Behemoth is an interesting act. The combination of their extreme style, front man and founder Nergal's vocals, and their obvious distaste for organized religion and Christianity in general make my enjoyment of their music something of a challenge.
In any case, while our belief systems are clearly different, we are all free to follow (or not) who we want. It is something I have worked on reconciling over the years as I enjoy music and films that can contain some wild material that is at odds with what I believe. It will not change my faith. So long as that remains true, I feel freed and empowered to like some of the things I like. One of those things is the music of Behemoth and their latest album, Evangelion, is quite the strong work.
I was first introduced to Behemoth in 2006 with a reissue of their 1994 debut, And the Forests Dream Eternally. It was not my favorite, but it did scare me a little as it sounded like a low-fi compression of the voice of Satan. While I was not completely taken with what I heard, I was intrigued enough to see them live on the 2007 Radio Rebellion tour which they co-headlined with Job for a Cowboy. That performance along with the album Apostasy began to win me over as a fan. Yes, Nergal's anti-religion act got to me a little, particularly when he ripped up a Bible onstage to the delight of the crowd, but it was the music and not the antics which proved to be the draw.
Throughout Evangelion, this trio push their skills to the edge and deliver an engrossing experience that leaves me in awe of their abilities while simultaneously reinforcing the thought I am listening to the voice of Satan, perhaps not his words, but definitely his voice.
There are elements of black metal mixed with thrash metal and that combination rubs elbows with Gojira-esque sounds of slowed down doom. It is a great sound, one that challenges with deceptive complexity while getting you into a groove that makes you want to jump on the pit.
Evangelion opens with a punch to the face known as "Daimonos," a lyrical ode to Dionysus. It is not the best track on the album, but it does a good job of setting up what to expect as you move forward. That is followed by "Shemaforash," which keeps the pace high but brings a little more atmosphere. Still, while the first track is a punch to the face, this is a repeating kick to the gut.
Article comments
1 - ColinM
Very true. I can definitely agree that Evangelion is their strongest album to date and I for one very much enjoy the tempo variations throughout the album (on Demigod and previous works I felt they always went a little too fast and the sound was all crushed together). Here there are some nice slow tracks (Lucifer was a great highlight) to show how each member shines in their art. Thanks for the review.