The band incorporates black metal influences and symphonic elements into an overall grandiose canvas, with the elaborate lyrics of Byron Roberts painting a picture of battles in an antediluvian age where Atlantis had not yet been destroyed and the continents were still joined in a Pangaean mass. A predominant feature is the use of epic keyboards played by Jonny Maudling who composes and arranges the music. The guitar, drums and keyboards work together as an integral entity rather like a symphonic work. The vocals of Byron Roberts are a mixture of spoken word and black metal screams making the songs more like stories set to music than anything else. The stories are told like a play, with many characters (or groups of characters, speaking in unison) exchanging dialogue. Byron uses different vocalizations and effects to set them apart. The songs frequently have very long titles. Byron intends to release some short stories and novellas based on his lyrics and also some graphic novels created in collaboration with the artist Martin Hanford.
They currently have six albums out. The music for the latest one, "The Chthonic Chronicles" was recorded and produced at Jonny Maudling's studio "Waylands Forge", while the vocals were recorded at Academy Music Studio, the same studio where the band's previous five albums were recorded.
The epsilon exordium
Bal-Sagoth Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Upon extensive examination of the nefarious arcane codex known as The Epsilon
Exordium, I believe my search may at last be drawing to a close.
Indeed, I feel that perhaps the great discovery which has eluded me for so long may
Finally be within my grasp.
And yet I must be cautious, for twice more have I seen the figures in the night, watching me in silence from the confines of the darkness.
I cannot discern their features, only that they are vaguely human in shape, save for their arms which seem abnormally long and oddly jointed.
My native guides are becoming increasingly agitated and skittish, babbling incoherently about the guardians of the tombs... citing legends from their ancestral past which speak of mysterious travelers who reputedly came down from the stars in great silvern chariots drawn by steeds of flame.
I have at last translated the carvings on the stone fragment I unearthed amidst the ruins of Angkor Wat. To my astonishment, I found that it predated the construction of the temple itself by countless thousands of years, and that it spoke of the same subject as did the hieroglyphs I beheld on the
Wall of the concealed chamber which I and Lord Blakiston discovered within the Great Pyramid in Egypt.
Successive examinations of the edifices at Giza and Karnak revealed further parallels too precise to be mere coincidence.
The pieces of this great cosmic puzzle are finally beginning to fall into place...
(2 October, 1893)
Yes, it is as I suspected. I have long felt that the Sumerians of Mesapotamia were among the first peoples to attain elucidation concerning the dread matter I pursue.
My excavations at Lagash, Eridu, and most notably the ziggurats at you're, have revealed truths which subsequent finds at Angkor, Egypt and Sacsahuaman only serve to consolidate.
I now know that the Olmechs, the Aztecs and the Mayans were also undeniably key tendrils of this grand global web, and the unnerving truth I hitherto felt compelled to deny now seems inexorably
To point to some grand and terrifying universal axiom.
It seems however, that the closer I come to enlightenment, the greater the danger becomes.
Last night, one of our expedition's chief guides disappeared without trace.
His native compatriots could find no tracks, nor offer any evidence of his departure to suggest that his superstitions had finally compelled him to abandon the party... the man seems simply to have vanished inexplicably into the oppressive, sweltering dark.
In light of the disappearance, I opted not to inform the group that during the darkling hours
Before sunrise last night I had peered from my tent to behold what I perceived to be three of the shadowy figures I have previously described moving furtively in the gloom, keeping ever just out of the illuminatory radias of our campfire.
By the time I had brought my rifle to bear, they had melted away into the fathomless shadows of the benighted jungle...
(10 October, 1893)
The inscriptions on the tablet I discovered seem to be a fragmentary piece of some mysterious, perhaps apocryphal, larger work; evidently a lexicon of some description, undoubtedly of antediluvian origin.
The first section, as far as I can discern, tells of an era thousands of years past when countless great and advanced civilisations, apparently with the legendary Atlantis foremost amongst them, spanned the circumference of the globe.
The initial passage, seemingly a celebration of Atlantis Ascendant carved by a renowned chronicler
Of the day, speaks thusly...
The lyrics of Bal-Sagoth's song The Epsilon Exordium tell the story of a researcher who is on a quest to uncover the secrets of the arcane codex known as The Epsilon Exordium. The researcher believes that he is close to making a groundbreaking discovery, but he is also aware of the dangers that lurk in the shadows. The figures that he has seen in the night appear to be human-like, but with abnormally long and oddly jointed arms. The researcher's guides are becoming increasingly agitated and fearful, and they speak of legends from their ancestral past that involve mysterious travelers who descended from the stars.
The researcher's discoveries at Angkor Wat, the Great Pyramid in Egypt, and other ancient sites reveal a grand cosmic puzzle that is finally beginning to come into focus. He discovers that the Sumerians, Olmechs, Aztecs, and Mayans were among the first peoples to attain elucidation concerning the secrets that he seeks. However, the closer he comes to enlightenment, the greater the danger becomes. One of the expedition's chief guides disappears without a trace, and the researcher sees shadowy figures moving furtively in the gloom.
The lyrics of The Epsilon Exordium suggest that the researcher is on a quest to uncover ancient cosmic secrets that have been lost or hidden for countless millennia. The danger that he faces from shadowy figures or the guardians of the tombs adds a sense of mystery and tension to the story. The themes of ancient civilizations, conspiracy, and the search for knowledge are all present in the lyrics of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Upon extensive examination of the nefarious arcane codex known as The Epsilon Exordium, I believe my search may at last be drawing to a close.
After thoroughly studying the book The Epsilon Exordium, I think that I might finally be close to discovering something significant.
Indeed, I feel that perhaps the great discovery which has eluded me for so long may Finally be within my grasp.
I have a strong feeling that the elusive discovery I have been seeking is now within reach.
And yet I must be cautious, for twice more have I seen the figures in the night, watching me in silence from the confines of the darkness.
I must be careful because I have seen strange figures lurking in the darkness and watching me.
I cannot discern their features, only that they are vaguely human in shape, save for their arms which seem abnormally long and oddly jointed.
Although I cannot see their faces, I know that these beings resemble humans, but with arms that are unnaturally long and strangely articulated.
My native guides are becoming increasingly agitated and skittish, babbling incoherently about the guardians of the tombs... citing legends from their ancestral past which speak of mysterious travelers who reputedly came down from the stars in great silvern chariots drawn by steeds of flame.
My local guides are growing more fearful and nervous, and they are talking about legends from their ancestors that involve travelers from the stars who arrived in chariots of fire.
At any rate, I have my trusted Martini-Henry .45 calibre breech-loader should these silent stalkers prove malign and ever deign to lay hold of me in the night.
Luckily, I have my trusty Martini-Henry gun in case these ill-intentioned shadowy figures try to attack me.
I have at last translated the carvings on the stone fragment I unearthed amidst the ruins of Angkor Wat. To my astonishment, I found that it predated the construction of the temple itself by countless thousands of years, and that it spoke of the same subject as did the hieroglyphs I beheld on the Wall of the concealed chamber which I and Lord Blakiston discovered within the Great Pyramid in Egypt.
I was able to translate the carvings on the stone fragment I found in Angkor Wat and was surprised to learn that it predates the temple's construction by thousands of years, and the carvings had similar subject matter to the hieroglyphs that Lord Blakiston and I discovered in a hidden chamber inside the Great Pyramid of Egypt.
Successive examinations of the edifices at Giza and Karnak revealed further parallels too precise to be mere coincidence.
After studying the structures at Giza and Karnak, I found even more similarities that cannot be dismissed as coincidences.
The pieces of this great cosmic puzzle are finally beginning to fall into place...
I am starting to connect the different pieces of information and acquire a greater understanding of this cosmic mystery.
Yes, it is as I suspected. I have long felt that the Sumerians of Mesapotamia were among the first peoples to attain elucidation concerning the dread matter I pursue.
As I suspected, the Sumerians of Mesopotamia were among the first to have knowledge of the ominous subject that I am investigating.
My excavations at Lagash, Eridu, and most notably the ziggurats at you're, have revealed truths which subsequent finds at Angkor, Egypt and Sacsahuaman only serve to consolidate.
By digging at Lagash, Eridu, and most prominently the ziggurats, I found more evidence that supports my findings at Angkor, Egypt, and Sacsahuaman.
I now know that the Olmechs, the Aztecs and the Mayans were also undeniably key tendrils of this grand global web, and the unnerving truth I hitherto felt compelled to deny now seems inexorably To point to some grand and terrifying universal axiom.
I have discovered that the Olmecs, the Aztecs, and the Mayans were also integral to uncovering this universal truth that I used to hesitate to believe.
It seems however, that the closer I come to enlightenment, the greater the danger becomes.
Strangely, the closer I am to realizing the truth, the more dangerous this mission appears.
Last night, one of our expedition's chief guides disappeared without trace.
Sadly, one of our main guides vanished without a trace last night.
His native compatriots could find no tracks, nor offer any evidence of his departure to suggest that his superstitions had finally compelled him to abandon the party... the man seems simply to have vanished inexplicably into the oppressive, sweltering dark.
The local guides had no explanation for his disappearance and could not locate any tracks or evidence that he had left because he seemed to vanish without a trace.
In light of the disappearance, I opted not to inform the group that during the darkling hours Before sunrise last night I had peered from my tent to behold what I perceived to be three of the shadowy figures I have previously described moving furtively in the gloom, keeping ever just out of the illuminatory radius of our campfire.
I chose not to tell the group that I saw three of the shadowy figures I mentioned earlier late at night outside my tent, moving stealthily in the darkness and staying out of the range of our campfire's light.
By the time I had brought my rifle to bear, they had melted away into the fathomless shadows of the benighted jungle...
When I tried to aim my rifle at them, they vanished into the depths of the dark jungle before I could shoot.
The inscriptions on the tablet I discovered seem to be a fragmentary piece of some mysterious, perhaps apocryphal, larger work; evidently a lexicon of some description, undoubtedly of antediluvian origin.
The tablet I found seems to be part of a larger, obscure work, possibly a lexicon from pre-flood times.
The first section, as far as I can discern, tells of an era thousands of years past when countless great and advanced civilisations, apparently with the legendary Atlantis foremost amongst them, spanned the circumference of the globe.
The first section I translated speaks of a time long ago when numerous advanced civilizations ruled the world, with Atlantis being the most prominent.
The initial passage, seemingly a celebration of Atlantis Ascendant carved by a renowned chronicler Of the day, speaks thusly...
The first passage appears to be written by a famous chronicler of the time, and it highly praises the grandeur of Atlantis.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BYRON A. ROBERTS, JONATHAN MAUDLING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind