ?

[J.K.]

So wash your ears

[ION BRITTON]

Ion Britton: Nice one Still, stealing - blatantly - a line of lyrics is still not something that makes me think Bathory's viking era as a whole is influenced by Manowar. In my ears they're still two compleeetely different musical entities.

There are other 'similar' lines as well..

Apart from that Manowar's riffing and bombastic drum beat are pretty obvious for me in Bathory..On the other hand, I wouldn't mistake a Bathory track for Manowar and vice versa. They are not rip-offs, they are not the same, but to say that it's something completely different goes a bit too far IMO.
And don't get me wrong, I am a big fan of Bathory and I consider them more epic than Manowar, I can't deny what I'm hearing in them though.

[Cochino]

I say the thing about knowing because if I'm not wrong, he said he didn't even know Venom. But I might be mistaking, I am by no means a Quorthon/Bathory expert.

[metalmaster]

the biggest difference between Bathory and the bands mentioned here is that Bathory was basically only Quorthon doing and compossing everything, while the other bands, at least had 2 main composers and 3-4 band members to do arrangements and stuff... I doubt that Quorthon would steal riffs on porpuse, that would make zero sense in my opinion. Above all when many persons keep blaming him of ripping off riffs...

I still think that there are much more of Motorhead and GBH in the first album of Bathory. while in metallcia will find lots of stolen riffs from NWOBHM bands, and in venom some Sabbath/Judas riffs, etc. I cant remember a band which was pure and totally innovative...

And Quorthon just loved to make fun of everything and everyone.

[J.K.]

Nobody said that Quorthon was a rip off. Of course he was NOT. And Bathory is great. But has EVERY musicians, he got his influences and there's no denying that (it's hype to be sqaaaaaare ahem). And his influences are obvious.

As for GBH and Punk stuff I think it's true yes. As I think he already heard/know/listen to other bands mentionned here.

[JB]

I've heard plenty of the older lads here in Ireland level accusations such as this at Quorthon over the years. Some of them complete die-hard Bathory fans. Most of it wasn't to do with him claiming to have heard the likes of Venom, Motorhead, Manowar etc. I came up of course, but a lot of it was to do with supposed 'lost' tracks that appeared on the Jubileum compilations and a large percentage of the Blood and Ice album.

[J.K.]

Speaking of that, on BLOOD ON ICE album there's a track that reminds a lot of a BURZUM track. And I don't mean similarities, the SAME riff. Really strange.

Tell me what you think:


BATHORY, recorded 88/89 but NEVER published until 1996 as it is commonly known:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6lKeH4C ... re=related

riff at 0 min 49 sec

BURZUM, recorded probably 92 and published only in 1998

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAi3hMpTtY0

riff at 4 min 21 sec

It is funny because Varg is supposed to never have heard Blood On Ice in 1992.

[ION BRITTON]

Doesn't sound exactly the same to my ears, but, yes, it's very Bathory-like. I'd say it's closer to the more epic Under the sign of the black mark tracks.

[Satrapold]

It is funny because Varg is supposed to never have heard Blood On Ice in 1992.

Funny but stuff like this can happen. I remember coming up with some riff many years ago in year 2000 or 2001 (never used it anywhere), and later when I discovered the band MORNINGSTAR in 2002 that same riff was found on their Hell album, so shit happens by pure coincidence.

[Professor Black]

Speaking of that, on BLOOD ON ICE album there's a track that reminds a lot of a BURZUM track. And I don't mean similarities, the SAME riff. Really strange.

Rhythm is slightly different, but yes, these are quite common chords that have been used in various combinations and inflections by a lot of bands. Check Metallica "Motorbreath" or Venom "Countess Bathory" for more examples.

[MEXDefenderOfSteel]

mhmm theres actually a thread about it all

[DeathMetalWeenie]

Quorthon a liar, hum...I seen interviews where he stated Motorhead, Discharge, Charged GBH as influences, he also stated he was inspired by Manowar, for the Viking-era style of metal. Quorthon at one pointed stated he hated Celtic Frost and VoiVod but years later he back peddled on that.

The one thing I really could not understand was why he said he was not influenced by Veom, I remember seeing early photos of Metallica with Venom t-shirts, so I check out Venom, because Metallica were fans, even though my taste in metal has always slanted towards Mercyful Fate, Tygers on Pan Tang, Anvil, Accept, Iron Maiden.

As far as the Slayer thing, wow, I thought they really got it right, where Venom got it wrong, (but I still own tons of Venom recording even the MMV box set) but I would never take anything away from Venom, they were one of the first bands to do anything really original. It was not untill the sell - out of Raven, with " Stay Hard ", that I really started to really have a appreciation of Venom.

On thing that was pretty unique about Quorthon, was most bands were POUNCING and BOUNCING on Bob Muldowney's Kick*Ass Monthly fame, true metal bandwagon. Quorthon was like he I like Motley Crue, Kiss as well as Charged GBH and Discharge.

Quorthon was just trying to make it appear that his music development was parrallel to Venom's, even though most Metallers never thought of mixing punk with metal. Motorhead, then Venom, I was still worshipping Rush, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden and Randy Rhodes -era, back in 1980/1981/1982. So alot of bands took libertys in there press kits, with oh we pre-date this band, and we pre-date this music sub-genre.

Alot of artist back in the golden era of independant metal 1979-1985, just claimed they invented more than they really did. Because even the most original sounding bands are very derivative of there predecessors.

Metal fans like to claim influence is a automatic ripoff, but I disagree. I would rather have metal bands create metal using metal influences. Instead of trying to turn, techno, low-fi, numetal, industrial, alternative, shoe-gaze, blues classical and jazz music, and force f*ck it, it to this or that hybrid. Very good for Avant Garde artist, but very frustrating when trying to find the most molten metal traditional metal artist on the planet.

Common sense states that if one likes Discharge, Motorhead, and ChargedGBH, then Venom had to be on his want-list or in his collection.
So he REALLY never pulled- a - fast one on anyone really! Common sense always will win-out no matter what this or that artist claim.

[Vinny Black]

Well, I believe he mentioned being influenced by "a certain Newcastle band" in an interview. (I gotta go home and listen to that again!)
As for the others, some Metallica and Slayer hints in his music are quite obvious to me. And Men At Work as well...Ooops, sorry! Man O War, of curse. And, who isn't influenced by Motörhead? Even God listens to Motörhead, although Lemmy don't wanna hear from Him.

[J.K.]

And, who isn't influenced by Motörhead? Even God listens to Motörhead, although Lemmy don't wanna hear from Him.

hehe!

Don't forget that too:



Makes even more sense

[Vaggelis]

And, who isn't influenced by Motörhead? Even God listens to Motörhead, although Lemmy don't wanna hear from Him.

hehe!

Don't forget that too:



Makes even more sense

Classic pic.