Already by the end of 2004 the first rough demo was distributed to a limited number of record labels, among others Swedish label, Regain Records. The record company responded very quickly and positively, and within another couple of months, the record contract was signed.
Throughout the winter and spring of 2005 Sahg worked on the material for their first album, and at the same time built up quite a solid reputation from their live efforts on the club scene of their hometown, Bergen. Sahg I was recorded and mixed throughout the summer and fall of 2005.
Shortly after the studio process was completed, drummer Kvitrafn left Sahg. But the band continued their determined work, and created the artwork for the album single-handedly themselves. Also, the video for Godless Faith was shot in October the same year. In short, 2005 was a very busy and eventful year for the band, going from newly started garage band to up-and-coming doom rockers with a worldwide album release coming up.
After the massive praise following Sahg I, in 2006 the band took the stage on both the great Norwegian metal masses, Inferno and Hole in the Sky, before heading out on a four weeks tour of North-America, as opening act for Celtic Frost. Upon the return, new songs were already materializing, and the foundation for a second album started to take shape.
Before the break of spring 2007, Sahg had started recording, but were destined for a windy, bumpy ride that would make the creation of their second album a tedious affair. After having put the first three songs down on tape, the studio was torn to the ground by the landlord, and Sahg was sent on a lookout for somewhere else to finish their work. In the meantime, they took on Wacken Open Air with fire and lightning, and returned to the new studio with renewed inspiration.
The midsummer weeks by the West Norwegian ocean side was the fairest the band would see during the studio process. Technical mishaps and unfortunate decisions soon started to take their toll on the patience of the band. Unforeseen obstacles kept getting in the way, like a misfortune that had been cast upon them. Thus, Sahg spent the remains of 2007 recording and mixing the new album. But the strife, the frustration and despair have left their trace within the tracks, and added another dimension of pitch black energy. A genuine blessing in disguise.
Then, upon the dawning of 2008, less than two years after the debut, Sahg II, a new compilation of murky heavy metal was unleashed. Untraditional sounds coming from Norway, yet carrying loads of heavy metal tradition in every other way. The inspiration from Pentagram, Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin is still present, but Sahg II also breaks limits on both ends of the musical scale compared to its predecessor; more fast, energetic fury on Ascent to Decadence and Pyromancer, and further into psychedelic atmospheres on Escape the Crimson Sun and Monomania. In total, an uncompromising and dynamic album that stretches the band to its limits, when it comes to musicality and songwriting. Sahg II was mixed by ex-Anthrax guitarist, Rob Caggiano.
Shortly after the release, Sahg headed out on a European tour, supporting US doom legends Trouble. In October the same year, the band toured India, performing at five open air festivals throughout the country.
Live appearances are confirmed at several festivals during the spring and summer of 2009. In 2010 Sahg released their third studio album Sahg III. They appeared at the venue John Dee on the festival by:Larm. Rumour has it that Sahg will release their fourth album in 2013.
Star-Crossed
Sahg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Proven superior with relentless might
They quench their thirst on the blood of their likes
Who suffer worse and forever will in death or life
Enforce the whole world with a wisdom profound
Of how to tread one's fellow man down
Dishonest means lead the way to the crown
One more in the hands of mankind
Ravage the world far and wide
More fall in the path of mankind
Conquer and burn 'till no more is left to defile
When every land is raped with war
And blood is shed on every shore
When every source of life runs poor
What more?
Inside this wicked world
Pursuing our own kind
It's in your blood, it's in your head
Turn to the universe
A thousand wars to fight
It's in our blood until the end
The end
Bloodquest never ends
The song Star-crossed by Sahg is a reflective commentary on human tendencies towards treachery, violence, and aggression. The lyrics paint a picture of a world that has been colonized by a superior race, who have claimed it as their own and now dominate it by quenching their thirst on the blood of their own kind. The lines "Gave up the Earth to a treacherous kind/Proven superior with relentless might/They quench their thirst on the blood of their likes/Who suffer worse and forever will in death or life" depict the ruthless nature of the ruling class, who oppress and exploit those beneath them.
The song goes on to criticize the prevailing wisdom, which encourages people to tread on others to reach the top. Dishonesty and deception are seen as the norm and the means to gain power and wealth. As the song says, "Dishonest means lead the way to the crown/And though he pleads he'll forever ever be/One more in the hands of mankind". The end result is a world ravaged by war and destruction, where life's sources have all but dried up. The chorus "More fall in the path of mankind/Conquer and burn 'till no more is left to defile" illustrates how the human quest for domination and superiority has left nothing but ruins and misery in its wake.
The song ends with the poignant lines "Inside this wicked world/Pursuing our own kind/It's in your blood, it's in your head/Turn to the universe/A thousand wars to fight/It's in our blood until the end/The end/Bloodquest never ends". The lyrics suggest that humans are fated to forever repeat this cycle of violence and domination, with no hope for redemption.
Line by Line Meaning
Gave up the Earth to a treacherous kind
We relinquished our planet to a duplicitous species
Proven superior with relentless might
They have demonstrated their power over us ceaselessly
They quench their thirst on the blood of their likes
They satisfy their thirst by preying on their own kind
Who suffer worse and forever will in death or life
Those that they subjugate experience far worse fates, forever tormented even in death or life
Enforce the whole world with a wisdom profound
They impose a profound wisdom upon the entire world
Of how to tread one's fellow man down
Teaching all how to control, subjugate and crush their fellow man
Dishonest means lead the way to the crown
Deceitful methods guide the route to power
And though he pleads he'll forever ever be
Even if one pleads, one remains eternally under the thumb of the victor
One more in the hands of mankind
Another to be held captive by mankind
Ravage the world far and wide
Laying waste to the world without restraint
More fall in the path of mankind
Many more will face the destructive impact of human kind
Conquer and burn 'till no more is left to defile
Conquer and destroy until there is no more to ravage and corrupt
When every land is raped with war
When every area of land is subjected to the ravages of war
And blood is shed on every shore
And blood is spilled on every coastline
When every source of life runs poor
When every wellspring of vitality is depleted
What more?
What else is there rather than this?
Inside this wicked world
Within this malignant globe
Pursuing our own kind
Chasing after our own kind
It's in your blood, it's in your head
It is deeply ingrained within you
Turn to the universe
Look towards the cosmos for a solution
A thousand wars to fight
Countless battles to be fought
It's in our blood until the end
It is encased within our very essence until the end
The end
The finality
Bloodquest never ends
The quest for blood has no end
Contributed by Aaron T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Mikus Lorencs
Easily best song off the second album. Maybe their best song overall. The change of pace in the middle of the song is just awesome.
Jana Elizabeth Sekelski
Just fantastic song and sound🤘
Coyote1888
What a shame that all the titles of the second album aren't on YouTube
Coyote1888
It's not untitled Sun Crossed instead of Star Crossed?