Byron Roberts

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For the film producer, see Byron Roberts (producer).
Byron Roberts
Byron Roberts of Bal-Sagoth.jpg
Byron Roberts of Bal-Sagoth on stage in Bradford, England, 2002.
Background information
Also known as Byron, Lord Byron, Byron A. Roberts
Origin Sheffield, England
Genres Black metal, death metal
Occupation(s) Vocalist, lyricist, songwriter
Instruments Vocals
Years active 1988–present
Labels Cacophonous, Nuclear Blast
Associated acts Bal-Sagoth


1989 – 1993: The inception of Bal-Sagoth[edit]

Roberts came up with the idea for the band Bal-Sagoth around 1989. For years, he had been seeking suitable musicians with whom he could collaborate to realise his grand vision of forming "a sublimely symphonic black/death metal band swathed in a concept of dark fantasy/science-fiction and ancient myths & legends."[1] However, none of those he approached were willing to commit to the endeavour. In 1993, after several aborted attempts to launch the project, he was introduced to the musician Jonny Maudling and his brother Chris Maudling, who were at that time jamming cover versions with their friends, and who were also looking to form a serious band. Rehearsals followed, and some months later, after a minor line-up reshuffle, the formal inception of Bal-Sagoth took place. The band began composing songs, the ultimate result (now some nineteen years later) being a six album discography currently available from Cacophonous Records and Nuclear Blast. For a more extensive account of the band and its releases, see Bal-Sagoth.

Lyrical content and influences[edit]

Drawing inspiration from such writers as Robert E. Howard, H. P. Lovecraft, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Frank Herbert, J.R.R. Tolkien, Shakespeare, Arthur C. Clarke, Clark Ashton Smith, David Gemmell, George Lucas, Jack Kirby and Stan Lee, Roberts set out to create his own dark and baroque fantasy universe, with tales told through the medium of extreme metal albums. He named the band Bal-Sagoth in honour of one of his primary literary inspirations, the writer Robert E. Howard, whose story "The Gods of Bal-Sagoth" had first appeared in the legendary pulp fantasy magazine Weird Tales during the 1930s.[2] Sometimes dubbed "The Multiverse" and/or "The Omniverse", Roberts's lyrical world is an extensive landscape of fantasy/science fiction, ranging from intergalactic tales of rogue gods and cosmic empires, to historical epics and high adventures, to sword and sorcery style sagas. The stories of the lyrical world are all connected to a greater or lesser degree, and are roughly divided into several different eras. The first era is the "antediluvian" epoch, during which most of the sword & sorcery style stories take place. Tales occurring even earlier than this, such as when the planet Earth consisted of the megacontinent Pangaea, are also usually grouped into this broad chronological categorisation. Then there is an era covering recorded human history from ancient times to roughly the end of World War II, during which Roberts's historical stories occur. Thirdly there is a future era, which roughly dates from the year 2104 all the way to a timeframe many thousands of years in the future, and it is during this epoch that the science-fiction oriented stories take place. Key inspirations for the vast canon are arcane mythology, ancient history, legends, and the occult. The world of the lyrics is a vast place spanning countless millennia, and is chronicled in Roberts's forthcoming A-Z Glossary Mk. II, dubbed simply "The Lexicon".

Byron Roberts creates all the concepts, storylines, characters, places and lyrics for Bal-Sagoth. He also designed the band logo, the album cover concepts, and all the booklet layouts.

The Expanded Multiverse[edit]

Roberts also plans to publish a series of Bal-Sagoth related comic books/graphic novels further detailing the extensive stories of the lyrical multiverse, as well as a collection of illustrated prose stories, and even collectible cards featuring his characters, to be illustrated by his longtime artistic collaborator Martin Hanford.[3]

Vocal style[edit]

Byron Roberts's original vocal style combines black metal screams with a pitched-down "narrator's" voice, enabling him to relay story elements in a clear and compelling manner, present dialogue between characters, and imbue the vocals with a "light and dark" contrasting feel. Roberts's primary musical inspirations are bands such as Bathory, Celtic Frost, Deicide, Morbid Angel, Sabbat, Slayer, et al.

Byron Roberts also contributed guest vocals to the "Dominion" demo from death metal band Blasphemer, and to the "Halcyon" EP from the doom metal band Solstice.

Battle Orders and medieval re-enactment[edit]

Roberts also came up with the idea of a sponsorship with a replica arms & armour supplier in 1996. As a result, the company Battle Orders Ltd. supplied him with an array of swords and other replica materials that he often uses on stage and in publicity photos.

In addition to his writing and musical pursuits, Byron Roberts also has an extensive history of experience in medieval battle re-enactment societies. Some of the groups of which he has been a member include "Knights in Battle Medieval Society (13th century)", "The Company of the Hawk (15th century)", "The Howards (15th century)", "The Burgundians (15th century)", "The Warhird of Thorr Yngvisson (Dark Ages)", and "Regia Anglorum (Dark Ages)".


Discography (1993–2006)[4]


  1. ^ Hill, Gary (2006). The Strange Sound of Cthulhu: Music Inspired by the Writings of H. P. Lovecraft. Lulu. pp. 54–57. ISBN 978-1-84728-776-2. 
  2. ^ "The Cimmerian", vol.4, number 3, 2007, p. 9. ISSN 1548-3398
  3. ^ "The Jack Kirby Collector", issue 50, TwoMorrows Publishing, 2008, p. 145. ISBN 978-1-893905-89-4
  4. ^ "". 


External links[edit]