A quick recap on Bathory for the unfamiliar: Bathory was a Swedish proto-black metal band whose sound, lyrical content, and imagery served as a primary influence (along with other bands such as Venom) for the wave of Norweigan black metal bands that existed in the early 1990's. Sole member Quorthorn played all instruments and again served as an importance influence upon various metal microgenres before his death in 2004.
On Blood, Fire, Death, we see Bathory continue the transformation (started with their previous release, Under The Sign Of The Black Mark) from the black metal archetype into what is now known as the 'viking metal' microgenre (this transformation was solidified with Bathory's next release, Hammerheart). This might all sound a bit haughty and unnecessary, although after taking a quick listen to tracks from Hammerheart, one can easily note the sound/style departure. In Blood, Fire, Death, we are left with a sprawling, dark, and ambitious album that has quite a mature sense about it, especially when compared to Bathory's earlier efforts. The progression of sound, toward the viking metal microgenre, is largely responsible for this, and accounts for the album's sweeping breadth, to the point where this record listens/feels almost like a film soundtrack. That being said, I think its the balance between the two styles that really make Blood, Fire, Death a noteworthy release, as it caters to the aural fixations of just about any fan of heavy metal music in general. To say that Blood, Fire, Death is an accessible album might be a bit of a stretch, and also might not serve as a proper compliment, but in my opinion it is precisely that and I most certainly use that label in a complimentary context.
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