Editor’s note: We’re bringing on our good friend Ed this week to lend his thoughts on this heavy, heavy subject matter…

Mark’s Review:

When Black Metal first hit the scene, I laughed and figured it was some sort ov joke. After reading Lords ov Chaos and hearing the stories ov guys burning churches and members ov Mayhem eating pieces ov brain after finding their singer lying in a dead heap after a self-inflicted shotgun wound made me laugh. Are these guys serious? Is there really NOTHING to do in Norway? Wow, they must really LOVE Satan! Then, there were the endless amount ov ridiculous Black Metal photos showing fake wooden swords, smeared corpse paint and fake blood. I figured it was all just a lame attempt to scare parents and the establishment. Then I went to see Manowar at Riley’s Rock House (RIP), and Immortal opened. After laughing at the thought ov the three ov them ordering Blizzards at the nearby Dairy Queen, they soon took the stage, and I was absolutely blown away. I remember in the bathroom afterward, there was a guy at the urinal next to me just muttering to himself, “Immortal… Immortal…“, definitely the sign ov a good performance.

Since then, I’ve dabbled in mostly “commercial” Black Metal: Dimmu, Emperor, Gorgoroth and Behemoth. Behemoth’s music appealed to me immediately; their songs were great, and I really liked the unending sonic onslaught they created. And since I enjoyed, Demigod and The Apostasy, I was looking forward to hearing their new album. Evangelion is heavy and fast as hell, and it’s probably their most complete album yet.

Daimonos is the ultimate album starter. Taking its cues from Hell Awaits, screams from hell swirl around to a boil before Nergal and company begin to destroy you. When the chorus chants begin, you’ll find yourself looking around the room for something to sacrifice. The drumming and guitars are so fast and tight, it’s like a buzz-saw that only wants to tear your flesh from your bones. Inferno’s drumming is just ridiculous, with or without the help of triggers. And unlike most black metal releases, the production is fantastic. Daniel Bergstrand and Colin Richardson managed to create heavy and organic tones from guitars and drums which are obviously very processed. Songs such as Lucifer and Alas, the Lord is Upon Me, show that they can still bring the evil when the speed is slower, but Behemoth really shines when they ramp up the BPM. No where is this more apparent then on the song Ov Fire and the Void, quite possibly one ov the best metal songs I’ve heard this year. It’s simply awesome.

Because I’m saving my “5 Kings” for the new Baroness, I cant quite give the album a perfect review. But I have to say, if you’re into what makes metal great, get Evangelion. It has all the speed, power and heaviness you’d expect mixed with great songs and a satanic vibe that is sure to scare parents and give you goosebumps.

Mark’s Rating:

King says: “If I’m ever in Poland and run out of chicken femurs, I’ll give these guys a call!”

Ed’s Review:

Poland has delivered a few amazing metal bands over the years without a doubt. After my soon-to-be wife turned me on to Decapitated (the infamous child prodigies of the Polish death metal underground) a few years back, I decided that I would give just about any band from this often ridiculed European region a chance. Enter BEHEMOTH who have apparently been placed in the “blackened death metal” category for quite some time now (huh?) much to my surprise. Perhaps I’ll get slapped by half of the message-board community (and probably be labeled a douche for saying this), but I didn’t even know this particular sub-genre existed. But I suppose I can understand it now – in Behemoth’s case, we are talking about a diabolically rich hybrid of black metal imagery and tone combined with the fierce and technical prowess of extremely brutal death metal, which is enough to make any weakling (or even reasonably upstanding citizen) squirm in his underwear indefinitely.

But seriously, no matter what sub-genre people are willing to toss around here, Behemoth have proven that they definitely have what it takes to match the metal with the face paint on their 9th studio album Evangelion. This is a very brutal slab of extreme metal that will probably have you reaching for the nearest pint of Żywiec the very minute it begins to thrash your head into a pulpy goiter.

Opening this ferocious riff-fest of an album are two blasting tracks of occult-laced mayhem sure to please anyone who can appreciate getting their face melted by this brand of metal. Particularly opener Daimonos slays with a magnificent velocity, then catches the ear with a breakdown solo eerily similar to the one in “Zero Tolerance” from Death’s Symbolic album (which I must say I almost busted a nut to). Shemhamforash is an all-out blast beat for the most part, ending with what sounds like a sitar (showing a possible Nile influence or maybe just an excuse to be weird and trippy – either way it works). Ov Fire and the Void, easily the album’s best track, is a grinding mid-tempo masterpiece with some classic textural guitar work overlapped with the speedy underbelly of Inferno’s kick-drumming, which brings to mind Decapitated at their best. And speaking of Inferno, this guy is a sick drummer. He’s so sick, he might need some extra face paint just to cover up how fucking talented he is, and in my opinion he may be the key to the quality of this record. My favorite guitar riff stands at the intro of Transmigrating Beyond Realms ov Amenti which is a loopy spiral of dischordant madness, down tuned and circling around Inferno’s impressive percussion. The album continues along this path consistently, with the top-notch production never taking away from the overall intensity (black metal “purists” please be forewarned: this is an absolute hi-fidelity production to the max, so if you are looking for 4-track white noise soaked in goats blood, be sure to look elsewhere). The only shortfall for me is the final track Lucifer, where the band tries their hand at doom metal, old-school style. The track seems a bit long and unnecessarily repetitive, although it could be far worse for a band of this caliber.

Ed’s Rating:

King says: “If I ever get a Polish scent hound, he shalleth be named BEHEMOTH!”

Behemoth – “Ov Fire And The Void”

(Warning… video NSFW)