Bal-Sagoth “The Chthonic Chronicles” (2006)

Lo and behold! The Britonic war-gods do descend anew, to grace us once again with their mighty and epic sagas of gloriously cataclysmic battlefields, arcane scriptures of ageless unnameable horrors, the fall of aeon-old civilisations… The starry wisdom and cosmic powers of ancient deities unfathomable even to the greatest of men… More inspired by the chthonic fantasies of H.P. Lovecraft than ever, t.C.C is perhaps the darkest of Bal-Sagoth releases; mayhap a result of our worlds political evolvement since the release of Atlantis Ascendant in early 2001.

This sixth unleashment is as always encased in the mix of fast-paced black/death metal brutality and the most enchanting of stellar melodies and harmonies that has become somewhat of a trademark for Bal-Sagoth since their genesis in 1993. And as always, Bal-Sagoth rise and conquer all others trying to incorporate keys into their music, for the strings and horns of Jonny Maudling are equal to, if not more important than, his brother Chris’ guitars. They are also alone at making their instrumental interludes as important as the “real” songs. And as has always been, my words are much too feeble and inadequate to truly portray the majestic and wondrous harmonies of Bal-Sagoth, for it is a wonder that must be felt and experienced (with the correct mindset, mind you, for Bal-Sagoth is a band few dare take seriously).

As many others have done these recent years, Bal-Sagoth are working retrospectively on t.C.C, rather than venturing into unseen vistas, summoning the powers of all five predecessing works. In that perspective, t.C.C is their weakest release yet; Byron’s trademark speech are slightly to theatrical, some guitarlines and arrangements seems weak and undirected, and the drums sound slightly to digital for my taste. But these minor flaws aside, t.C.C still stand miles above all other “epic” metal bands, still making my heart pound faster in awe, still making me fly. This album concludes the first hexalogy of Bal-Sagoth, but Byron claim to have lyrical material for yet another hexalogy. The gods have now returned to the peak of Hatheg-Kla, and only time shall tell whether we will behold them again. But still their glory shall shine in splendour! Hail the Wyruld Cyninga! Sic Itur Ad Astra! Blodu ok Jarna!

-aVoid

VITALS:

Release:  2006
Label:  Nuclear Blast
Avantgenre:  Bombastic Fantastic Neoclassic War Black/Death Met
Duration:  01:00:31
Origin:  United Kingdom
Official site:  http://www.bal-sagoth.co.uk/
Review online since:  30.06.2007 / 23:12:08

TRACKLIST:

1. The Sixth Adulation Of His Chthonic Majesty
2. Invocations Beyond The Outer-World Night
3. Six Score And Ten Oblations To A Malefic Avatar
4. The Obsidian Crown Unbound
5. The Fallen Kingdoms Of The Abyssal Plain
6. Shackled To The Trilithon Of Kutulu
7. The Hammer Of The Emperor
8. Unfettering The Hoary Sentinels Of Karnak
9. To Storm The Cyclopean Gates Of Byzantium
10. Arcana Antediluvia
11. Beneath The Crimson Vaults Of Cydonia
12. Return To Hatheg-Kla

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