The band Bathory was formed one year earlier. Quorthon was working part-time at the small record label Tyfon. In late 1983 and early 1984, the label was putting together a lot of songs by Scandinavian metal bands. At the last minute, one of the bands backed out. Tyfon agreed to let Bathory appear on the record as a replacement, and the band recorded two songs for the compilation—"Sacrifice" and "The Return of the Darkness and Evil"—in January. The album, "Scandinavian Metal Attack", was released in March 1984 and was Bathory's first appearance on record. Much of the fan-mail was directed towards Bathory, and Tyfon asked them to record a full-album.