Review Summary: A live album that matters.
Beherit is one of the most renowned Finnish black metal bands, primarily celebrated for their early works from the early 1990s, which brought them fame. Over the years, driven largely by the creativity of Marko Laiho (Nuclear Holocausto Vengeance), the name Beherit has also become associated with other genres, such as dark ambient and harsh noise. However, the most significant releases in Beherit’s discography are considered to be their debut album,
A Drawing Down the Moon, and the earlier demo compilation,
The Oath of Black Blood. Many regard these works as foundational to the war metal genre as well. Despite their importance, these recordings are far from perfect: their sound is raw, and the mixing, to put it mildly, was not particularly good.
So why is there so much discussion about these early albums? Because, as it happens,
Live in Praha CZ is a release that, from the perspective of many years later, "smooths out" the flaws and shortcomings of Beherit’s early material!
Live in Praha CZ features a live recording of a concert in Prague (August 31, 2024). The setlist primarily included tracks from the aforementioned
The Oath of Black Blood and
A Drawing Down the Moon albums (mostly songs from the debut album, though there is also “Pagan Moon” from the
Engram LP). The over one-hour-long performance is filled with black metal assaults enriched by several ambient interludes — in my opinion, in a well-balanced way. But what truly deserves attention here is the "renewal" of the old Beherit songs, as the improvement in quality is brutal! The previously infamous, extremely "thin" guitar sound is now a thing of the past; under the hands of Juha Laine (Black Moon Necromancer of Hades), the iconic riffs sound thick and powerful. Another huge positive is Marko Laiho’s vocal performance: his vocals are much more demonic, brutal, and theatrical (e.g., in “Sodomatic Rites” or “Lord of Shadows and Goldenwood”). It is particularly noteworthy that synthesizers and various electronic elements have been given more space in several songs, making the atmosphere of tracks like “Nocturnal Evil” or “Sodomatic Rites” even darker, gloomier, and more sinister than ever before. Of course, a properly recorded live sound was also necessary to achieve this, and in my opinion, there is nothing to complain about here either: the recording is sufficiently clear, the noise of the audience is never disturbing, and every instrument and vocal is distinctly and powerfully audible.
Live in Praha CZ is a great example of why this type of release still has its place. Also, I daresay that this is one of the best releases in Beherit’s discography, primarily due to this “sound-renewal”. It is a special experience to encounter such a transformed sound (in a positive sense), and in my opinion, Beherit has taken their style to its peak with this release.
