The Return of the Darkness and Evil
Studio album by Bathory
Released	May 27, 1985
Recorded	1985 at Electra Studios in Stockholm, Sweden
Genre	Black metal, thrash metal[1]
Length	36:41
Label	Black Mark Productions
Producer	Quorthon and Boss
Professional reviews
Allmusic [1]
Bathory chronology
Bathory (1984) The Return of the Darkness and Evil (1985) Under the Sign of the Black Mark (1987)

The Return of the Darkness and Evil is the second album by Bathory. It was released in May 1985 and had an influence on the then-emerging death metal and black metal genres.

[edit] The title

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.

[edit] The apocalyptic poem

When the sacred oath is broken

and the lie is spoken out loud
when the angel is POSSESSED
and the virgin is stolen her pride

When the flame of love and pureness
have turned to BESTIAL LUST
when the walls of gold in heaven
close in and turn to dust

When THE WIND OF MAYHEM whispers
through the vale of tears and death
when the golden river is empty
and the SADIST tear the angels' flesh

When the SON OF THE DAMNED strides the earth
and THE RITE OF DARKNESS is done
when the REVELATION OF DOOM comes closer
and the battle just begun

When the beauty is BORN FOR BURNING
and the TOTAL DESTRUCTION draws near
when the disciples under the sign of the black mark gathers
and the REAP OF EVIL is here

Then the clouds of death shall gather
then the night shall always burn
then the ancient prediction comes true
and the bells of fate chime
THE RETURN ......

[edit] Track listing

The remastered version released in 2003 combines tracks 1 and 2, and tracks 7 and 8.

1. "Revelation of Doom (Intro)" – 3:27
2. "Total Destruction" – 3:50
3. "Born for Burning" – 5:13
4. "The Wind of Mayhem" – 3:13
5. "Bestial Lust" – 2:41
6. "Possessed" – 2:42
7. "The Rite of Darkness" – 2:05
8. "Reap of Evil" – 3:28
9. "Son of the Damned" – 2:48
10. "Sadist" – 3:00
11. "The Return of the Darkness and Evil" – 3:49
12. "Outro" – 0:25

[edit] Credits

• Quorthon – electric guitar, additional bass guitar, vocals, lyrics
• Andreas Johansson – bass guitar
• Stefan Larsson – drums

[edit] References

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