Byron Roberts
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Byron Roberts, also known as Byron A. Roberts, is the vocalist/lyricist and founder of the British symphonic extreme metal band Bal-Sagoth. Originally hailing from Yorkshire, England, and also holding full Canadian citizenship, due to many years spent living in Ontario and Quebec, Byron graduated from university with an Honours Degree in English, writing his final year thesis on the genres of pulp fantasy, science fiction and horror, and more specifically the works of H.P. Lovecraft.
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[edit] 1989 - 1993: The Inception of Bal-Sagoth
Byron came up with the idea for the band Bal-Sagoth circa 1989. For years, he had been seeking suitable musicians with whom he could collaborate to realize 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." However, none of those he approached were possessed of the required ability, or the willingness, 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 fifteen years later) being a celebrated 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.
[edit] The Conceptual Nature of Creation
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, Byron 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. Sometimes dubbed "The Multiverse" and/or "The Omniverse", Byron's lyrical world is a vast 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 categorization. Then there is an era covering recorded human history from ancient times to roughly the end of World War II, during which Byron'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 Byron's forthcoming A-Z Glossary Mk. II, dubbed simply "The Lexicon".
Byron 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.
[edit] The Expanded Multiverse
Byron 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.
[edit] Vocal Style
Byron'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. Byron's primary musical inspirations are bands such as Bathory, Celtic Frost, Deicide, Morbid Angel, Sabbat, Slayer, et al.
[edit] Battle Orders and Medieval Re-Enactment
Byron also came up with the idea of a sponsorship with a replica arms & armour supplier in 1996. As a result, the renowned 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 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)".
