Quorthon

Infobox musical artist |
Name = Quorthon


Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = Tomas Forsberg
Alias =
Born = birth date|1966|2|17|df=y
Died = death date and age|2004|6|3|1966|2|17|df=y
Origin = Sweden
Instrument = Vocals
Guitar
Bass
Drums
Genre = Black metal
Thrash metal
Viking metal
Occupation = Musician, Songwriter
Years_active =
Label =
Associated_acts = Bathory
Jennie Tebler
URL =
Current_members =
Past_members =
Notable_instruments =

Ace "Quorthon" (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 initially thought up and used as a proxy label under Tyfon Grammofon until 1991 (playing no part in founding the actual company that year) 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." [ [http://www.maelstrom.nu/ezine/interview_iss12_99.php Interview for "Maelstrom" e-zine] ]

Death

Quorthon was found dead in his apartment on 7 June 2004, apparently from heart failure. [ [http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=51012 Blabbermouth] ] He was 38 years old. Although many websites and articles state that he died on 7 June, the text on the Black Mark Productions website and his graveFact|date=August 2008 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

References

External links

* [http://www.myspace.com/bathoryofficial Official Myspace page]
* [http://www.blackmark.net Black Mark label page]
* [http://www.anus.com/metal/about/interviews/quorthon/ Quorthon Interview] at ANUS