Qorthon’s project “Bathory” is the most highly regarded pionneer of black metal. He published three albums in this dark new genre of metal during the 80s, all about darkness, evil and Satan, and then a 4th at the end of the decade, “Blood Fire Death”. While it was still black metal, and still dark, it included slower, longer, more epic compositions and themes relating to the old gods of the Norse.

After working on an album that was to be completely in this new epic style, he abandonned it due to thinking it wouldn’t go well with the fans. Instead, he created his 5th album, Hammerheart, often considered to be his magnus opus. There, he developped that epic style more while staying black metal, and this style is now called “Viking metal” or “Pagan metal”, though in my opinion very few after Bathory had a similar style. “One rode down to Asa Bay” is one song of that album.

Always strongly opposed to Christianity, he devided to ditch satanic themes for pagan themes as he felt that Satan being a figure from Christianity, it was better to refer to the old gods that were outside Christianity.

When this album was published, the second wave of black metal had started in Norway, and Euronymous of Mayhem hated it. Undeterred by the negative reaction of some, the Swedish genius went on to publish 3 more albums in this style, and also finishing the abandoned album, before his premature death.

Asa Bay is the name of a fictional coastal town, and Qorthon would refer to it again on a few occasions on later albums.

It tells the dramatised story of Christianity coming to that fictional town.