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I guess we can assume that Nuclear Blast has been promoting you much more than Cacophonous ever was able of. What do you think is the biggest difference from before and after you signed with Nuclear Blast? Are you pleased with the work they have done for Bal-Sagoth so far?
    Yes, Nuclear Blast are much more able to promote and publicize our work. Cacophonous was a cool label, but they were very small, with limited funds and a limited distribution. People still have difficulty finding our first three albums in stores, which is a problem. At least now, if anyone wants to buy one of our new albums on NB, they can pretty much just walk into any store and either buy it or easily order it.

It seems like Nuclear Blast is willing to promote your brand new album Atlantis Ascendant quite good as Bal-Sagoth is still one of the bigger bands on the label. They have been signing a few quite big bands lately, do you think this will have a negative impact on the work they can and will do for Bal-Sagoth?
    I think it's OK that NB are signing a lot of stuff. Some of it will sell, some of it won't, and of course the treasure vaults of NB can seemingly quite adequately sustain so many bands on their roster. I think NB's big sellers are bands like Dimmu Borgir and HammerFall, and we are way behind that kind of mainstream stuff in terms of sales. We are still a very obscure and cult oriented band, with a small but dedicated following across the world. We don't sell millions of albums, but we do what we do and we're proud of it.

The music of Bal-Sagoth have always been very different from the other bands in the underground and we still haven't seen any bands trying to copy your music in a direct manner. What do you think is the reason that you manage to keep such an unique style over so many years - and still not being copied in a major way as it's obviously popular music you're making.
    Our style is so strange, insular, unique and complex that I don't believe there are any bands out there who are psychologically or artistically capable of copying our approach. The essence of our song writing (beyond the nuts & bolts practical applications) is a very unique and secret formula which is empowered by the combination of great genius and artistic excellence. One of the keys is synergy and the accurate realization of ideas from the conceptual phase all the way to the final product. There's a touch of magic about this band that no other group could ever possibly hope to emulate.

Has it something to do with the fact that you're an English band, can the way of living in England and its history have influenced you in a so special way that no mainland European band can manage to create the same atmosphere like you?
    Yes, I believe this fact may well have something to do with it. Our material, both lyrics and music, is very British, and more so, very English, and our artistic approach is undeniably at least partly shaped by our own insular and cultural heritage, a fact probably more recognizably borne out by some of the historical subject matter of my stories. We do not follow trends, we do not take influences from any other bands in the world-wide scene... we just lock ourselves away on this sceptred isle and create this wonderfully baroque Britannic lunacy.

The English history is obviously an important theme for Bal-Sagoth and your lyrics. What exactly are your lyrics about this time on Atlantis Ascendant?
    The lyrics of Atlantis Ascendant are the next chapter in the epic saga of Bal-Sagoth. They are the mana which fuels the mammoth cosmic engine of this band. The fantasy universe which I have created and in which all of the lyrics take place is a vast place, complete with its own history, mythology, theology and cosmology. The lyrics of the new album are connected by a kind of "mini-concept" which will become evident to readers when they have the lyric booklet in their hands. There is a story which runs through several of the songs, and there are also songs on the new album which are self-contained stories, such as the epic third chapter of my "Hyperborean Empire" saga. The key to the new album is the ancient story of Atlantis, which is something that has appeared in some of our previous albums also. All the Bal-Sagoth stories are part of the same grand saga, a vast galaxy-spanning story-arc which incorporates tales of the ancient past as well as the far future. The prime directive for me is to take readers on a wondrous journey into the realms of the imagination... a voyage into fantasy, sci-fi and occult mythology. For more information about the Bal-Sagoth universe, people can check out the Glossary at our official website (see end)... There are many episodes in the epic saga of Bal-Sagoth.

The artwork for all the Bal-Sagoth releases have always been very special and original as well have often having very strong covers. Yet we have to see a cover with you guys posing on a photography. Will we ever see you on an album cover in a photo? Who's the guy you have used for your latest album cover?
    There will never be an album cover featuring a band photo. I think a good piece of artwork which relates to the subject matter of an album is a far more vibrant, dynamic and resonant visual signification of the essence of a band and of a particular recording. Besides, most photo covers just look tacky. The artist responsible for the wonderful cover painting of Atlantis Ascendant is once again the prolific Martin Hanford

How important is the cover art for you when you, does it have to indicate the album's title directly or?
    Yes, the cover artwork is very important to me. I always send the artists a detailed description and synopsis dealing with the story of an album, and a directive stating what images and themes will be required to be depicted in the cover art. Each of our album covers directly relates to the stories of that particular opus, and the new album continues this tradition, with the cover depicting the essence of the title track itself as well as the mini-concept which runs through the album.

Warriors of some kind is something that is repeated on most of your covers. Bal-Sagoth obviously have a taste for old fashionable warriors' armory and such...
    Indeed, that is a very central theme and a core element to much of the Bal-Sagoth narrative essence and the substance of the story arcs.

The new album have now been out for a month or so now, how have the general feedback been so far? I've already seen a few interviews with you so far so I guess it isn't all that bad, or?
    The reviews which we've seen so far have all been very good indeed. We even got 4 out of 5 in the British magazine Kerrang, which was something of a surprise. Ultimately however, we do not concern ourselves with reviews... if we ourselves are satisfied with an opus, then that's all that truly counts. Additionally, most of the feedback we've had from fans so far has been overwhelmingly positive, which is cool.

When you sit down to write a new album how do you compose it then, is the songs written where all the members comes with ideas and put together in the same way, or do you have a main writer and the others comes with additional ideas and comments to the "finished" songs from him?
    Essentially, I write all the lyrics and Jonny writes most of the music, with various contributions from his brother Chris. These days, Jonny and Chris write all of the music on the keyboard, and then the other instruments are adapted to suit the compositions as originated on the synth. The other guys in the band don't write any material, as we've had the same music writing process for so long now that to change it and start adding other writers into the mix would most probably adversely affect our formula. Once we write a song, it's pretty much set in stone and is very rarely altered from the initial demo draft to the final finished version in the studio.

As far as the lyrics are concerned are they written priori or after the music? Does it have any influence on the lyrics if you write them afterwards or vice versa?
    The songs always start out as stories and lyrics... the concept and thematic essence of a piece always comes first. I always have the lyrics and stories planned out or written well in advance of the commencement of the music writing. I will then often inform Jonny about the nature of the story, and what moods and atmospheres are ideally required, and what keyboard "special effects", if any, I think would be beneficial to the piece. Often he will just go away and write a piece undirected and then present it to me for approval. Frequently I present a synopsis of the events and a detailed directive concerning the kind of musical composition which is needed. Jonny fully understands the Bal-Sagoth concept, so there is no worry about him composing something unsuited to the nature of our thematic approach.

I assume you guys will be touring somewhat to promote the new album now, are you set up for any special tours yet and perhaps any of the bigger festivals this summer as well?
    We've just returned from the "No Mercy" festival tour of Europe, which was cool. Additionally we have just confirmed a four week tour of the USA in July. Following that we hope to get back out on the road in Europe, and also play some shows in the UK. We won't be playing any of the big summer open air festivals this year, because the promoters of these events refuse to book us because they consider our style too strange and inaccessible in many cases.
Their ignorance will be their downfall.

Ok, we will leave this short this time. Thanks for your time!
    Thanks for this great interview! Check out our official website for a grand journey into the wondrous arcane fantasy world of Bal-Sagoth! And remember, the new album Atlantis Ascendant and the new shirt Imperius Rex (featuring exclusive new artwork) are both out now! Blodu Ok Jarna!!!!!!!