Quorthon
Quorthon |
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Ace Thomas "Quorthon" Forsberg (February 17, 1966 – June 3, 2004) was the founder and song writer of the pioneering Swedish black metal band Bathory. He is also credited with creating the Viking metal genre. He composed the music and wrote the lyrics on all of Bathory's albums.
Quorthon formed Bathory in 1983 when he was 17 years old. Always underfunded, his albums had a rough quality which many black metal bands would later emulate, and which would come to characterize this genre of music. He recorded in a garage, on a 4 track recorder, with mechanics working around him, and neighbors mowing their lawns, also known as Heavenshore Studios.
Quorthon also personally paid for the production of Bathory's music video for "One Rode to Asa Bay" in 1990. The video was shown on MTV's Headbanger's Ball, though he had not yet seen it at the time he was interviewed for the program.
Beginning in the 1990s, he took full control of Bathory, choosing to forego performing live in order to spend time recording music with hired musicians. He also played bass guitar on almost all of his albums, and mostly used a drum machine or a session drummer.
In 1993 Quorthon set Bathory aside and recorded and released two albums under the name "Quorthon". First was called Album released in 1994, and Purity of Essence in 1997. The albums were more rock oriented than Bathory's black / Viking metal style. While working on these albums he found new inspiration to continue composing music for Bathory.
Bathory's next albums were in a retro-thrash metal style, unlike previous releases. But in 1996 Quorthon released Blood on Ice, a concept album which he began recording in 1989 but did not finish. Blood on Ice returns to Bathory's Viking metal style. His next albums followed in that vein, including the Nordland saga. It was planned as a four-album set, but only two were finished.
Rumours
Börje "Boss" Forsberg, the current owner of Black Mark Productions (an independent record label that Quorthon founded), is rumoured to be Quorthon's father, but Quorthon always denied that, saying "Boss is 52, I'm 37. Add that up yourself. All these rumours surrounding Bathory are crazy."[1]
Death
Quorthon was found dead in his apartment on 7 June 2004, apparently from heart failure.[2] He was 38 years old and was known to suffer from heart problems. Although many websites and articles state that he died on 7 June, the text on the Black Mark Productions website and his grave say that he died on 3 June 2004.
Discography
With Bathory
- Bathory (1984)
- The Return (1985)
- Under the Sign of the Black Mark (1986)
- Blood Fire Death (1988)
- Hammerheart (1990)
- Twilight of the Gods (1991)
- Requiem (1994)
- Octagon (1995)
- Blood On Ice (1996)
- Destroyer of Worlds (2001)
- Nordland I (2002)
- Nordland II (2003)
As Quorthon
- Album (1994)
- Purity of Essence (1997)
Equipment
- Ibanez Destroyer I
- DiMarzio Superdistortion Pickups
- Gibson electric guitars, most notably a Gibson Flying-V
- Gibson electric bass guitars
- Dean Markley Strings
- Jim Dunlop picks
- Marshall amps
- Yamaha Amplification
- Orange Amplification
- GHS Strings