Behemoth

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BEHEMOTH have always pushed the limits of their abilities and defied the boundaries of death and black metal. Now, the Polish metal kings have returned with a new offering, The Apostasy, which is destined to become both the defining release of the band's career and one of the most revered and dynamic offerings the genre has seen in years. The Apostasy's basic meaning is "to go against religion," and with Poland being one of the top religious countries in the world, BEHEMOTH strives to convey that being religious is not the key to happiness. This album takes everything to the next level, as Nergal (guitars, vocals) promises "more speed, aggression and blasphemy than ever before." The Apostasy is easily the group's most ambitious and epic offering yet and was recorded in the band's hometown of Gdansk with Nergal and longtime sound engineer Malta in the producers' chairs. The effort was once again mixed with the acclaimed Daniel Bergstrand (In Flames, Meshuggah, SYL) at Dugout Studios in Sweden and will be mastered by Bjorn Engelmann (Rammstein).

BEHEMOTH built their career upon their unrelenting touring schedule, performing over 325 shows worldwide in support of their 2005 release, Demigod. The group kicks off The Apostasy's worldwide touring cycle on Ozzfest 2007 as direct support to second-stage headliners Hatebreed. This event marks BEHEMOTH's biggest U.S. tour yet, further setting the stage for the band to become the new leaders of the genre.

Originally formed by a teenage Nergal in 1991, BEHEMOTH quickly made a name for themselves in black metal circles with four early cult albums: From The Pagan Wastelands, ...And The Forests Dream Eternally, Sventevith (Storming Near the Baltic) and Grom. But it wasn't until the release of Pandemonic Incantations and the addition of Inferno (drums) that the band started to realize their true potential. Songs became catchier, where the musicianship and production vastly improved. With Satanica, BEHEMOTH started to incorporate more of a death metal approach to their songwriting. The high, raspy, black metal screeches of the first four albums were replaced with a forceful yet audible death metal growl. Two successful European tours followed with Deicide and Satyricon as the band started to amass a rabid following. In 2001, Thelema.6 was released in the U.S. Truly a landmark in the extreme metal community, Thelema.6 saw the band combining their early black metal influences with the utter viciousness and technicality of Satanica.

Now an unstoppable live force, touring opportunities with bands such as Nile and Morbid Angel began to pour in. For those who thought the band had reached their peak, nothing could prepare them for what came next. Zos Kia Cultus (Here And Beyond) was unleashed upon unsuspecting audiences in 2003. The album saw BEHEMOTH set a new standard in massive production and song craft for all others to meet, as they take a slight turn away from the more straight-ahead brutality of Thelema.6 and put more of an emphasis on groove. As rave reviews started to flow in, the group made its American live debut at the New Jersey March Metal Meltdown festival. The several extensive nationwide tours that followed (which included treks with the likes of Deicide, Amon Amarth, Halford, Testament, Superjoint Ritual, Opeth, Lacuna Coil and Six Feet Under) helped to make 2003 a breakthrough year for the band.

Demigod was the next logical progression of the band's already colossal sound. The songs took on an even more aggressive feel this time around, with more traditional metal song structures and slightly more melodic lead work. In an effort to match the grandness of the composition, a professional male choir was brought in to record real vocal harmonies for "Sculpting the Throne ov Seth." A slew of major worldwide touring insanity followed with the likes of such acts as King Diamond, Suffocation, Danzig, Morbid Angel, Chimaira and The Black Dahlia Murder, helping the group to more than solidify themselves as one of the genre's most exciting new artists. The touring campaign for Demigod was ultimately capped off with an appearance on 2006's Sounds of The Underground tour alongside As I Lay Dying, In Flames and Trivium where BEHEMOTH quickly became the most talked about act due to their vicious and unrelenting live show, which immediately garnered them a whole new legion of devoted fans.

While most bands struggle to evolve and stay vital within the extreme music genre, BEHEMOTH manages to do so effortlessly. The Apostasy is destined to continue the legacy.

http://www.behemoth.pl/

Anyone else like 'em?

i prefer their earlier black metal albums, but they do death metal very well too. not a bad album yet.

I think they're a good band...the only album I ever heard was the one before this newest one...can't remember the name...but it was really good.

I love them so much! I have an obssession with Nergal

@ Shawn Of Fire you mean The Apostasy?

I only have "The Apostasy". It's a good album though. I've been thinking of getting some other albums from them.

Which is your fave Chalice?

Back when I was heavily into black metal I digged the first LP. Haven't listened to them in years though. However, I think I still have that Demonica double CD box set.

I don't own any of their albums, but from listening to them on the internet, they definitely execute their craft well.

Yeah, they are one of the best blackened death metal bands out there today IMO.

Along with Goatwhore.

Metallic Blaze wrote:

I only have "The Apostasy". It's a good album though. I've been thinking of getting some other albums from them.

Which is your fave Chalice?

Please call me Tayla
I'm torn between Demigod, Satanica and their newest Evangelion.
Gotta say I'm in love with their front man, he's amazing! Did anyone read about the Polish politician that tried to get them locked up for "practising satanism"?

ChaliceOfFemmeMetal wrote:

Did anyone read about the Polish politician that tried to get them locked up for "practising satanism"?

Really? You would think politicians would have far more important things to worry about than trying to put someone in jail for allegedly being a "satanist." He must not be strong in his own beliefs or he's trying to play the morals game with his people. Either way, he's probably a douche-bag.

From the Behemoth interview

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Early in 2008 the committee [All-Polish Committee For Defence Against Sects] lodged a formal complaint against Behemoth for an incident the previous year where Nergal ripped up a bible at a concert before the audience set fire to it. Though the case was thrown out of court twice, a politician known as Rzyszard Nowak decided to continue a personal crusade against the band.
"Even though he had failed he was calling me a criminal in interviews so I decided to bring him to the court. I'm everything but a criminal, I pay big taxes and consider myself a pretty f***ing good citizen. And actually I won the case, so the guy had to cover the cost of the trail, apologise to the biggest Polish newspaper and on top of that I requested that he pay a thousand US dollars to a homeless dogs asylum. Why? Firstly, I thought it'd be as f***, secondly I thought it would be the only positive thing this person does in their life and thirdly, I thought it might change the perception of metal for some people in Poland."

That's Adam (Nergal) speaking. I had to censor the words out as it put smurf

Wow, that's cool he made him pay money towards a homeless dog asylum!

Sounds like the guy is pretty intelligent, regardless of his belief system.

I'll have to look into the albums you recommended Tayla. Thanks.





By the way, do you like "The Apostasy"?

I do like The Apostasy but just not as much as Satania, Demigod or Evangelion. It's an amazing album though!

Nergal is actually a pretty down to earth guy. I spoke to him on facebook and he's actually a sweetheart (DO NOT TELL HIM I SAID THAT!!) but it might be because I'm a woman that I can call him that
Also at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods awards some idiot locked him out of his dressing room and he almost had to come on stage minus his corspe paint bless. Luckily someone found the spare keys.

Musically, I like the older stuff a bit better, the transition period for the most part. Newer stuff is an example of the 'mostly production' thing to me..tastes great, less filling. Lyrically I'm not missing much either way, so it goes..

I like Behemoth. I've preferred their most recent releases over their earlier stuff.

Orion Crystal Ice wrote:

Musically, I like the older stuff a bit better, the transition period for the most part. Newer stuff is an example of the 'mostly production' thing to me..tastes great, less filling. Lyrically I'm not missing much either way, so it goes..

Lyrics are the reason why I don't forsee me picking up any of their releases. But I must say I do like what I've heard from them musically.

I wonder why so many people here are bothered by lyrics?

It's no big deal, but I hear that a lot on this board.

Me, I don't always pay attention to everything I listen to - I just enjoy it for the music.

That's just me though, and I do understand.

I prefer to have some kind of relation in every way to art that I choose to fully absorb. There are many lyrical topics that I may not have an abundance of knowledge in, or even completely agree with sometimes, but can still find worth and meaning *to me*. Run-of-the-mill Pagan-philosophy-of-the-week VS mean-evil-Christian oriented lyrics dressed up in historic prose do not fit the bill.

Also. It's depressing when nothing is paid toward the lyrics. Even if they are poorly written or et al. I don't know. I never want my project to be known as one of those things where everyone routinely ignores the lyrics.. ..

Orion Crystal Ice wrote:

Also. It's depressing when nothing is paid toward the lyrics. Even if they are poorly written or et al. I don't know. I never want my project to be known as one of those things where everyone routinely ignores the lyrics.. ..

For most of us ... it's about the music. To be honest dude.


And yes, I can enjoy something even more if the lyrics are to my liking.

However, cheesy Christian lyrics are just as putrid to my ears as overtly satanic stuff.

I like intelligent stuff - even if I don't quite agree with everything being said.

Metallic Blaze wrote:

I wonder why so many people here are bothered by lyrics?

It's no big deal, but I hear that a lot on this board.

Me, I don't always pay attention to everything I listen to - I just enjoy it for the music.

That's just me though, and I do understand.

very much agreed, but i can see where the other guys are coming from. you & i are just more accepting than the majority of the crowd.

mc666 wrote:

Metallic Blaze wrote:

I wonder why so many people here are bothered by lyrics?

It's no big deal, but I hear that a lot on this board.

Me, I don't always pay attention to everything I listen to - I just enjoy it for the music.

That's just me though, and I do understand.

very much agreed, but i can see where the other guys are coming from. you & i are just more accepting than the majority of the crowd.

MC, I'm in your camp.

Lyrics help make the vocals, the vocal lines and melodies are all based around the lyrics. So they need to be half-decent. Also lyrics are what many look for to find a mutual ground/meaning/whatever with the band and musicians themselves

GrandNational wrote:

mc666 wrote:

Metallic Blaze wrote:

I wonder why so many people here are bothered by lyrics?

It's no big deal, but I hear that a lot on this board.

Me, I don't always pay attention to everything I listen to - I just enjoy it for the music.

That's just me though, and I do understand.

very much agreed, but i can see where the other guys are coming from. you & i are just more accepting than the majority of the crowd.

MC, I'm in your camp.

Same here. I can't find myself in the "message" (if there is one) of a lot of the bands I listen to on a regular basis (Arghoslent, Discharge, Grand Belial's Key etc. etc.).

ChaliceOfFemmeMetal wrote:

@ Shawn Of Fire you mean The Apostasy?

Yes...that's the one. Very good album...