BAL-SAGOTH · Starfire Burning upon the Ice-Veiled Throne of Ultima Thule | BLACK LP

Black vinyl in standard cover. Includes a 24-page 12" booklet. Limited to 250 copies.

Background information about 'Starfire Burning upon the Ice-Veiled Throne of Ultima Thule'

Let's be real for a moment — there's symphonic black metal, and then there's Bal-Sagoth. The UK's most extravagant purveyors of sword-and-sorcery darkness return with their legendary 1996 masterpiece, finally pressed on vinyl for the very first time in its history. And holy hell, it was about damn time.

Starfire Burning upon the Ice-Veiled Throne of Ultima Thule is the second chapter of the band's revered First Trilogy, and it remains one of the most gloriously over-the-top, bombastic, and utterly unique albums the genre has ever spawned. From the moment the orchestral fanfares of "Black Dragons Soar Above the Mountain of Shadows" kick in, you know you're in for a ride across mythical battlefields and frozen wastelands. Byron Roberts' deep, theatrical narration — part Lovecraft, part Conan the Barbarian — weaves tales of dark sorcery and ancient empires over a bed of ferocious blastbeats, symphonic keyboards, and razor-sharp riffing.

This new edition has been expertly remastered by Patrick W. Engel at Temple of Disharmony, giving the album's already massive sound an even wider, more cinematic scope. The 24-page booklet is packed with unseen photos and a brand new in-depth interview with Byron Roberts conducted by Olivier "Zoltar" Badin. Tracks like "To Dethrone the Witch-Queen of Mytos K'unn" and the epic title track are absolute monsters — pure, unfiltered fantasy metal at its most grandiose. This is not background music. This is a soundtrack for conquering realms.

For fans of: Emperor, Cradle of Filth, Dimmu Borgir, Summoning

Track listing

A1. Black Dragons Soar Above the Mountain of Shadows (Prologue)
A2. To Dethrone the Witch-Queen of Mytos K'unn (The Legend of the Battle of Blackhelm Vale)
A3. As the Vortex Illumines the Crystalline Walls of Kor-Avul-Thaa
A4. Starfire Burning upon the Ice-Veiled Throne of Ultima Thule
A5. Journey to the Isle of Mists (Over the Moonless Depths of Night-Dark Seas)
B1. The Splendour of a Thousand Swords Gleaming Beneath the Blazon of the Hyperborean Empire
B2. And Lo, When the Imperium Marches Against Gul-Kothoth, Then Dark Sorceries Shall Enshroud the Citadel of the Obsidian Crown
B3. Summoning the Guardians of the Astral Gate
B4. In the Raven-Haunted Forests of Darkenhold, Where Shadows Reign and the Hues of Sunlight Never Dance
B5. At the Altar of the Dreaming Gods (Epilogue)

Manufacturer: Darkness Shall Rise Productions, Lengenfelder Straße 58, 08107 Kirchberg, Germany, Contact: darknessshallrise.de