TRACKLIST

1. Sixth Adulation of His Chthoic Majesty, The  2. Invocations Beyond the Outer-World Night  3. Six Score and Ten Oblations to a Malefic Avator  4. Obsidian Crown Unbound, The  5. Fallen Kingdoms of the Abyssal Plain, The  6. Shackled to the Trilliton of Kutulu  7. Hammer of the Emperor, The  8. Unfettinger the Hoary Sentinel of Karnak  9. To Storm the Cyclopean Gates of Byzantium 10. Arcana Antediluvia 11. Beneath the Crimson Vaules of Cydonia 12. Return to Hatheg-Kla

Everybody who really enjoyed the Lord Of The Rings trilogy, should urgently enter the wonder world of Bal-Sagoth. Well, you have to like (black) metal too, that is right, though that style is only a fraction of what there is to experience on a Bal-Sagoth album. Since 1995 the unique Yorkshire ensemble offered us almost every year a baroque, pompous pieces of work, all part of an immense 'hexalogy'.

Only this time we had to be patient for five years before the successor of ''Atlantis Ascents'' was ready for revelation. 'The Chthonic Chronicles' is the third part of the second trilogy of Bal-Sagoth. Lyrics, as always, come out of the fantastical brain of vocalist Byron Roberts, while the music is written by the brothers Maudlin. They are completed by the more recently changed rhythm section of Dan Mullins on drums and bass player Mark Greenwell. Those who are familiar with earlier works, will discover a gratifying continuation on 'The Chthonic Chronicles'. Indeed, there is no reason to change anything to the rather well unique sound of Bal-Sagoth. In the quieter parts, Byron tells the stories with a dark, deep voice, while in moments of furious blast beats, he screams his winged words into the microphone. The symphonic 'The Sixth Adulation Of His Chthonic Majesty' seems to be the filmic prologue to galloping rhythms, narrative excerpts and raging eruptions in the next track. Opposite to that we have broad keyboard parts and emotive guitar solos that would not be out of place on an album of a progressive super band. Moments of introspection like the figurative 'The Hammer Of The Emperor' or the with serene choir-like vocals graced 'To Storm The Cyclopean Gates Of Byzantium' contrast with very speedy stunners as the snapping 'Unfettering The Hoary Sentinels Of Karnak'. The music of Bal-Sagoth is multi-layered and mostly restless, but the band feels precisely when it becomes too much and suddenly shifts to a moment to breathe again with almost sweet intermezzo. That is why 'The Chthonic Chronicles' are like an engrossing hear-play where the differential music is expressive enough to raise your imagination. It is like a soundtrack. This album is recorded totally digital for the first time, but it kept the charm of analogue processes. During the highfaluting 'The Fallen Kingdoms Of The Abyssal Plain' I even think in a flash: this is the Rhapsody of black metal, but I do not know if they are happy with that. They should get as much recognition anyway!

The historians of metal who do lyrical archaeological work and link all kinds of ancient civilizations in search of the ultimate primeval civilization have an eye for details and draw also out of the works of classical writers as H.P. Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard. It is a study itself if you want to fathom it. On their website you can find an explication for the manifold semi-imaginary places that appear in their work of life. The works of a gentleman who has found the right musicians and offers the world something really special.