Bal-Sagoth

Bal-Sagoth has sort of become my recent addiction. I got it bad. I came to them by way of Dragonforce, as DF's current drummer (Dave Macintosh) was originally the drummer for Bal-Sagoth. I don't think I've ever encountered a band whose lyrics have captivated me so much, with its high concepts and rich mythology being so interesting that it almost overshadows the actual music.

Now, Bal-Sagoth isn't the first metal band to create an elaborate fictional universe to base their songs on. Immortal has been doing it since the beginning of the NBM movement, and Rhapsody(Of Fire) have been chronicling their own fantasy epic in album form for years.

But what made Bal-Sagoth stand out to me was how elaborate the mythology was, and how dedicated the band's leader is to the project.

The guy behind the whole band is Byron A. Roberts, a bearded englishman with a love of classic weird and sword n' sorcery fiction (think Robert E. Howard, H. P. Lovecraft, etc), old-school black metal, and the obsessive drive required to get his vision made (even if it means spending a fortune of his own money). He developed an elaborate fictional universe (which he calls The Multiverse), where he could tell multiple song cycles that develope over the course of six albums. These are elaborate tales of warring barbarian tribes, intergalactic armageddon, Lovecraftian horrors returning to earth, and ancient lands that have been decimated by time and the sea.


But of course, none of this means jack squat if the music sucks, right?


This is where it gets a little iffy. I myself really like the music. Love it even. But it is definitely an acquired taste. Roberts has a very non-traditional vocal delivery. True, there is the textbook Black Metal Shreik, but this is also coupled with what can only be described as 'epic voice-over'. In almost every song, Roberts will switch between the aforementioned shriek and an over-the-top narration that will definitely turn off several listeners.

Instrument wise, its pretty solid in my view. Sometimes the low-budget recording shows its flaws, making the occasional orchestra synths sound overly.....synthetic. Sometimes the guitars could be a little louder, but the riffs are still solid.

So...are there any other fans out there?

I am not a fan but i know that the singer of SACRED STEEL is a big big fan of BAL-SAGOTH.

I like them, yeah. It helps that I like a lot of the same weird fiction that Roberts does, so it's easy for me to enjoy the stories of the songs, and there's something about how off the wall the music is that I like.

I think someone once described them as an evil version of Rhapsody, which sounds about right.

I've heard the name but haven't heard a note they play.

For those wanting a taste of your average Bal-Sagoth song, here's an example...

I'm fine with it, as a matter of fact I love it!
Hope this fills my desire for some Cthulhu Mythos style lyrics. So far the only band to do that is Portal.

Here's another, more recent tune. This one is a bit more synth heavy, but still pretty awesome.

It's from "The Power Cosmic" , which is the first of the second 'trilogy' of albums. It was their first album with an album-length song cycle instead of the multiple cycles of previous albums.

(it also has a song about the Silver Surfer)

this band, I've tried many times with, and nothing. The songs never get me going and the production is usually terrible and anti-dynamic. I dig the subject matter and the stuff they do and how crazy and over the top it is but they just never go THERE...

I own the Power Cosmic, but to be honest, barely ever gave it a listen.

Awesome live band!! They are one of the best bands I have ever seen! The frontman is a great narrator/frontman as well! Glad you found out about them, now get ALL their stuff!!!

I used to have "Upon the Ice Veiled Throne of Ultima Thule" on CD and it was a MONSTER. I need to get some of their stuff again. I loved the whole epic black metal meets power metal sound/feel of their stuff and the narration parts just took that to the next level.