The YouTube channel MetalAlive has uploaded complete video of BLOOD FIRE DEATH's June 26 performance at the Kilkim Žaibu festival in Ukmergė, Lithuania, capturing all ten songs from the set with individual timestamps.
BLOOD FIRE DEATH is a tribute project built around the music of BATHORY, the pioneering Swedish band led by Thomas Börje Forsberg — known to the world as Quorthon — who died in 2004. Largely a studio project during its original run, BATHORY is widely credited as a foundational influence on both black metal and Viking metal, shaping generations of musicians despite Quorthon rarely performing the material live himself.
The project's current lineup draws from some of extreme metal's most recognizable names. Erik Danielsson of WATAIN handles vocals, with Ivar Bjørnson of ENSLAVED and Rune "Blasphemer" Eriksen of VLTIMAS (formerly of MAYHEM) on guitars, Ole Jørgen "Apollyon" Moe of AURA NOIR on bass, and Bård "Faust" Eithun of DJEVEL (formerly of EMPEROR) on drums. The Lithuania set also featured guest appearances from Grutle Kjellson of ENSLAVED and Kristian "Gaahl" Espedal of TRELLDOM, formerly of GORGOROTH.
The stated goal behind BLOOD FIRE DEATH is to present BATHORY's catalog the way Quorthon himself reportedly envisioned it being staged live — weaving together the raw black metal of the band's early records, the sweeping Viking metal of its mid-period work, and the thrash-rooted aggression that ran underneath both eras, all while preserving the specific, murky sonic character that made BATHORY's recordings so instantly identifiable.
Kilkim Žaibu, held annually in Ukmergė, has grown into one of the Baltic region's most prominent metal and folk festivals, drawing an international lineup and audience each summer. The surfacing of full video from BLOOD FIRE DEATH's set gives fans outside the festival grounds a rare chance to see Quorthon's compositions performed by a band assembled specifically from musicians shaped by his influence.