A sculptor rarely starts with nothing. There is a lump of marble, and somewhere inside it a shape is waiting to be uncovered. Chipping away, shaving off pieces, stepping back, looking at it again and sometimes simply starting over. On I, Scvlptor, Behemoth essentially does exactly that. The Poles present new material, dust off two ancient songs of their own and then also take a chisel to the work of Venom and Bathory. The result is not an entirely new chapter in Behemoth’s history, but rather a glimpse inside the workshop – and there is plenty of interesting work going on in there.
The title is particularly well chosen. Nergal uses the sculptor as a metaphor for mankind continuously trying to shape itself throughout life, while the ultimate destination has already been determined from the moment of birth. It is an idea that not only fits the lyrics of the opening track, but unintentionally applies to the entire release as well, because Behemoth is primarily concerned with shaping things here. New music, its own past and even the music that once helped shape the band itself.
That starts with I, Scvlptor, one of the new compositions. A repetitive riff and staccato drums provide the skeleton, while icy synths create a ghostly atmosphere. The song does not rely on a relentless assault, but rather on depth and intensity. Slowly, the block of stone gets smaller and the shape begins to emerge.
Lord ov the Horizons subsequently shows a different side of the present-day Behemoth. Nergal starts off surprisingly with clean vocals, but anyone fearing that the sharp edges have disappeared can rest easy. It does not take long before the clean vocals make way for a filthy scream and deep growl. Halfway through, the tempo changes and the song takes on an almost militaristic character. Towards the end, the pace picks up again and an old-school metal solo emerges, while the drums continue to thunder away relentlessly. It is Behemoth showing several sides of itself within a single song without sacrificing cohesion.
Then we travel back in time considerably. Rise of the Blackstorm of Evil originally dates back to the demo period of The Return of the Northern Moon from 1992, and anyone comparing the two versions will mainly hear just how much can happen in more than three decades. The original sounds bare and primitive. The guitars are so thin that at times they almost seem to be synths. Charming in all its clumsiness, perhaps, but hardly comparable to the enormous machine that Behemoth has become today. The new recording therefore gives the song a complete metamorphosis. The recognisable riff remains intact, but suddenly carries considerably more weight. More importantly, Behemoth does not try to erase its past. The contours of the original song remain visible. The band takes a primitive piece of its own history and sculpts Behemoth anno 2026 out of it. A successful makeover without completely disowning the original.
Something similar happens with In Thy Pandemaeternum, although the starting point is different. The original, from the Pandemonic Incantations era, already reveals a much more developed band. The drums in particular play a far more prominent role and propel the song forward. The modern sound makes everything more massive and the drums continue to rattle away at breakneck speed in the background, but the old song remains clearly recognisable. It is as if the sculpture was already there and the artist returns almost three decades later to clean it up and add a few final details.
With Begotten, we return to the present. The song originated during the recording sessions for The Shit Ov God, but ultimately did not make that album. What stands out is just how accessible Behemoth sounds here. The band experiments with a sound that at times even leans towards power metal, although naturally it is covered by an enormous layer of black metal. Vocally, some of the sharper edges have been softened as well. Precisely because the composition dares to venture beyond the usual Behemoth boundaries, it is more than just a leftover. It needed to be put somewhere eventually.
And then there are the forefathers. With In League With Satan, Behemoth returns to Venom, one of those bands without whom the history of extreme metal would have looked very different. The 1981 original remains clearly intact in this new rendition, but receives an enormous injection of intensity. Guest vocalist Shagrath of Dimmu Borgir lends a helping hand. Fortunately, the song is not completely smothered in modern production. Something decidedly old-school and, more importantly, pleasingly filthy remains.
The same applies to The Return of Darkness and Evil by Bathory, although this time Behemoth opts for a live recording featuring Sakis Tolis of Rotting Christ as a guest. The performance is an absolute steamroller. The tempo is high, the intensity even higher, and it is precisely the live character that prevents everything from sounding too polished. As if anything by Bathory should ever sound polished, of course.
After that sledgehammer blow, all that remains is the studio rough mix of Lord ov the Horizons. Fun for fans who want to hear what a song sounds like on its way towards its definitive form, but as part of the record it mostly feels superfluous. The finished version already appeared earlier on I, Scvlptor and simply sounds better. Consider it a glimpse inside the sculptor’s workshop.
And that is precisely where the problem with I, Scvlptor lies. Anyone approaching this as an entirely new Behemoth album is presented with a strangely assembled whole. New material, two re-recordings, two covers (of which one is a live recording) and finally a rough mix: musically, it does not always flow naturally from one piece to the next. The common thread is much stronger in the idea behind the release than in the actual listening experience. As a collection, however, I, Scvlptor is quite fascinating. In less than forty minutes, we get to hear several different incarnations of Behemoth. The young band that, in the early nineties, could hardly have imagined how enormous its sound would eventually become. The musicians who had already made huge strides only a few years later. Venom and Bathory as the foundations, and finally Behemoth anno 2026, now big enough to dig into its own past without embarrassment.
Perhaps that is ultimately the greatest strength of I, Scvlptor. Behemoth does not try to rewrite its history, nor does it pretend that every old song was always a masterpiece. The band simply takes the chisel to it again. Sometimes it hacks away vigorously, sometimes it merely makes a few adjustments, and every now and then a piece of stone is left behind that makes you wonder whether it should not simply have been thrown away.
Label:
Massacre Records, 2026
Tracklisting:
- I, Scvlptor
- Lord ov the Horizons
- Rise of the Blackstorm of Evil
- In Thy Pandemaeternum
- Begotten
- In League With Satan
- The Return of Darkness and Evil (Live)
- Lord ov the Horizons (Studio Rough Mix)
Line-up:
- Adam “Nergal” Darski – Vocals, guitar
- Tomasz “Orion” Wróblewski – Bassguitar, synthesizers
- Zbigniew “Inferno” Promiński – Drums
Links: