Ok well it would appear I’ve been on a Polish metal kick lately as the next band on the chopping block is also from Poland. Of course I’m talking about the blackened death metal band Behemoth and this is a review I’ve kinda been wanting to do for awhile now. I’ve seen these guys a few times (ie Ozzfest, Sounds Of The Underground, and Slayer’s final tour) and they’ve always been great. So let’s take a look…….
And The Forests Dream Eternally- so I’m not sure if this is the first release from there’s guys or not. I’ve found some sources saying it’s the debut EP but the release dates show that this came out in April 1994 and some saying this came out in 1995 whereas the first album came out in August 1995 and the first full,length came out in April 1995. Anyway, yes I know this is an EP but I was still interested in checking it out. There are some studio songs and there are also some live tracks as well. I get a lot of Bathory vibes listening to this and not a lot of people I don’t think know about this and they should. Either way it’s an interesting start. I give this 6/10
Standouts: Moonspell Rites, Pure Hate And Evil, Forgotten Empire of Dark Witchcraft
Sventevith (Storming Near the Baltic)- so if you are a fan of bands like Emperor or Immortal then you might actually really like this album. This is a straight up black metal album. It’s got the fast drumming and fast guitar work as well as those black metal style vocals. I mean I thought this was another one of those black metal bands from Norway. If I were to put this on for someone who is familiar with newer Behemoth, I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t know that this was them. At the end of the day, this record isn’t really that memorable and black metal is one of those types of music I need to be in the mood for. I give this 6.5/10
Standouts: Entering the Faustian Soul, Wolves Guard My Coffin, Hidden In A Fog
Grom- so this one I would say is a very diverse record. By that I mean it definitely is still a black metal record but you have elements of thrash and Viking metal on here as well. When I listen to this, I definitely get a 15th century medieval feel to it which makes for a very unique record. If you like black metal, then definitely listen to this record. The unfortunate thing is that I had to listen to this on YouTube as it is not on Spotify. I’m giving this one 9.5/10.
Standouts: Dragon’s Lair (Cosmic Flames and Four Barbaric Seasons), Rising Proudly Towards the Sky, Spellcraft and Heathendom
Pandemonic Incantations- this is what I would call a transition record. By that I mean it’s definitely got that blackened death metal sound to it but there is still a good amount of black metal on here. Nergals vocals are starting to sound how they sound now and you can tell they are trying to move away from the strictly black metal sound. I don’t know I just think this record is ok. I give this one 8/10
Standouts: Satans Sword (I Have Become), The Past Is Like A Funeral, With Spell Of Inferno
Satanica- so we are still on that blackened death metal phase but to me this one is a lot more cohesive and refined. I would say there is definitely more death metal but with hints of black metal on here. Again we are now starting to hear them sound the way we know them today. Like to me this is where Behemoth sort of starts.. I don’t know this album is a little inconsistent as far as the production goes and there are some sort of dull moments. I give this one 7.5/10
Standouts: Ceremony of Shiva, The Sermon to the Hypocrites, The Alchemist’s Dream
Thelema 6- now we have moved completely away from Black Metal and into Death Metal. This is probably one of the first Behemoth records that I heard when I was very first trying to get into them and I think at the time I just thought it was ok. Listening to it now I have a better appreciation for it. I will say though after awhile, the songs start to sound a bit repetitive. I know some people will say that this is their best but to me I got kind of bored. I give this 8/10
Standouts: The Act Of Rebellion, Antichristian Phenomenon, Malice
Zos Kia Cultus- this is the first actual album I heard from these guys back in the day. I think I had just seen them at Sounds of The Underground and I wanted to hear more and this is the album I picked. I don’t know why I picked this album but I am glad I did because this is an awesome album. It’s a full on death metal record and it’s just a great record from start to finish. Like the vocals are brutal, the guitar work is really good, and the drumming is badass. Like if you want to get into these guys this would not be a bad place to start. I give this 10/10
Standouts: Horns Ov Baphomet, Modern Iconoclasts, Zos Kia Cultus
Demigod- I’m pretty sure that when I saw these guys at Sounds, this is the album they were touring behind. This is another one of those albums that is just badass from start to finish. This is one of those albums that I liked back when I first heard it and going back and listening to it again, I still really like this album. Some would say that Nergal’s vocals sound distorted but that’s one of the things that makes this album great. I give this album 10/10
Standouts: Demigod, Towards Babylon, Sculpting The Throne Ov Seth
Demonica- not a whole lot to say about this one except that it’s just a compilation of demos and unreleased songs from those early days of when they played strictly black metal. If you are a diehard fan or just really like black metal, then check this one out. I give this one 8/10
Standouts: Transylvanian Forest, Thy Winter Kingdom, Rise Of The Blackstorm Of Evil
The Apostasy- so there are some who would say that Demigod is their favorite Behemoth record and then there are those that say they would prefer this one. Honestly, I’m torn because both are such great records. This is one of those times where you could listen to both records back to back. Even the artwork of this one and the last one compliment each other. I give this one another 10/10
Standouts: Prometherion, Christgrinding Avenue, Jama Pekel
Evangelion- so there are some that would say this is a classic and there are some that would even put this as their favorite. For me, this one is neither. Now don’t get me wrong, this is a fine album but I found it kind of boring. There are some great songs but as a whole, this album just isn’t as strong as the last few albums. That being said, I give this 8/10.
Standouts: Daimonos, The Seed Ov I, Defiling Morality Ov Black God
The Satanist- I remember when this record came out and in fact, this is one of those records I would listen to while at the gym when I was in England. 2014 was a great year for metal albums and this is definitely one of those records. Here we see them go back to their black metal roots a little bit. It’s a slower but more crushing record and so many songs just sound epic. I mean just watch the video for the song Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel. What more can I say, definitely an album worth checking out. I give this 10/10
Standouts: O Father O Satan O Sun, Amen, In The Absence Ov Light, Furor Divinus
I Loved You At Your Darkest- I guess you could say this is a blackened death metal album with modern production. I don’t know what the best way to describe the sound of this album. It definitely seems just as dark as the last one but I just had a harder time getting into this one. There are a couple cheesy moments but I feel like something is missing I’m just not sure what. That’s not to say this is a bad record by any means but I just didn’t enjoy it quite as much as I have other Behemoth records. I give this one 6/10
Standouts: Bartzabel, Sabbath Mater, Angelvs XIII
I gotta say that this was definitely one of the more fun deep dives I’ve done. I guess it’s probably because not all the albums sound the same. I think it’s safe to say that this is a band that goes through different phases. I think it’s interesting that when they first started out, they went through a full on black metal phase but it’s interesting to see them transition from that to where they are now. If you ever get a chance to see them live definitely do so. They are one of the best bands to see live. I will definitely be seeing them the next time they come through.
Album Rankings:
- The Satanist
- The Apostasy
- Demigod
- Zos Kia Cultus
- Grom
- Pandemonic Incantations
- Thelema 6
- Satanica
- Evangelion
- Demonica
- Sventevith (Storming Near the Baltic)
- And The Forests Dream Eternally
- I Loved You At Your Darkest
Sinister Reviews 