I like to call this storytelling metal. Others
will most likely use orchestral, dark or battle / black metal or whatever.
Bal-Sagoth, nevertheless,
have their own sound. “The Chthonic Chronicles” is their sixth
epic and is probably the most technical one in the band’s existence.
They certainly have not lost touch with their lyrical ideas, which is great.
The only problem this time is that the lyrics were printed too small in
the booklet, if you cared to follow the chaotic rhythmatic patterns. I suppose
you could just read at your leisure, music or not. Like Dani Filth’s
lyrics, Lord Byron’s are equally intelligent however focused on a
more science fiction and battle-oriented base. No poetry, just story-telling!
His vocals are split between, as always, spoken and black shrieks. The drumwork
of Dan Mullins is off-the-wall! He does everything from marching-style to
blast beat-style. Maudling's keyboard performance is again, sterling and
pretty much drives the power in parallel with this particular saga. Electric
and bass guitars are, ultimately, the most technical and diverse they have
ever been. What the average band would call a solo is very blatantly a rhythm
for Bal-Sagoth. Actually, this reminds me of a band called Nocturnus. There
are 12 chapters or stories to be told among "The Chthonic Chronicles,
" maintaining an hour of pleasant & brutal listening. For anyone
just discovering Bal-Sagoth, I recommend a bottle of Tylenol and see you
in the morning...
Rating: 90
Reviewed By: Thomas Mitchell |
