Behemoth: Evangelion

While pursuing this summer’s latest releases from Metalblade Records I noticed that Behemoth put out a new record this year. To tell the truth, the first article I ever had published in the Quill was a review of their last album The Apostasy, so, in commemoration of that monumental piece, I thought it would be nostalgic to review their most recent effort now that I am the arts editor here at our illustrious newspaper.

Before I begin, lets get one thing straight: If your ears are not up to the challenge of listening to to bands with more of an edge than the plethora of putrid noise that is passed off as music on the radio, then you had best take shelter in the comfort of your Default and Marianas Trench, because Behemoth have once again made battle formations...and a hellstorm follows behind.

But seriously though, this is the kind of music that warrents combat boots and an M-16. If I were walking into a war zone, this is the album that I would have blasting over the field of battle.

I can without a doubt say that this Polish three-piece are at the frontline of the death metal scene, and have been for quite some time if you ask me. Since first discovering them at the release of their album Demigod (2004), I have seen Behemoth (literally) rise beyond what other metal bands are doing right now. Ostracizing the most powerful and technical use of a drum kit imaginable, Inferno pounds his way through song after song with unrelenting ferocity and cymbal use that can only be described as exquisite wizardry. In particular, the song OV Fire and the Void is a perfect example of this. This song has it all: their signature machine gun double kick that is at times cleanly chopped up as if a battle axe were taken to it, brutal guitar riffs laced with techy interludes, and the raw power of Nergal’s soul shattering voice.
To think that such a complex and intricate sound could be made by just three people is absolutely incredible.

If you are already a fan of contemporary death metal such as Nile, Origin or Dying Fetus, then I would seriously recommend picking up this album. Especially if you have never heard any Behemoth before.