Starfire Burning upon the Ice-Veiled Throne of Ultima Thule

Back in '96, Bal Sagoth was a totally new name for me and it was with some reluctance that I parted with the $20 in my pocket. For the high school student that I was, this was a huge risk, but I mean, how can you stay indifferent to such amazing cover artwork? This album has GOT to be good, I said to myself on my way home, tucking away the cd lovingly and taking it out of my jacket every 2 minutes to look at the artwork.

The first track (a symphonic, synth-driven instrumental) automatically sets the mood: grand, epic, spine-chilling (and many other synonyms for these words). As the last synth note still floats in the air, the room's temperature drops dramatically with the advancing low cloud of guitars and drums. The menacing tone bodes of a coming battle and a lot of bloodshed! And lo! As Byron alternates his low-voiced speeches with his (equally low) menacing black metal growls amidst torrents of breakneck drumming, stunning melodies crackling with timeless magic, snow-covered battlefields and towering obsidian citadels, this becomes all too vivid in the mind of the awed listener. Encased within the gleaming sheath of hyperborean permafrost, the glory of battle and the dark magic of the ancients unfolds. Yes, Byron's impossibly long phrasing is highly contagious, as are Bal Sagoth's rhythms and epic songcraft (balanced and honed like a double-edged obsidian blade).

As I regained the use of speech, I praised the ice-veiled throne for opening a portal for Bal Sagoth into our boring world. So yeah, Bal Sagoth are epic, and 16 years later I have yet to hear an album that out-epics Starfire. From the opening instrumental to the one closing it, it's purely epic, icy, barbarous, and galloping fury littered with tasteful breaks where the synths soar to paint you the grandest icy landscapes, hyperborean citadels, and battlefields. The only side effect is that it will give you a knack for extremely long sentences, but as long as they're about swords and sorcery, I guess you're FINE!

Reviewer Autothrall wrote that what this band does can really be hilarious and tongue-in-cheek. Well, it depends on how much you're willing to let Bal Sagoth's music transport you out of your ordinary world and into their magick-drenched winter realm (:

I'm so glad I trusted my hunch and got this album. Epic metal never sounded (and might never sound) better than this. These warhearts have skillfully crafted a brilliant piece of music with a rare intensity and power. If you're an epic metal addict, and If you love the sword & sorcery genre, or if you just love to gaze at some truly great album artwork, owe it to yourself to BUY (not download) this cd. It will be a cherished piece in your metal collection.

Amazon reviewer name: Torquemada 'sweating demon'

Bal-Sagoth are proof positive that if you're going to go out on a limb and do something ridiculous, do it right. Go all fucking out. To achieve this end they have evolved away from the more purely black/death influenced sound of their debut A Black Moon Broods Over Lemuria into an epic, symphonic fantasy metal style alternating between snarling vocals and melodic black riffs to pompous narration and charging power. Add to this potent mix the fantastic lyrical vomit of 'Lord Byron', which is essentially an absurd amalgam of H.P. Lovecraft's Mythos, Robert E. Howard's barbaric fantasy, and many other archaic fantasy tropes. The band is also characterized by their use of humorously excessive song titles.

'Starfire Burning Upon the Ice-Viled Throne of Ultima Thule' is not the best of Bal-Sagoth's forays into the epic and obscure, but it is the match which sparked off the inferno to come. It remains enjoyable to this day and there is a particular timelessness to this band's style: they are always worth a laugh. Several of my gaming friends and I use them as the go-to for a night of drunken dork debauchery. As par for the course, the album begins with a symphonic synthesizer prologue, "Black Dragons Soar Above the Mountain of Shadows", a pompous track all on its own which lets you know you're in for a hybrid of carousel music and a Dungeons & Dragons campaign gone horribly wrong (or horribly right, if you're on the level). "To Dethrone the Witch-Queen of Mytos K'unn (The Legend of the Battle of Blackhelm Vale)" bursts forth with some winding symphonic black metal riffs, dispersed by a plodding thrash riff saturated in Byron's manly narration. Like the song titles, the lyrics themselves are excessive to a fault, and most are narrative rather than verse.

"Emboldened by their victories and the expansion of their queen's dark dominion, the hordes of Mytos K'unn began the incursion into the lands of the Northern Tribes, beginning with the grim and brooding territories south of the Snow Kingdoms... the rugged homelands of the warlike clans which had been recently united into a strong realm by the powerful warrior-king Caylen-Tor, a man known to his allies and enemies alike as the Wolf of the North."

Who are these fucking people? The album continues with the windy mystique and fluttering keyboards of "As the Vortex Illumines the Crystalline Walls of Kor-Avul-Thaa", which features a great and familiar sounding march/bridge. The title track opens with a chugging gait, shortly replaced by lavish synth as Byron dictates 'The Final Part of Voryn Helmsmiter's Journey to the Ice Realm'. "Journey to the Isle of Mists (Over the Moonless Depths of Night-Dark Seas)" is another sweeping, glorious instrumental with some amazing synthwork. Jonny Maudling is a true talent on the piano/keys and if he hasn't already starting scoring films, well isn't it about time? "The Splendour of a Thousand Swords Gleaming Beneath the Blazon of the Hyperborean Empire" is the first of a multi-part saga which will continue on later albums, a rousing war metal piece featuring the barbarian snarling and epic carousel motif to its fullest.

The rest of the tracks basically follow suit, but I'm not sure I have it within me to continue battering you over the head with this wall of text. "In the Raven-Haunted Forests of Darkenhold, Where Shadows Reign and the Hues of Sunlight Never Dance" is one of my favorite tracks on the album, and the morose keys of the closer "At the Altar of the Dreaming Gods" are likewise lush and delicious.

Strangely, it's the sort of album towards which my appreciation has only grown. My first response to this band, I'll admit, was that they were ridiculous, overhyped and stupid. But then it struck me...my criticism was largely bourne of my own self-serving seriousness, which prevented any true appreciation for the masterful irony this band had created in a stagnant metal economy. It's a hilarious album which also serves you a super sized portion of quality symphonic metal. If I were to once again review this in...say...5-10 years, the score may grow even higher. It's one of those types of records, so neglect this at your own risk!

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

Another safe pick for a review, there is nothing wrong with this album, production aside. If Bal-Sagoth had more money, the production would improve, so don't hold that against them. This is one of the most awe-inspiring works by a truly innovative band, a band gifted with creativity as well as musical virtuosity.

It would take too long to go song-by-song on this album, I will just summarize its strong(er) points. First, the synthesizers and atmospherics. They pervade the entire album and give it its air of splendor. Without this element, I would probably not recognize this as Bal-Sagoth. A trademark of the band, the atmosphere on this album is the very height of epic sounding music. The guitars are actually secondary to the keyboards, and I'm o.k. with that. Also, the first and last songs are nice original compositions that give some closure to this work.

Second, Byron's voice. A truly gifted story teller, this man has a serviceable black metal voice, but his deep narrative voice is what sets him apart, and makes him one of my favorites. Also, he switches to the narrative at the very best parts of the songs, like 3:40 into the ninth song, "In the Raven-Haunted Forests of Darkenhold....." Not only are the lyrics grandiose, Byron delivers them like nobody else can. He sounds like the Great King of Hyperborea himself, come to pass judgment on the mortals who trespassed into his domain.

Now onto the guitars. While I am not a huge black metal nut, the fast guitars on this album are enjoyable, but when the guitar slows down and becomes a bardish accompaniment like at 3:23 into "The Splendour of a Thousand Swords..." this is where I just get completely immersed in the music. Not many bands can take you to another place by virtue of their songs, but Bal-Sagoth transport the listener to a place of high fantasy where dark heroes forge sagas of blood and malicious gods cast their malign gazes upon the planes of the mortal world and lust after the woeful carnage there.

So if you are not put off by a different take on heavy metal, or you enjoy Blind Guardian or any of that Viking metal stuff, check this out. I cannot imagine you will be disappointed by this album, or any of Bal-Sagoth's albums, really.

Standouts: Tracks 4, 6, 7, and 9 (the names are extremely long)

Wow. What an album. I originally picked this up thinking it'd be a take on Viking Metal, since Ultima Thule seems to hold a place in Germanic Mythology, but instead, I found a raging Symphonic Black Metal that pounds the listener from every direction. Bal-Sagoth, while not entirely being my favorite band in the world, have truly impressed me with this album. The production was not great, and I personally think that a lot of things could've had some work done on them, but all in all, this album is extremely solid. A work of art that has made this band stronger since it's initial release.

The drums were pushed a bit into the backround, but damn! Listen to those foot pedals! The Maulding brothers have always been a good team, and this album is no exception. Johnny's drumming and synth pieces power up when Chris' guitars explode onto the scene, and with such atmosphere spouting about, we hear Byron take us on the journey with his great orations. Bands who write lyrics to make each album a story (King Diamond, for example) don't seem to hold a candle to Bal-Sagoth.

I grant this album a well-deserved 96%. I deduct a few points on the basis that the production could have been better, as could have the mixing. I feel the drums truyl were pushed too far back into the mix.

This is not your average extreme metal album. This is not your average riff-oriented wall of sound, minimalistic blast beat fest, or cheesy keyboard-laden wankery. This is not your average antidote to the rock star image, music charts, MTV, or whatnot. It's THE antidote, and that without having to sound tr00, evil, depressed, or gore, or whatever else than just bloody heavy and epic. This is epic beyond what you would probably describe as epic. Hell, it's even more epic than Wagner! This is about as bombastic and complex as it could ever get for metal. Forget Rhapsody.

This is Bal-Sagoth.

Prior to hearing this album, I thought Dream Theater had some pretty complex songwriting. Then came "Starfire Burning Upon The Ice-Veiled Throne Of Ultima Thule", which re-defined the idea of complexity for me. Though it's possible that there may be even more complex things out there, it sure won't be as consistently splendid and awe-inspiring as this and any subsequent Bal-Sagoth album. And by the way, it's epic, too.

Skipping track 1, which is a CD-ROM track added by Cacophonous and further unrelated to the album, track 2 begins with the pounding synthesizer mania of Jonny Maudling, who is for some inexplainable reason not England's most famous son. Arguably the best keyboard instrumental by the band, "Black Dragons..." is one of those songs showing why Maudling is often said to have the skills for writing soundtracks. Forget it, soundtracks aren't as good as this is. I could listen to this song for hours and never get bored with it. It really gets as splendid as the title makes it sound, and perfectly sets the mood for the rest of the album, though it'll get a lot darker after this. When listening, don't forget to read the lyrics. (This, of course, goes for the entire album; there are large unsung passages and those that are sung are usually incomplete parts of dialogues between characters.)

Then, "To Dethrone The Witch-Queen..." introduces the listener to the sound of the whole band, which is, sort of, overall indescribable. The guitars and bass are at first hearing a lot more in the background than they usually are in any metal genre, but growing used to the songs you'll notice that there's a lot more to them than you first thought. As a matter of fact, they set most of the tone, while the keyboards alternate between playing the main tune and adding some sort of second melody to the guitar riffs, though both at a much more prominent level than what they are usually confined to in other bands. The drums are typically extreme metal, with blast beats, double bass, and other mind-boggling concepts prevailing. And then, of course, there's Byron recounting his tales and sagas in his typically unparallelled style, alternating more standard black metal-type vocals with a narrating voice, adding a death grunt or other distorted roar, scream, or whatever here and there, but always in a particularly emphatic manner. That's how it remains on the entire album, and on all other albums as well, though later efforts at times show a minor shift in balance between synths and guitars.

"As The Vortex..." is a notch up from the previous song, first kicking your ass with a few thrash riffs and some melodic leads, the guitars providing an anvil upon which all the while these keyboards hammer down their notes. Then comes a break, "And a terrible silence fell upon Kor-Avul-Thaa...", which is among the most chilling moments of the album, with the most insane piece of epic symphony following. Bloody heavy ass-kicking stuff. And it continues! This is not for waking up with if you're hung over, unless you're exceptionally hardy.

And just when you thought you could catch your breath comes the masterpiece of the album, the title track. It starts with a bang, then calms down into a symphonic lead with Byron setting the scene of the tale, "and this ancient prophecy unfolds...". The riff that follows then is arguably among Chris Maudling's most noteworthy achievements to date, thrashing Kerry King to another galaxy. Only after that does the song come to its apex, which is the symphonic "chorus", if there's any such thing in here. This is ultra-splendid majestic grandeur that none other than Bal-Sagoth could have created. Though they've made some pretty astounding pieces of music on later albums, few compare to this. (Let alone pieces of music by OTHER bands!)

"Journey To The Isles Of Mist" gives one a short break from the madness, until it's time for another major landmark on this album: Part 1 of the monumental Hyperborean saga. Epic. Splendid. But most of all, epic. Also check out Part 2 on "Battle Magic" and Part 3 on "Atlantis Ascendant".

It is followed by another continued saga, this time that of the Obsidian Crown, whose sequel "The Obsidian Crown Unbound" is found on "The Chthonic Chronicles".

And the album proceeds. Really, background music, this is not. "Summoning The Guardians Of The Astral Gate" and "In The Raven-Haunted Forests..." aren't even toning down a bit after the madness and simply continue the onslaught of thrashy, meticulously-played guitar riffs and keyboard craze. Simply because of its unrelenting nature, "Starfire..." can be rated as the best album by Bal-Sagoth. As a matter of fact, "In The Raven-Haunted Forests..." includes the most catchy part of the album, namely the "chorus".

"I stand now at the anvil,
Adamantine hammer in my hand,
In thunder-song the steel I smite,
A clarion heard throughout this land."

Written down here it may look cheesy, but the imposing riff underneath it leave you no other choice than to feel amazed. I'd say that this goes for most of the lyrics, but that's not true, since they're quite far from being any cheesy. Which then summarizes Bal-Sagoth's true valour; yes it is fantasy, but a few notches up from the sort you usually get to read in metal lyrics. I say that not to downgrade any other bands' attempts, but simply to praise Byron's outstanding work.

And thus ends the legendary "Starfire..." with the typically more relaxed keyboard instrumental. Again, amazing stuff by Jonny Maudling.

The album is not quite a simple collection of straightforward "this-is-heavy-metal-now-bang-your-heads" stuff. In much the same way, the lyrics aren't simple fantasy tales about a band of warriors out on a mythical quest or whatever. This is Bal-Sagoth. It's epic.

PS: I ask forgiveness for not spelling out all the titles in full, but this saved me half a page!

Bal-Sagoth really broke through with this album. And rightly so! I consider it their magnum-opus, their best work. And frankly, it's the best work there is in the field of escapistic atmospheric and bombastic extreme metal with a strong fantasy theme infused with elements from Lovecraft and sci-fi, hands down!! A Starfire Burning Upon The Ice-Veiled Throne Of Ultima Thule is really something different, something special; heck, just look at that title I just typed and the other song-titles!

It all starts with a 3 minute synth-based intro fit for a movie soundtrack. If you check the booklet in the meantime, you'll notice that even the intro has accompanying lyrics, although not sung! You might have already gathered it, but Bal-Sagoth is about epics, about story-weaving through music. The text accompanying track 2 takes up 3 pages, of which about half isn't sung, but is used for story-telling, mood-setting purposes. The following track, 'As The Vortex Illumines The Crystalline Walls of Kor-Avul-Thaa' is my personal favorite:

"Not sword, ballistae, nor burning brand
Could e'er these walls aspire to breach,
Yet now the city's fall is nigh,
As elder rites black fiends unleash..."

As I mentioned on my 'A Black Moon Broods' review: singer Byron has studied english and middle-english, and the effect is noticeable, especially in the semi-spoken-semi-sung clean passages. The stories are im my personal opinion magnificent. But it gets better: the music follows the lyrics! After discovering Bal-Sagoth I've searched long and hard for other bands that managed to convey the same fantasy atmosphere in both lyrics and music. Every song is an epic. Compare this to Rhapsody.. (which are IMO the best of the lot, but still)

The synths lay down the background atmosphere, while the guitars and drums set up the pomp and bombasm and Byron lays out the story; only all this integrated into a whole that let's your mind wander into a different universe, where the Hyperborian king battles Lord Angsaar, and the barbarian aspirant aspires to summon the guardians of the astral gate.
Some say Bal-Sagoth is enjoyable because of the cheese-factor. Not so in my opinion. At least, this album can't be said to be cheese any more than the Lord of the Rings trilogy can be said to be cheese. When comparing this to other bands that 'attempt fantasy', the difference is certainly noticeable. There's just so much more to the music. The riffs are complex, composition very involved. Jonny Maudling plays 2 synths at the same time, and Byron is certainly both a gifted lyricist and vocalist. He pays meticulous attention to things like intonation and all the things that make the lyrics flow well and evocative at the same time. If you listen to this album with the lyrics booklet in hand, reading along to the songs, you certainly get the best experience. The booklet has great album art if you ask me (especially that cover!) and adds something particular that many bands miss. And if you only listen to the music, well, it moves, builds up and carries you along all the same. Considering the musical style sets this band so apart from other bands, the unique aproach, and the near flawless execution (production isn't perfect) plus how I've personally enjoyed it, I'll rate this album as a classic.

One does not truly comprehend the genius that is Bal-Sagoth until one reads the lyrics and realizes that what he holds in his hands is the crème de la crème of his Metal experience. Bal-Sagoth is well known for the epic stories, which they portray in their songs, but it is until one actually reads the lyrics that the full experience can be appreciated.

Extremely well written lyrics and exceptionally fitting melodies and music to go along with them are what makes this band unique and epic. The best description that I can think of when describing the sounds of Bal-Sagoth is theme music depicting the action that is taking place in the lyrics. The music is extremely fitting to the content of the lyrics. Aggressive vocals, keyboards and drums are the strong points of the musical aspect of this album. Melody, composition and lyrical content are the strong points with regard to the overall atmosphere produced by this album.

One of the best tracks is probably the title track, although it is difficult to point out just one as each has something different to offer. The title track begins with a true symphonic sound while lyrics are being spoken in the background. Then you can start banging your head and throwing the horns, as the drum and guitar melodies blow your fucking head off. Part of this song sounds as if it were battles hymns playing on a battlefield. Words escape me, when I try to describe the brilliance that is this song. Download it or buy the album, but listen to this song as soon as you can.

The melodies, such as in “And Lo, When The Imperium Marches Against Gul-Kothoth, Then Dark Sorceries Shall Enshroud The Citadel Of The Obsidian Crown,” and “In The Raven-Haunted Forests Of Darkenhold, Where Shadows Reign And The Hues Of Sunlight Never Dance” are great examples of why the band keeps putting out great albums. Enchanting and breath taking symphonic metal is what Bal-Sagoth has been and is to this day, with no sign of slowing down or changing. The harmonious brilliance is unlike what many bands can accomplish, but Bal-Sagoth does this very well. The speed metal aspect of Bal-Sagoth is clearly heard in “Summoning The Guardians Of The Astral Gate.” The melody and the speed and the transition from slow melody to speed metal riffs was incredibly done in this song.

It is quiet difficult to describe this album or even Bal-Sagoth, to someone who has not heard the band’s music. But do yourself a favor and purchase this album. Read the booklet lyrics, bang your head and live the experience that is Bal-Sagoth. Starfire Burning Upon The Ice-Veiled Throne Of Ultima Thule is a perfect introduction to the band as it shows Bal-Sagoth’s true glory and genius.