BEHEMOTH “The Satanist” (NUCLEAR BLAST) –POLAND

Watching BEHEMOTH live in Bangkok last year, when they played “Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel” and Nergal showed his thumb up to me in the front line because I wore hooded just like him banging to his mighty riffs was something I couldn’t get off my mind easily.

I have been always a big fan of BEHEMOTH since they’re moving from Nordic black metal style towards darker death metal approach in the highly acclaimed “Satanica” album (1999). BEHEMOTH reign supreme ever since. And when their frontman, Nergal was diagnosed with leukaemia, many people said its going to be the end of BEHEMOTH. But he defeated the disease and make an amazing recovery just in short period. Nergal is back on the road and what’s more interesting he ventured in new carrier by opening a barber shop called The Barberian Acedemy and starring in a dark comey film, Ambassada. He also faced charges of blasphemy in his homeland, but continued to promote Satanism and dedication toward his dark faith. 

The Satanist is another step up to them. While most bands tried to be as fast as BEHEMOTH, they incrediblely come with different formula this time. Their songs mostly foccused on mid-paced muscular riffs, smarter and blacker orchesration and the brutal assault on drums was used in perfect timming. No longer need to hide in their vast spirit in hard rock background, BEHEMOTH shreds the thundering solo guitars like never before. The song “Messe Noire” very much remind me of that apocalyptic guitar solos in “Living For Tomorrow” by the SCORPIONS. BEHEMOTH has stormed the mainstream rock without any need to compromise.

BEHEMOTH hold no sympathy for Christianity in any of their albums, thematically and musically. The black metal aspect is still there, the death metal heaviness is still there and the ruthless and hard rock power is now even more uplifted! It has been reported, during the writting of this album, the drummer Inferno mentioned to Nergal that he could hear the leukaemia in his riffs. It must be about pain, power and perserverance. This is absolutely one if the best from Nergal and co. Be sure you have it. Nergal even mailed his blood to be blend with paint and used by the Russian symbolist painter, Denis Forkas for the album cover art.