Interview with Bal-Sagoth (Byron Roberts)
I was lucky enough to attend a Bal-Sagoth concert in the distant and glorious year of 1997, at the Dracma Club in Turin. I also recorded an interview that you can listen to (in English) at the bottom of the interview. Whether you like them or not, you certainly can’t accuse the English band of not having found an original and recognizable formula since their very first work, released by Cacophonous Records in 1995, a few months after Cradle Of Filth’s debut for the same label. But in the world created by our interlocutor Byron Roberts there is no room for romanticism and gothic atmospheres, as it is a visionary kingdom made of swords, spells, darkness and sagas capable of fascinating even the most demanding fan of fantasy literature! Bal-Sagoth’s music was (is!) majestic, it draws from the epicness of the most pompous metal and literally lets Byron speak, who, with his trademark screams and effected spoken vocals, unravels the elaborate plots of the stories he conceived to give life to the band’s music, enriched by complex keyboard arrangements that catapult us into an ideal soundtrack for this boundless and fantastic universe. Bal-Sagoth have not produced music for many years but, as Byron will tell us, never give up hope! Sooner or later certain entities could wake up, if the time is right…
So, dear Byron. Can you tell us how your studies and education forged the concept behind the universe of Bal-Sagoth and Caylen-Tor?
Well, my formal education culminated in an honours degree in English Literature, but it was my extracurricular studies which contributed more to my creation of the Bal-Sagoth lyrics, stories and characters. My primary inspirations were the stories I read when I was growing up; specifically works by such authors as Robert E. Howard, H.P. Lovecraft, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Clark Aston Smith, J.R.R. Tolkien, and many others. Also, comic books were a major influence, from the dynamic cosmic bombast of Jack Kirby to the Marvel adaptations of such pulp characters as Tarzan, John Carter, Conan, etc. Additionally, movies and cartoons from the 70s / 80s inspired my own creations; sci-fi, horror, fantasy, Ray Harryhausen monster pictures, 80s sword & sorcery, etc. All of these things were sources of inspiration for me when I created the Bal-Sagoth concept back in 1989.
What are you working on, these days, outside the musical area? I mean books, games, comics?
I’m primarily working on short stories and novellas at the moment. There are currently three volumes of my book series “The Chronicles of Caylen-Tor” available via DMR Books, and also my trilogy of Captain Blackthorne stories appears in the “Swords of Steel Omnibus”, also published by DMR. Right now, I’m working on a new story which will appear in the forthcoming “Swords of Steel IV” anthology, which will be published during Spring 2025. Additionally, I’m also writing the fourth volume of the Caylen-Tor book series. There are also a number of other projects which will be announced soon.
Can you spend a few words about each of Bal-Sagoth’s releases: your memories about the production and the meaning in your personal life?
Demo 1993 (Apocryphal Tales)
We recorded the demo during a single afternoon in a small recording studio under a curry restaurant. We could only afford to book in for a few hours, and we recorded three songs during that time. We never officially released it because it was never officially finished. We always intended to go back and add a few more vocal parts and a few more keyboard parts, and to remix the whole affair. However, we never got around to it and ultimately I started releasing the tracks into the underground tape trading community. These tracks were raw, brutal, rough, and totally incomplete, and they only hinted at the greatness that was to come. Nevertheless, they got us a three album deal with Cacophonous, so they ultimately served their purpose. (I authorized two of the tracks to be included as bonus tracks on the Japanese sub-licensed version of our fifth album “Atlantis Ascendant”.) The full demo was finally released in 2013 (the 20th anniversary of the original recordings). I titled it “Apocryphal Tales” and it was made available via Godreah and Exhumation Records on CD and limited edition 7″ green vinyl, featuring a full lyric supplement, sleeve notes and even a couple of bonus tracks.
A Black Moon Broods Over Lemuria (1995)
We had about two weeks in Academy Music Studio to record our debut album, during the midsummer of 1994. The archaic glory of analogue recording equipment! Needless to say, things were very hectic, and time was short. Experienced sound engineer Mags manned the desk for this one, thus beginning his long and glorious association with the band. The guitar solo on “The Ravening” was played by John Piras, who at that time was in Solstice, and who later went on to be in COF. Mags also played a bit of guitar here and there on this album, and also on the next one, as it happened. And finally, the album intro was composed and played by Keith Appleton, the owner of Academy Music Studio. I’d been telling Jonny for ages that we needed a keyboard intro for this album, but of course when the time arrived, nothing had been composed. So, Keith came to the rescue by giving us a piece he’d created some years earlier, which was in reality part of a musical suite for a stage production of Alice In Wonderland, but which had been rejected because it was deemed too scary and would have freaked out the kids!
Starfire Burning Upon The Ice-Veiled Throne Of Ultima Thule (1996)
Back to Academy during another sweltering summer for the second album. Everything about this album was bigger and more epic, from the music to the song titles! Just over two weeks in Academy, which was nowhere near long enough, but that was all the label would spring for. Also, they wouldn’t even foot the bill for new 2 inch reels, so we actually had to use the same reels as before and record over the first album! Unforgivable. Anyway, the temperature in the studio reached such crazy levels that the recording equipment actually broke down on several occasions. But we battled on, secure in the knowledge that we were creating something special. Up against the clock (again), we pulled out all the stops and used every trick in the book to get this one completed on time, including playing a lot of the double bass drums on the keyboards (yes, you read that right). Dark, epic, icy, gloriously sinister and bombastic, the second album remains the favourite of many fans.
Battle Magic (1998)
Early winter at Academy, and time for the creation of episode III. Just back from a European tour with Emperor, we were ready to continue the Bal-Sagoth legend. This album was so intricate and compositionally elaborate that it pushed the facilities at Academy to their absolute limit, and almost gave engineer Mags a nervous breakdown (but he loved every minute of it and it remains one of his favourite albums)! A different approach to the keyboards arguably sacrificed much of the dark ambience of previous releases in favour of a more symphonic brass-orientated sound, which although not to everyone’s liking nevertheless gave the third album its own unmistakable audial identity. Now secure as a firm fan favourite in the Bal-Sagoth canon, “Battle Magic” is an album which the erudite and the imaginative can savour eternally.
The Power Cosmic (1999)
And lo, the fourth album, the first one for Nuclear Blast. A new record label, a new cover artist, a new drummer, a new bassist. Lots of changes here. A grand return to the hallowed halls of Academy Music Studio for the fourth chapter in the Bal-Sagoth saga. A searingly clear production (some would rightly argue too clear) and a decidedly less barbaric approach to the musical compositions meant that the fourth album was perhaps quite markedly different in sound from previous chapters, substituting much of the trademark Bal-Sagoth chaos and extremity for a more refined and crystalized soundscape. Nevertheless, this was still undeniably Bal-Sagoth. Trivia: During the recording of “The Power Cosmic”, the band’s iconic sword Excalibur was stolen from the studio by local street urchins who proceeded to sell it, presumably in order to buy rocks of crack. The sacred blade was ultimately returned to us by Hammy of Peaceville Records, after having passed through at least one pawn shop and several worried owners.
Atlantis Ascendant (2001)
Once more into the fray! Once more into the haunted labyrinthine chambers of the Academy! This album marked the first tentative steps on the path of digital recording, as Academy had begun to upgrade and replace its analogue equipment with some new digital apparatus. Continuing the long-established tradition of elaborate and intricate orchestration, the fifth album was a multilayered, multi-textured exercise in dark and epic art. Mixing elements of all the previous chapters, “Atlantis Ascendant” struck a fine balance between extremity, clarity, aggression and refinement. The fifth album provided the supporters of Bal-Sagoth with plenty to reflect upon, which was particularly important when you realize it would be a full five years until the appearance of chapter six! Fifth album trivia: “Atlantis Ascendant” was the last album to be recorded at the old premises of Academy Music Studio. As we were putting the finishing touches to the album, the studio was being disassembled around us. We even took some of Academy home with us, for old times’ sake.
The Chthonic Chronicles (2006)
Several sayings come to mind here: “Patience is a virtue”. “All good things come to he who waits”. “Better late than never”. The sixth album took so long because we decided it would be a great idea if we recorded it on the band’s own digital equipment, in the band’s own digital studio. That was in 2002. Over the years, the slow and onerous process of amassing all the required equipment dragged on, and on. Gradually, the music took shape, adhering to the detailed story outlines and the synopsis I had presented to composer Jonny, and things were progressing gloriously, if very laboriously. More deadlines were set, and more deadlines slipped. Tensions were running high. More songs were slowly nearing completion. Finally, in November of 2005 it was time to put the finishing touches to the album with a vocal session at the newly relocated Academy Music Studio. Partly due to tradition, and partly due to the fact that only Mags understands my idiosyncratic and highly specialized vocal approach, I decided to return to Academy for the vocals. Then, in December 2005 we started on the final mix. This one went right to the wire, with us mixing all the way up until the day the courier was scheduled to arrive. Finally, I had to take the discs and package them for the UPS courier’s arrival, otherwise Nuclear Blast were threatening a release date delayed by up to a year. Luckily, the world embraced “The Chthonic Chronicles”. Upon release, the sixth album received some of the very best reviews of any of our works. The hexalogy was complete.
How can you describe the genesis and the evolution of a Bal-Sagoth’s song? Of course lyrics come first, since the concept is more than important. How do you put all the “pieces” together both in terms of music and lyrics?
I call the process by which Bal-Sagoth composes songs the “synergy” method, as that’s the best way to describe it. The lyrics are always written well in advance of the music being composed. However, the other members often don’t get to see the actual lyrics until well after the fact. It’s always a surprise to them to actually find out what the final lyrics are. It was different in the early days, when I showed all the lyrics to the members from day one and often demanded certain riffs be written specifically to suit certain lyrical passages. These days I prefer not to do that. Instead, I always prepare a general conceptual synopsis concerning the narrative outline of the album which I then give to Jonny as a reference. This synopsis includes information on which stories will be included on the album, what the required themes and moods should be, the general emotional essence a piece should convey, etc. Sometimes the details I give him are very sketchy, which Jonny often prefers so as to not overtly colour his music writing, while other times the synopsis is quite detailed. An example of the synopsis being followed well is the song “The Fallen Kingdoms of the Abyssal Plain”, for which I told Jonny that I needed a piece which conveyed the feeling of a journey to the bottom of the ocean, down through the various levels of the marine depths, to the very sea floor where we would see the ruins of ancient non-human underwater cities. I was very pleased with how well that one reflected the synopsis. In the case of epic centre-piece songs such as the second chapter in the Obsidian Crown saga or the Hyperborean Empire cycle, the synopsis will include much greater information, such as a broad outline of the events in the actual story, the key occurrences, what kind of music is required for a certain event, etc. We find this method generally works best. More often than not, Jonny will just write something completely unconnected to any outline and present that to me, too. This is often how it works, but it varies. The process of refining and perfecting a composition then proceeds over a period of weeks and months, with any number of different versions of a song exchanged as MP3s, until everything ultimately comes together in the recording studio. And that’s the Bal-Sagoth way of writing songs.
Even though a new release has not seen the light in almost 20 years, you have a powerful and loyal fanbase worlwide. Why do you think the fans are so connected with Bal-Sagoth’s music and concept after all these years?
I think it’s because Bal-Sagoth is a timeless band which has a very enduring appeal, unconstrained and undiminished by the passing of the decades. Our material is escapist fantasy which doesn’t have a “use by” date. As long as people enjoy being transported to other worlds by epic fantastic art, the power of Bal-Sagoth shall never fade.
Why is the band on hold? Can we consider Bal-Sagoth as an active band these days and may we expect something in the future, either on the studio or on the live side?
Well, Bal-Sagoth is still currently on hiatus and there are no firm plans for any further albums, at least not for the immediately foreseeable future. That’s not to say there’s any shortage of inspiration or material… Far from it! I have the content prepared for albums 7, 8 and 9, including lyrics, titles and even the cover artwork. That material has existed for years, and includes the final chapters to all of the stories which were left unfinished on the existing albums. So, maybe one day. At some point we might reunite triumphantly for a seventh Bal-Sagoth opus. But now is not the time.
Which are your best and worst memories about the extreme metal scene back in the Nineties?
I have fond memories of the old tape-trading network, which was the primary method of promoting your band back then. I would send tapes and flyers all over the world. Also, there were numerous fanzines, which were real physical items, photocopied and stapled. These days it’s all social media, MP3s and webzines, which certainly makes band promotion easier, but lacks the archaic, analogue charm of that ancient, bygone era.
What kind of music are you listening to in the present days?
I still mostly listen to my favourite albums from years past, including old Bathory, Celtic Frost, Morbid Angel, Slayer, Bolt Thrower, Sabbat, Dissection, Immortal, Darkthrone, Nile, Deicide, etc. In addition to metal, I also listen to movie soundtracks, particularly the works of John Williams, Basil Poledouris, John Barry, James Horner, etc.
Back in 1997 we recorded an interview after your show in Torino, your first time ever in Italy. Have you ever come back over here to play in the following years?
Yes, indeed. Over the years, we played in Italy a total of three times. Once in Torino in ’97 on the tour with Dark Funeral, once in Milano in ’97 on the tour with Emperor, and again in Milano in 2001 on the “No Mercy” festival tour with Marduk, Mortician, Amon Amarth, etc. Perhaps one day we will return again!
Have you got any personal memories or thoughts related to Italy and which final message and greeting would you send to the italian fans of Byron and Bal-Sagoth?
I remember the Italian fans at our gigs being really enthusiastic and dedicated. Although we only played in Italy three times, the crowds over there were definitely amongst the most dedicated and passionate! I’d like to say thanks to all the fans of Bal-Sagoth in Italy… You rule! Thanks for the interview, and be sure to check out the Bal-Sagoth social media sites and also our websites and blogs: www.bal-sagoth.net, www.byron-a-roberts.co.uk. All hail!
The interview I conducted back in 1997 at Dracma Club, Turin, Italy: