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CD: Bathory - Under The Sign Of The Black Mark	Released: 1988
Reviewed By: Saad Aftab (Saad)	Rating: (5/5)

Tracklist:

1.Nocturnal Obeisance

2.Massacre

3.Woman Of Dark Desires

4.Call From The Grave

5.Equimanthorn

6.Enter The Eternal Fire

7.Chariots Of Fire

8.13 Candles

9.Of Doom......

10.Outro

This is the one that really got Bathory recognized. 'Under the Sign of The Black Mark' has to be Bathory's most well-loved black metal album.

Bathory's trademark intro is present. However it's shorter than on the previous albums. Then it just breaks into pure hell with the second track 'Massacre'. I tell you, it does not slow down. Most of the album continues in this vein, but there are even more melodic and slower moments than on the previous albums. This albums more epic than them. The first two Bathory records were more thrashy, so is this, but not as much. Just like the "The Return..." had "The Return of Darkness and Evil", this album too has such a track. A track with a really catchy, eerie chorus. 'Woman Of Dark Desires'. It's about Elizabeth Bathory, the Countess who I believe feasted on young women. That's where Bathory got it's name from. And they truly did capture the pure evil that was Countess Bathory in the song. There are a lot of keyboard passages on this, which enhance the epicness and the evil atmosphere. Quorthon's vocals remain the same. But he really puts more into them on this album.

All in all this is indeed another classic by the legendary Bathory.