Artist: Bal-Sagoth
Label:Cacophonous Records
Release Date: 1998
Rating: 4 Skulls
|
|
Title: Battle Magic Artist: Bal-Sagoth Label:Cacophonous Records Release Date: 1998 Rating: 4 Skulls |
|
|
|
||
Dguy's Review:
Here we are with my second second Classics review, and I had a hell of a time deciding on what to do. Most of the classics I would have picked have either already been done, or aren't old enough to qualify, but still qualify as classics in my own mind. So I looked through my music collection for all the releases I had from 1998 or 1999, and what did I find? Bal-Sagoth's Battle Magic. Not my favorite Bal-Sagoth release (that would go to Atlantis Ascendant), but still a masterpiece of melodic black metal. When I first heard the album, I wasn't really wowed, mainly, I think, because I listened to it all the way through, and it's a bit much to digest it all at once on a first listen. This isn't an "album" album. It's a "song" album. Huge, powerful songs like "Return to the Praesidium of Ys," "Blood Slakes the Sands At Circus Maximus," and "Thwarted By the Dark (Blade of the Vampyre Hunter)," coupled with singer/lyricist Byron's over the top (some would say ludicrous) lyrical style and diverse delivery and the Maudling brothers' ripping guitar/keyboard melodies make this album an absolute must for any fan of fun, melodic metal. I mean, how can you resist lyrics like this:"I was spawned deep beneath the Pre-Cambrian sea, the scion of a far distant sun... I have traversed the endless stars, and journeyed to a myriad galaxies... The dimensional gates of the multiverse are mine to voyage effortlessly beyond, Cosmic infinity is naught to one such as I... I am as one with celestial eternity... Clad in gleaming pentlandite armour, on a whim I may reshape entire worlds, Or extinguish the blazing light of a sun... and I remain forever enchanted by sylphs..."
Or even:
"The Circus Maximus was certainly a splendid sight, I'll admit. A vast colosseum with great stone columns and tiers, huge ornate arches and mighty statues of grey marble. Countless people filled the seats surrounding the sandy floor of the Arena... and in his opulent royal enclosure, flanked by gleaming guards and grovelling lackeys, sat the great Emperor himself...
[Emperor Nero:] Fight, barbarian outlander! Please us, and mayhap Mars will smile on thee this day!
[Iceni warrior:] Bah! I do not hail to your Roman gods, and you are not my emperor! By Cernunnos, the blood of my enemies shall stain the sand of this cursed arena red this day!"
Yeah, you love them already. Admit it. And as you probably noticed, Bal-Sagoth are obviously very proud of their heritage as Brits, as plenty of British metal bands are (Iron Maiden and Sabbat spring to mind first). "Blood Slakes the Sands At Circus Maximus" goes into full detail about the capture of an Iceni Celtic warrior by a Roman legion, his transportation back to Rome, and his first battle (and first defiance) of Emperor Nero. Even Bal-Sagoth's songs about more fantastic topics will make you believe that yes, Cthulhu, the Silver Surfer, and Atlanteans exist, and they know how to fucking rock. So if you are a fan of melodic fantasy-filled metal, H.P. Lovecraft, R.E. Howard, or hell, even Jack Kirby (I wasn't kidding, they have a song about the Silver Surfer on their aptly named The Power Cosmic album), get anything and everything you can by Bal-Sagoth. You will not be disappointed. And be sure to keep an eye out for their sixth full length album, coming sometime this year. Thrash 'til fucking death!
[- Metal Judgment Home -] [- Email Metal Judgment -]
©1999 Metal Judgment. All rights reserved.