Bathory's Viking Metal Epic, "One Rode to Asa Bay"

I wrote this on the afternoon of February 17, 2016, and only later that evening realized it was the birthday of Quorthon, about whom this blog is largely concerned. Not just any birthday, either. It would have been his 50th! But he died in 2004. So, wherever you are today, Quorthon, thanks for all the great music! And I hope you are giving 'em Holy Hel in Valhalla! Hail the Bathory Hordes! 

There is a famous "Viking Metal" song and video titled, "One Rode to Asa Bay." It was written by the Swedish musician named Quorthon, the stage name of Tomas Forsberg, and performed by his rock band, Bathory. "One Rode to Asa Bay" is the last track on the first whole Viking Metal album, HAMMERHEART.

The song is about the coming of Christianity to the Northlands. Quorthon is credited with having created the Viking Metal genre on Bathory's previous album, BLOOD FIRE DEATH, but there were also remnants of Bathory's previous style of metal music on BLOOD FIRE DEATH.

In a letter at the time, the late 1980s, Quorthon said he had created Viking Metal as a reaction to the way his Swedish heritage was being lost to foreign influences that were steadily eroding the native culture of his homeland. That letter was written when BLOOD FIRE DEATH was being created. The genre he started has grown and expanded with groups like Amon Amarth, Tyr, Unleashed, and many more. 

Here is a photograph of Quorthon showing his wearing of Mjolnir, the Hammer of Thor-style pendant that was historically worn by those who called on Thor, and is often worn now by Viking Metal bands and those who still honor the Gods and Goddesses of the North. 

Quorthon died young in 2004. "One Rode to Asa Bay" is the only music video made that showed Quorthon and Bathory. Quorthon used his own money to produce the video. It is a true "labor of love" and shows his dedication to his heart-felt art. 

Link to the full,  official "One Rode to Asa Bay" music video. 

"One Rodeto Asa Bay" Wikipedia

HAMMERHEART Wikipedia

BLOOD FIRE DEATH Wikipedia

Quorthon Wikipedia 

People have asked me why Quorthon dedicated "One Rode to Asa Bay" to me. The short answer is, he did it because of the Hel Books. Link to Hel Books information 

The long answer about why Quorthon dedicated Bathory's famous Viking Metal song to me is as follows.

I was working on a horror novel about Elizabeth Bathory, the historical Blood Countess of Hungary. As the writing progressed, I saw a magazine that had the word "Bathory" on the cover. There was an article in it about the Swedish rock band Bathory. It was the first time I had heard of them.

My father was born in Sweden, and Swedish things interested me. I bought Bathory's album, UNDER THE SIGN OF THE BLACK MARK. There was a song on it about Elizabeth Bathory, "Woman of Dark Desires." I wanted to use a quote from the song in the front of my novel about the Blood Countess, RAW PAIN MAX. 

I wrote a letter to Bathory asking for permission to quote from the song. Quorthon wrote back and gave his permission. In thanks, I sent him the Hel Books. They had a Scandinavian Mythological setting. Quorthon said he enjoyed them.

The Hel Books were originally published under a pen name, Asa Drake. Later, when Bathory's HAMMERHEART was released, I discovered "One Rode to Asa Bay" was dedicated to me in reference to the Asa Drake Hel Books.

Art by Boris Vallejo.

Review of Park Hyo Min's Japanese movie, JINX!!!

I originally wrote a review of this film for its IMDB site. This new blog review has slight differences.

Korean actor Park Hyomin created an endearing and memorable character playing Ji-Ho, a Korean exchange student in Japan. The film's subtitle, "90 Days to Say I Love You," hints at the plot. Here is a photo from the film showing Ji-Ho (Hyomin) between the two reluctant lovers. 

Ji-Ho is determined to get a withdrawn Japanese friend and the equally withdrawn boy the friend loves together, because Ji-Ho's boyfriend in Korea, as we see at the first, has died in a tragic accident, and Ji-Ho wants her new friend to find the happiness that Ji-Ho herself has lost. 

The bittersweet theme does not stop the film from having great good humor, and the ending is positive and uplifting. It is a charming romantic comedy. Its exploration into the nature of grief and how to cope with the pain of great loss never devolves into sentimentality. And Hyomin's touching portrayal of Ji-Ho, hiding her wounded soul beneath a smiling, happy face, keeps you caring and, at the end, just might have you cheering. 

Hyomin and the other members of T-ARA, the Korean pop music band of which she remains an important part, all have personally experienced the necessity to hide inner pain behind a smiling face, for both professional and personal reasons, and their tragic, unjust experiences in that regard must have contributed to the understanding with which Hyomin portrayed the wounded but heroic Ji-Ho.  Here is an interview with Hyomin when JINX!!! was released. Interview with Hyomin

Here is a link to a trailer for JINX!!! with English subtitles. JINX!!! Trailer with English Subs

Hyomin remains an important member of the superstar K- Pop group, T-ARA (pronounced Tiara). She won a MBC Best Female New Comer Drama Award in 2011 for her role in the Korean historical drama, Gyebaek. She debuted as a solo artist in 2014 with the hit, "Nice Body."  In 2015 she was the female lead in a Korean web drama titled, "When You Are in Love, It Rains." She returned as a solo artist in Spring of 2016.