Released 27 May 1985 Genre Black metal | Recorded February 1985 Length 36:41 | |
Studio Electra Studios in Stockholm, Sweden Label Black Mark/Tyfon (Sweden)
Combat (US) | ||
The Return…… (full title The Return of the Darkness and Evil) is the second studio album by Swedish extreme metal band Bathory. It was released on vinyl on 27 May 1985, through Combat Records in the US. The Return…… had a significant influence on the then-emerging death metal and black metal genres.
Contents
Background
Quorthon explained the album title as such:
We wanted people to just read out The Return…… – as in a second album or a follow-up – and then flip the album over to look for a tracking list. Not finding one, what they got was this apocalyptic poem with the song titles woven into it. Only after listening through the album to the end would you get the full title of the album, The Return of the Darkness and Evil.
Reception
In various interviews, Fenriz of Darkthrone praised the album and defined it as "the essence of black metal".
Track listing
All tracks written by Quorthon.
The 2003 remastered edition combines tracks 1 and 2, and tracks 7 and 8.