Bathory was an iconic black metal band that formed in Sweden in 1983. It was named after Hungarian countess Elizabeth Báthory, a noblewoman and serial killer. They are considered the pioneers of black metal (alongside Venom and Mercyful Fate) and one of the very first to explore the genre of Viking metal. Bathory and their first 4 albums are seen as the "blueprint for Scandinavian black metal" but after discovering their Viking metal style, they were hooked. They stopped performing live early on and never toured, the frontman was the sole constant member and at times responsible for all instruments. The band ended with his sudden death in 2004.