Behemoth might be the leader of the death metal scene right now getting magazine coverage, which is surprising for such a brutal band. This album is a bigger step for Behemoth. Evolving from black metal to death metal. I recommend before you listen to this album, get a hearing aid or at least cover your ears as this sh
i[t is heavy. This is probably the heaviest my limit can take me. Behemoth has had a following in the black metal scene for some time but it seems just now they’re getting noticed. They are from Poland and they show such great musicianship. This album is a smash to your face and is very angry and brutal. Let your indie friend listen to this for kicks (like I did).
Behemoth cover all ground here but their main contribution is the brutal blast beats, throat slitting guitars and almost demon-like vocals. The production on this album is very precise so you can hear everything that is going on which could be impossible if the production had been lower. Everything is laid out neat on the album underneath the heaviness.
Beginning with my trip on the bands members, let me start with the vocals. Nergal’s vocals with make you jump out your seat on first listen. It is that low and heavy though I do detect that the vocals are layered (layered as in, he’d sing it once and in the studio they’d double the recording). Never the less, it doesn’t take away from anything and the vocals still give you the image of a devil in disguise. The most amazing thing about Orion’s bass lines is that they stick out under the heaviness and they get a lot of chances to shine which is pretty cool in my opinion.
Seth doesn’t do anything overall hard but the riffs are brutal and I like the way he puts pinch harmonics in at the right time. It makes it feel quite evil. The chunky down-tuned riffs and the vocals are what make it sound so evil and brutal. There are even a lot of classical guitar parts ready to surprise you. My personally favourite member is Inferno the drummer. Boy, can this guy blast beat, he constantly surprises me with his constant double bass, blast beats and fast fills. He does it so well for the band he is obviously a highlight, never overtaking the show or showing the other band members up but he is a perfect drummer for this type of band. From the start, you know what you’re getting into to. Sculpting the Throne of Seth is a good representation of what the album sounds like. Fast, brutal and pretty surprising at times. It starts with a fading in classical guitar piece. This is quite a good song and is heavy the whole way through it. It kicks major arse and it is heavy with its stops and starts. Conquer All could be a song that could get people into the band. Starting off with a memorable guitar riff, it just builds up from there. Nergal is a madman here and it really helps the song. What also helps the song is the chugging guitar and double bass, which is here all the way through the song. For total outbursts, I recommend Slaves Shall Serve, which starts off with Nergal mumbling, and then the drums just go crazy. This song is quite short but is a good representation of the album. It features all the Behemoth trademarks
Before The Eons Came is the shortest track on the album and is one of the only songs to feature a fuzzy chord progression. Nergal sounds pretty pissed in this song. This song is something you’d play at a beheading. It is safe to say that if hell played music all day then this would be on the play list. The Reign of Shemsu-Hor is the longest track on the album. The actual song doesn’t go on for the whole ten minutes, but it does stay on till seven minutes where it is just double bass playing. This song has a massive build-up. It has some weird synth effect which helps it build up. It sounds quite wicked and it is slower than the rest. It doesn’t take away from the heaviness; it’s just slowed down a bit. The drums are a high point of the song, as it seems like Inferno will have sore feet while playing this album. The solo sounds quite good. In fact, the whole song is just this one whole big wall of noise (in a good way). And is possibly a highlight of the album mostly for its length and breathtaking atmosphere.
This album is a revolutionary step for death metal. It could possibly be the best album of 2005 and in my mind, is. What Behemoth has achieved here is a technical, genius piece of work. It is quite a sophisticated album and it must have been a bitch to make and write. Behemoth are amazing and are one of the best death metal bands of the millennium. They show musicianship and it’s pretty easy to see they enjoy what they’re doing. I recommend this album a lot even if you want to take a first step into death metal. This will be hard to listen to at first but you will easily fall in love with it. Death metal has grown quite a lot of popularity this past decade and Behemoth are just one of the bands making their mark. Decapitated are also in the same situation. Death metal is getting more popular and will probably continue to. This band is Morbid Angel influenced Death but a lot heavier. They will probably go on to a lot more things in the future and I am looking forward to it. This album was a big stepping-stone for Behemoth as they finally finish their black metal to death metal cycle with great results.
