A Black Moon Broods over Lemuria

Ah yes, the debut Bal-Sagoth record. I remember first hearing this in and around ’95, a period that to me is very special because in my mid-teens I was beginning to realize that there actually was a whole other world of metal outside of the state of Florida, a realization that brought with it vistas and horizons that were much larger and grander in scope and possibility. “Black Moon Broods…” was one of a handful of CDs that showed that Western Europe certainly did have quality bands to offer, and were not to be eclipsed by their Northern and Eastern cousins, or anything coming from the other side of the Atlantic.

In comparison to their later efforts, “Black Moon Broods…” is by far the most organic. All of the elements, however contrived, seemed to work rather well and with little effort, as opposed to the forced feel of some of the riffs on later works, that sound like they were written against a stencil or template with the word “epic” etched in the title heading. You can’t force riffs to sound “epic”, they either naturally are or they naturally are not. In any case, the only album that comes close to this one is their sophomore release “Starfire Burning…”, and if you were to look at “Starfire” as the metallic equivalent of the AD&D 3rd edition rule set, then “Black Moon” would certainly be the original, primitive, straight D&D version: sloppy, ugly, painful, yet with all of the magic fully intact.

In other words, this is EXACTLY what I want to hear when I subconsciously reach for a Bal-Sagoth record. I don’t want to hear the ether emit epic choirs while I sail upon my fucking Antediluvian starship, I want to hear the sound of vicious barbaric attacks, and boy, Black Moon delivers. The down-tuned guitars have excellent timbre and are surprisingly distinct, the keyboards are thankfully non-intrusive, and the vocals of Byron are superb. Speaking of the vocals, who the hell decided that he wasn’t allowed to use his deep growling technique anymore? What criminal negligence! The growls are some of the best in the genre, and are made even more impressive as they stand in contrast to his excellent narrative posture (which here is better than on other releases), and passable higher shriek, which isn’t necessarily that great, but it works because it doesn’t get in the way of anything else. The drumming is rather unremarkable, but in the primitive barbaric context of the record, it works fine. Although sloppy in parts (see the 1:00 mark in “Shadows ‘neath the Black Pyramid”), the record in general feels tight….obviously the band was on a mission and had a general idea of where they wanted to take this project, and it shows in the performance.

As for the lyrics, Byron’s adept storytelling has been proven time and again, so I won’t comment in too much detail about that, but I MUST say that as far as cheesy entertainment goes, you can’t get much better than some of the lines on this record. On the title track, there is such a passage:

My storm-forged sword
Ensorcelled by eon-veiled incantations.
Dark wizards' spells entwine me in ravening shackles,
And black roses draw my blood
with thorns as sharp as serpent's tooth...
I fall into the rapturous embrace of sloe-eyed witches,
The moon gleaming upon their ivory bosoms……

Holy shit, you just cannot pay for entertainment like that! Whenever I listen to this particular passage on public transit I end up with a shit-eating grin from ear to ear and people end up looking at me like I’m some degenerate who escaped from the loony bin.

Both fans and rabid collectors would be wise to seek the actual CD pressing, as it was released on Cacophonous records, who for those of you old enough to remember, was a very odd UK label that had some questionable ethics with their releases (see 13 Candles and Antestor) but still managed to release bands such as Sigh and Root. Cacophonous, for those of you who still have their mama’s milk on your breath, was a label that came into the spotlight for releasing Cradle of Filth’s debut record, which of course took off, and in a sense so did the label. Personally speaking, any Cacophonous releases are considered rare and highly sought-after collectibles

In 1995, a band by the name of 'Bal-Sagoth', based in the UK, released a little Symphonic Black Metal gem titled 'A Black Moon Broods Over Lemuria'.

'Black Moon...' is awesome. Every song is fast paced and evenly tempo'd, giving it an energetic -- and epic -- feel. The album starts off with a nice little ambient intro, before blasting into a solid Death/Black song with fast drumming, heavy guitars and synth. The entire CD is based upon these principles, but every song is unique and catchy. 'Dreaming Of Atlantean Spires' is first metal song, and everything about it is good. It starts off fast, gets melodic with a few down beats as the vocals kick in before the blasting starts. My favorite aspect of this album is that there are lots of slowed down, simple, easy and melodic passages that completely relax the listener before the next onslaught. Quite a few of these small interludes seem to snake the trail of Doom Metal rearing its head in light of the Sympho' Death/Black that make up the majority of Bal-Sagoth's early career.

The production on this release is phenomenal. The guitars are not too thick, nor are they too thin. They come in nice and clean, with just the right amount of crunch. The bass I had some trouble finding, but there are a few moments when you can hear it clearly, and Jason Porter's strings may well needed replacing after this recording was finished. Johnny Maulding -- an amazingly good drummer and keyboardist -- is the shining star of this and every other Bal-Sagoth album up to 'Atlantis Ascendant' (When they got an actual drummer, and Johnny took over Keyboards full time). His footwork and his hands keep everything in pace and he never hesitates. His drumming is relentless throughout the whole album. His synth passages are epic, and inspiring. They invoke the images of a Mystical battle being fought on through the listener's experience (Because this album is truly a ride, rather than a listen), and without them, this album would fall severely short of what it actually is. Byron's vocals are great, but they seem to over power alot of the other instruments. It is hard to hear the riffs being played when his begins to grunt and shriek. Also, he does not began his deep-voiced orations during the songs as on their second album, 'Starfire Burning...'

This is definitely a must-have. I encourage many a new listener of Bal-Sagoth to hear this album first, and follow their discography in order.

"The dreaming gods now grimly brood in the silence of Atlantean spires"

Hearken my children, and listen to a tale of death and destruction, of wonder and woe, of myths and music. As a black moon broods over Lemuria, as the sky turns black with chaos fiends, one name is whispered through loudest din and hush profound. Bal-Sagoth. Synonymous with majesty and grandeur, they have at last been birthed.

Lo, for a debut this is nothing short of awe-inspiring. Though unrefined and lacking in the sense of triumph of their later efforts. This is still an album worth a listen. Are you not awed at the melodious intertwining of the synths and the guitars? Can you not sense the chaos in the juxtaposition of the drumming and the theme and mood of the composition? Does not the guttural vocals of one Lord Byron combined with his shrieks evoke a sense of horror, even if one does not at first understand him?

Such is the power of Bal-Sagoth. A band unique in metal where the theme of the composition is not solely delivered through the lyrics, but the entire band! No other band does atmosphere as well as Bal-Sagoth. "Dreaming of Atlantean Spires" comes across as nightmarish, the synths form the skeleton of the song while the guitar plays riffs that propel the listener and takes them into such a state that they too might glimpse at Atlantis' lost towers. The drums pound giving the listener a rhythm to which they can focus, a grounding element to the song where the synths, guitars, and vocals may seem too grandiose. The vocal delivery perfectly fits the theme, during the verse they harshly describe the otherworldly scene while during the chorus they describe the spires of Atlantis themselves.

Had they only written that one song, I would still fawn shamelessly at their feet. Yet Byron and the Brothers Maudling managed to write 8 epics and still impress you. The masterful title track amply showcases the bands skill in musical dynamics. Starting with the marching beat of the drums and the militaristic clarion call the song then segues into a calm spoken-word section, setting the mood for the aural barrage to follow. Eventually the song comes across as triumphant towards the middle, listen to the symphony the instruments create. It is as if an orchestra plays on as Lemuria falls and the fiends complement said orchestra with guttural bellowing, distorted guitars, and pounding drums resulting in a sound that is disconcerting yet wholly pleasing to the ears. The epic finale that is "Into the Silent Chambers of the Sapphirean Throne" further solidifies the claim that Bal-Sagoth is, without a shred of doubt, masters at creating atmosphere. The story being told is of a journey to Valusia, entering the titular chambers. Thus, the song starts as a foreboding piece yet gradually becomes glorious. Towards the seven minute mark the guitars and synths play melodies that sounds dark, epic, and beautiful at the same time.

Among the many notable occurences in this album is the odd guitar solo in "The Ravening (incidentally the shortest song they've written, discounting the interludes)" and a synth solo in "Into the Silent Chambers of the Sapphirean Throne." The unnerving intro track "Hatheg-Kla" deserves a mention as well, for it is the darkest and most haunting ambient track I've heard.

There are of course some faults present. The biggest problem is the production, the raw production does not suit this style of music at all. At times the instruments waver in and out of focus, in some cases at the most inopportune moments such as the climax of "Shadows 'neath the Black Pyramids." The second problem is the songwriting. While the band is heads and shoulders above groups like Emperor or Rhapsody, the songwriting has not yet reached the level of greatness as Starfire Burning or The Power Cosmic. It is not that the songs are awful, it is just that it is more conventional than "Starfire Burning upon the Ice-Veiled Throne of Ultima Thule" or "Cry Havoc for Glory, and the Annihilation of the Titans of Chaos" or "Scourge of the Fourth Celestial Host." Third and final problem is more on the listener's side, the overall mood is of doom and catastrophic ends. It is not as readily enjoyable as Starfire Burning or The Power Cosmic, repeated listens must be allotted in order to let this album sink in. If you have been paying attention, you'll know that it is well worth the time.

So here we are, having read the preceding lines you will no doubt have gleaned that this album receives a recommendation. Buy it, and listen...as a black moon broods over Lemuria.

"Thus spake the silent halls of Valusia..."

Bal-Sagoth. The name itself is just full of mystery, fantastic imagery and adventure, taken straight from the lore of Robert E. Howard himself. An ambitious band formed by a master of word-craft, Byron Roberts, Bal-Sagoth was spawned into creation by a deeply inventive and imaginative mind that has wrapped its coils tightly around the dark fantasy genre and will not let go. Taking inspiration from a multitude of sources including the aforementioned Robert Howard, H.P. Lovecraft and even Stan Lee (of Marvel comics fame), the resulting material that is to become the chronicles of Bal-Sagoth is utterly bursting with evocative and extraordinary characters, events and settings, not unlike one would come across in the epic tales and myths that modern fantasy literature takes so much from.

Their debut album, A Black Moon Broods Over Lemuria, is the stepping stone on which the band will build its foundation, and expand from. This is by far the most sinister and dark of their works, utilizing cryptic and mystical themes while blending horror and fantasy with a masterful touch. The album brings to the table scriptures of black magic, rogue gods hell-bent for power, and forbidden cyclopean temples where things that should not be named dwell. Like the life of our universe that was spewed forth from the black void of space and eternity in a chaotic and violent, yet hauntingly beautiful explosion, A Black Moon…brings life to Bal-Sagoth

As you begin your sonic journey through the Bal-Sagoth world for the first time, you would find yourself plunged into a chilling bleak space of stark emptiness, with the mystical fibers of reality slowly wrapping its strands around you, causing your hair to stand on end. Hatheg Kla is the opening instrumental of the debut, and it most certainly sets the tone of the following music to follow. While uncharacteristic of Bal-Sagoth’s later instrumentals, this is mostly an ambient peace, which I believe suits its purpose quite well. At the ending of this rather short moment of calm and albeit unsettling peace, a tempestuous thunder crashes that signifies the oncoming brutality. The drums are completely barbaric, a rather excellent contrast for the beautiful orchestrations which seem to retain the air of mysticism throughout. Over all the compositions are largely blackened death metal, with a few broken interludes of slow and somber passages overlapped with one of the greatest narrative voices to be heard in metal (although that doesn’t say much, usually narration in metal is lame).

Vocally, Byron Roberts is quite multi-faceted in this album. He uses a higher black metal “shriek” of sorts, a deep, guttural growl, and of course his trademark “Orson Wells” canyon deep speaking voice. I am rather disheartened that the later albums have dropped the growls all together, as he produces them with great force and talent. Writing the music here is the masterful Johnny Maudling, and his brother Chris is on guitar duties. Johnny and Chris are quite a team, as the two often collaborate together to blend the barbaric and bombastic style of orchestration the band is so well known for in a way that is presentable as both metal, and elaborately “symphonic” in quality. A Black Moon… is not quite representative of the sound Bal-Sagoth is well known for, as they have later removed themselves from the black and dark atmosphere that is to be heard on this album. Overall one should fully expect a rather fresh take on dark symphonic metal, here. It is not something overly “cheesy” nor is it bombastic like their later works. The core of the music is still death metal, with quite a bit taken from black metal, however the compositions themselves are much more fleshed out than your average metal band.

This is to be the beginning of a long chronicling of one of the most ambitious bands in metal history. Complete with a very well crafted universe, cosmology and history, Bal-Sagoth has seen their way through hellishly devious gods bent on domination, tales of epic warfare between antediluvian nations, the rise and fall of those nations, and the ascendance of mortal beings to higher planes of power. While their music is definitely not for everyone, it truly is something to admire.

Hard to imagine for those first introduced to Bal-Sagoth's later offerings, that this is what the journey started with. It's very different from what Bal-Sagoth did from their second album onward, yet it has the basics upon which they would build. For example the awesome synth intro, interlude and outro done by Jonny Maudling. It's rather like Summoning, whose first album was very harsh and brutal compared to what came later, but awe-inspiring nonetheless. 'A Black Moon..' is truly something different from the British black/death metal underground. No wonder people got very excited about this album; it was very promising for the future. Here was a band that sounded unlike anything else, and had their own unique twist: the songs were set in a fantasy world crafted by lead-singer Byron (but obviously inspired by for example Lovecraft); yet it was not only atmospheric, but also relatively heavy/brutal.

One difference with their later work is that Bal-Sagoth wasn't based in a fully cohesive fleshed-out world. But the result was good stuff nonetheless! It hinted of ancient sorcerers, Elder Gods, witch-kings, cyclopean temples, Atlantean spires. It gave a glimpse into a fascinating dark and foreboding world. Coupled by Byron's unique vocal style: besides a very impressive grunt (only heard on the demo, this album and *one* track on the second album!) and his growly screech, he has a 'story-telling'-speech-like clean style. As if he sing-tells a story, which he in actuality does, but in a non-typical way: "Like hoarfrost, that melts before the sun, now silence broods over Lemuria". Personally I love the lyrics. It's filled with archaic and non-typical words, betraying singer Byron's education in the English language. But it's also very evocative.

And the music itself is story-like as well. It might seem a jumbled chaos at first, but the songs have direction without falling into typical verse-chorus structures. For example, the title-track is built around a repetition of the chorus built around long spoken passages (lyrics take up 2 pages in the booklet, with small print!), accompanied by burgeoning down-tuned guitars in an ever increasing tempo.

As a whole, this album is simply great in it's depth and atmosphere (hey I'm a fanboy, so I get to say this). Note however that it's halfway between death metal with synths (atmosphere!) and their later escapistic and bombastic epics, so it will not please everyone (hey I'm also honest), especially the first time listening.

One of my all-time favourite extreme metal albums. Very brutal, very dark and atmospheric, and also with melodic parts. A Black Moon Broods Over Lemuria is probably Bal-Sagoth's simplest album, but also one of their best. I like the early Bal-Sagoth best because it's darker and more sinister (from Battle Magic and on they took on a sort of annoying, happy sound).

Many of the songs are brutal and blastbeat-driven (The Ravening, Dreaming of Atlantean Spires, Witch-Storm). They are not minimalistic (like, say, mid-era Marduk), however, with blasts all the way through. All songs are diverse and feature slow and melodic parts. (Only exception is The Ravening, which is three minutes of pure destruction. And excellent destruction, I might add.) Melodic keyboards and guitars are excellent, but so are the brutal parts.

The vocals combine three styles: Deep death growls (which vanished from Bal-Sagoth after this album), midrange screaming vocals, and speech/narration. All three things are done well by vocalist Byron. Most remarkable are the spoken parts, where Byron uses his deep, ominous voice to great effect.

The cool thing about the album is the atmosphere, which is, as I've said, very dark and occult. The lyrics and music do an awesome job at conjuring up images of an ominous Black Moon brooding above mist-shrouded, time-lost Lemuria, and other sinistrous elements of the Antediluvian world. The writers R.E. Howard and H.P. Lovecraft are great influences on the lyrics. Only drawback here is that the lyrics are quite repetitive and at times sort of nonsensical. I don't know if the album is a concept album or just a bunch of songs based on a central "mythology".

The keyboards are not as dominant as on later Bal-Sagoth albums. Rather, they slither about in the background like furtive wraiths and set the atmosphere, with the guitars and drums in front. This is not necessarily a good thing (I love boards), but it makes the songs heavier, which is good.

The production is very good, with all instruments being clearly audible (even the bass, at times). Clean, but still a bit raw, and definitely very heavy.

Highlights are the title song, Dreaming of Atlantean Spires and The Ravening. But all songs are great. All in all an awesome album. If you like brutal extreme metal and dark fantasy themes, get this album.

Rating: 100%.

The songs on this album are not of this world. They conjure up thoughts of darkness, twilight, fantastical scenes of grim desire....all of this is depicted through the album A Black Moon Broods Over Lemuria. This is quite possibly the evilest album ever conjured up, through the album art, atmospheric song interludes and the intro of the CD, and the lyrics. Musically, this is incredibly different from their later more goofy sci-fi oriented stuff (which is also very amazing, but not quite as purely evil). Out of all the songs here, I'd have to say the Ravening, Shadows 'neath the Black Pyramid, and Enthroned in the Temple of the Serpent Kings showcase the album's mix of punky drumming and riffs at times, sick low and screaming vocals, voiceovers, amazing lyrics, and atmosphere the best. This album is actually more old school death/black than power/epic/black like the band is now. The low vocals are INSANE, and I have no idea why Byron doesn't do them anymore, because they are simply evil. The drumming is amazingly tight, ranging from blastbeats to the aformentioned "punk-ish" style of drumming and riffing. The bass is fully audible and incredibly crunchy, as are the riffs. Byron lets these crazy "EYAHHHH"s go all the time, which are very bone-chilling and sweet. The symphonics here are amazing and dismal, adding to the dark and blasphemous nature of the album. Overall a TRUE gem of the era of old school death and black metal, this must be heard by all seeking PURE FUCKING EVIL.

A Black Moon Broods Over Lemuria can be split into several distinct sets of songs. Included of course are the compulsary intro/outro keyboard-only tracks, which on this release are nothing special.

"Spellcraft...", "A Black Moon..." and "Into the Silent..." are not too far off their later works and would sit quite comfortably within the "Starfire Burning..." album. The only real difference is their slightly darker feel, thanks to heavier guitars and some low-growl style vocals. These really are some of their best ever songs, with all the epicness and great melodies one would expect.

"Shadows...", "Witch-Storm" and "The Ravening" are something completely different. They have very little in the way of keyboards and are basically mid-paced death metal. These sound nothing like what would usually be found within a Bal-Sagoth album.

"Dreaming..." and "Enthroned..." come somewhere inbetween the two styles.

Their are only two real criticisms of the album. Firstly, the mix of styles leads to a somewhat incoherent listening experience. For a band so heavily based on concepts as Bal-Sagoth, how an album flows is very important. Secondly, there is very little variety in the keyboard work, with the same set of effects being used in almost every song.

This album is well worth getting hold of because it gives a good insight into how they developed the trademark sound of their newer stuff and it is also quite hard to get hold of, so is a nice addition to any collection. It is not recommended as a first Bal-Sagoth purchase though.

A Black Moon Broods Over Lemuria is Bal-Sagoth's first full length, and varies greatly from their latter works. For one, Byron uses a death metal growl throughout the album, along with his trademark black metal/spoken word mixture. Another noticable difference is that this album is A LOT heavier than the others. Death metal with grace (mostly...) and symphony.

The guitars are tuned to a heavier tuning than on any of their other records, but they still use epic riffs. Riffs that make you believe you are part of Robert E. Howard's world of antediluvia. Very barbaric, indeed!

The drumming is a lot less controlled, and sounds very similar to Morbid Angel and their ilk. Fewer cymbals and more frantic pounding equals death metal drums.

The keyboards are a mixed offering. Some songs have great keyboarding, while other sound like the keyboards overshadow everything else. They were still trying to figure out their own sound, so things didn't go as well as they did on Battle Magic or Atlantis Ascendant.

A little note: Valley of Silent Paths (the last "song") does not have a track number. It is part of "Into the Silent Chambers...". So there are actually 9 tracks, but 10 song titles.

Some highlights include: Hatheg Kla (a vile keyboard intro), title song (very epic, very long, excellent riffs), The Ravening (barbaric, uncontrolled death metal).

Blodu ok Jarna!