Last week we examined the origin of the term black metal via Venom’s second album, which gave the genre its name. In this week’s edition of Black Metal Friday we examine what many consider to be the first true example of the black metal sound and aesthetic. Listen to the sample below.

Bathory was a Swedish band founded by 17-year-old singer and guitarist, Thomas Forsberg aka Quorthon in 1983. The band was named after notorious Hungarian countess Elizabeth Bathory who was rumored to have tortured and killed hundreds of girls and bathed in the blood of virgins to retain her youth. Venom had also name checked her with the song “Countess Bathory.”

Here below with the third track from their self-titled debut album is Bathory, performing the track “Reaper.”