It has been more than a decade since the Polish beast called Behemoth released The Satanist, which arguably might be the best record of the decade for me. It seems like it was only yesterday, but in the meantime these men have released three more records. It is fair to say that these guys are not ready to take it back a notch and the message has never been more cleare.
This reference to The Satanist does not mean that I did not like the previous Behemoth records. I Loved You At Your Darkest had some pretty profound tracks, including the delicious God = Dog, and despite all criticism I thought Opvs Contra Natvram to be a solid record. The Deathless Sun and Neo-Spartacvs are still regulars in my playlist, but it seems like the gentlemen wrote their magnum opus about a decade ago. There’s nothing this newcomer will change about that.
On the previous record, it seemed like Behemoth took a less atmospheric path. I am not eager to use the word ‘occult’, since these Poles work like no other band in the scene to make darkness more theatrical, which is again evident in these excellent music videos. However, the deep incantation seems to give way again for the (battle)sound that reminds more towards the late 90s or, say, Thelema.6 or Demigod. Of course, Behemoth does not discard the acquired depths, but Sowing Salt or To Drown The Svn In Wine do possess some nostalgia. The Walt Whitman reference to ‘O Captain! My Captain’ in the lyrics does sound a bit strange to my ears though.
The prereleased The Shadow Elite feels a bit ambiguous to me. Once again with a very nostalgic vibe, but it just lacks something to really impress. Too repetitive and I personally find the chorus a bit too mainstream. The title track is a track that manages to impress much more. Here the link to albums like The Satanist and I Loved You at Your Darkest is much stronger. Delightfully filthy, both literally and figuratively. In reference to newer material, Nomen Barbarvm should definitely be mentioned, which is surely one of the better tracks on this new record. As far as I’m concerned, Behemoth makes the perfect link here between the old brutality and the deeper soul of the later albums.
Behemoth is the band where, by default, you also have to wait for the last track of the album; after all, it is clear that these Poles always manage to end in a fine way. But I just don’t know about this Avgvr: although this track contains a lot of spirit, it does sound very repetitive and familiar. It seems to last a very long time, but then suddenly, after five minutes, there is that acoustic guitar, the record is over and you are left in wonder. Surely they could have thought this through longer. In any case, it does not suit a band of this status.
You can’t say that The Shit Ov God has become a shit record. Behemoth will never make a bad record either, but after several spins, it doesn’t linger strongly enough. It often seems as if Behemoth has done this before or wants to come out with full force and thus has to sacrifice spiritual depth. The theatrical character of the band, the clips and the fierceness live won’t suffer, but purely content-wise this is another step back if you ask me.
Score:
75/100
Label:
Nuclear Blast Records, 2025
Tracklisting:
- The Shadow Elite
- Sowing Salt
- The Shit Ov God
- Lvciferaeon
- To Drown The Svn In Wine
- Nomen Barbarvm
- O Venvs, Come!
- Avgvr (The Dread Vvltvre)
Line-up:
- Nergal – Vocals, guitar
- Inferno – Drums, percussion
- Orion – Bass, vocals, synth
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