Description

Bal Sagoth is a truly unique band. This album is a perfect mix of brutality, melody and fantasy to a new outstanding level. How can I begin to describe Bal-Sagoth's creative music? Well, for starters, I guess I could describe it as a mix of Power Metal and Black Metal. How? I'll admit it's even hard for me to explain. They take some of aggression of Black Metal and mix it with the general atmosphere of fantasy symphonic power metal to make something truly unique. The keyboards and the guitars mix well together. The music is brilliantly composed and is powerful, majestic, beautiful and uplifting. The vocals are amazing and like no other. The lyrics consist of warrior sagas and are beautifully written. Prepare to go back in time and experience the glory of the warrior kings in a world filled with mysticism. This is the kind of music that makes you feel real good and that forces you to face the adversity in your life and to overcome. Startfire Burning Upon The Ice-Veiled Throne Of Ultima Thule starts with a symphonic, synth-driven instrumental that automatically sets the mood: grand, epic, spine chilling (and many other synonyms to these words). Then comes the first blow: a unique low sounding distortion that will drop the temperature in any room by the second. Vocalist Byron alternates his low voiced speeches with his (equally low) menacing black metal growls, amidst torrents of breakneck drumming, stunning melodies and a new atmosphere with every new song, all encased within the gleaming sheath of hyperborean warfare, the glory of battle and the dark magic of the ancients. If you love fantasy then this album will take you away into an epic world of barbarian sword battles, dark sorcery, esoteric space gods, and betrayal. Okay, I know the word epic gets tossed around in the metal scene way too much, but this is the definition of epic. To this day I still have yet to place Bal-Sagoth in any sort of genre. They are just Bal-Sagoth. Don't get this confused with cheesy power metal with lyrics such as ride the dragon to the sky or anything like that. The story of this universe, and its past and future, that unfolds across Bal-Sagoth's six albums could easily fill a 10,000 page book if fully fleshed out. And the lyrics are set to an arrangement of brilliantly creative guitar riffs, absolutely mold-breaking keyboard passages, great drumming, and interesting vocals. The best part is that if you read along, and you must if you want the best lyrics/story ever penned for a metal album and the music actually fits perfectly what is going on in the story. Bal-Sagoths second album really is something special and even now, more than 15 years later, I can still remember were I where and what I did when I heard it the first time. So if you appreciate good keyboards and majestic music, get it. Get it now Track listing: 1. Black Dragons Soar Above The Mountain Of Shadows (Epilogue) 2. To Dethrone The Witch-Queen Of Mytos K'unn (The Legend Of The Battle Of Blackhelm Vale) 3. As The Vortex Illumines The Crystalline Walls Of Kor-Avul-Thaa 4. Starfire Burning Upon The Ice – Veiled Throne Of Ultima Thule 5. Journey To The Isle Of Sists (Over The Moonless Depths Of Night-Dark Seas) 6. The Splendour Of A Thousand Swords Gleaming Beneath The Blazon Of The Hyperborean Empire 7. Ad Lo, When The Imperium Marches Against Gul-Kothoth, Then Dark Sorceries Shall Enshroud The Citadel Of The Obsidian Crown 8. Summoning The Guardians Of The Astral Gate 9. In The Raven-Hunted Forests Of Darkenhold, Where Shadows Reign And The Hues Of Sunlight Never Dance 10. At The Altar Of The Dreaming Gods (Epilogue)