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20 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
9.75/10 - Wickedly evil & brutal death metal!, May 19, 2003
...P>One thing's for certain: Nergal & company's newest release is unmistakably BEHEMOTH. It's also like nothing they've ever done before. Gone, or at least pushed way into the background, are the simpler rhythms and beats most prevalent on their last release, Thelema.6. The Polish death metallers' latest offering is brutal with a capital `B.' Nergal's vocal vomiting seems even more angry this go-round, and sprinkles of heretofore unheard technical lead guitar work and choppy, headbanging riffage abound. Most traces of this band's previous black metal sound are gone, having opted for the "we dare you to be more brutal than us" route that's apparently all the rage in Eastern Europe these days.One of things that I particularly enjoy about BEHEMOTH and their current direction is that unlike many a brutal band these days, not everything is hyperspeed blasting and riffing. In fact, quite the contrary. Nergal knows when to turn the speed dial to 11 - listen to the not-so-subtle riff intro to "Blackest Ov The Black" or the speedfest that is "No Sympathy For Fools" for good examples - but other times the band is complacent and happy (well, alright, I'm not sure if they're ever happy) enough ripping mid-paced technical death metal designed to pulverize your skull as opposed to exploding your heart. Listen to the outro riff of "As Above So Below" for some serious neck-snapping fun. Now if only they had extended that riff and expanded upon it for a few more moments...And then there's always the absolutely punishing riff monster Nergal unleashes on his unsuspecting fans in the middle of "The Harlot Ov The Saints," helping transform this mid-album gem into one of the strongest BEHEMOTH tracks I've ever heard. Special kudos needs to go out to the drummer, Inferno. After his performance on this record, death metal fans will be hard-pressed to find a more technically proficient or skilled drummer. I couldn't find anything in the liner notes to the contrary, but if everything he plays is real and not machine-enhanced, well color me impressed. For a band that sits comfortably atop the heap of quality death metal that's currently available, BEHEMOTH has very few peers to compare them to. Which is a good thing. It's all too easy to say the latest melodic death metal band sounds like mid-1990s IN FLAMES (I've been guilty of this and will be again), but BEHEMOTH isn't very easy to pigeonhole. Let it suffice to say that they're somewhere near the best of MORBID ANGEL with the technicality of later-era DEATH, and alongside peers like DECAPITATED and VADER, especially the latter's penchant for inserting a healthy dose of groove into their brutality. Lastly, I want to make special note of the production and packaging. Even with all the modern, state-of-art technology that's available to bands these days, it's rare to hear an album that is so perfectly produced. Every snare crash, every double-bass fill, every riff, every plunk of a bass string is pristinely captured and crystal clear. As for the packaging, I opted for the limited edition special gatefold digipack. It's far sturdier than other digipacks and when fully opened up, is in the shape of an upside-down cross (of course it is!), and adorned with multiple gorgeous renderings of naturally blasphemous artwork. Special kudos goes out to Avantgarde Music, the art team and everyone who worked on capturing this sound. Highly, highly recommended album.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
(Drooling like Homer Simpson), February 16, 2006
Death metal is a staff of life, and one of the only things that could possibly be more heavenly than brutal metal is brutal metal which is equally as technical. And if that's what you look for in great metal, Behemoth are a godsend. The members of this band are clearly much more mature and better musicians on this, their sixth full length album, than they were five or ten years ago. In fact, the guitarists (Nergal & Frost) and drummer (Ravenlock) almost deserve their own, separate review. The riffs are ultra precise and heavy, and the drum work is head spinning, mind jumbling and complex. To top it all off, Nergal's vocals fluctuate. But whether sounding somewhat high pitched (as in the first track), or low, and unintelligible, his barking is always very violent and mean. Songs like "Blackest Ov The Black," "Harlot Ov The Saints," and "Typhonian Soul Zodiack" are driven by absolutely ridiculous drumming, and "Here and Beyond" is backed by an insanely fast and skilled blast beat. Other highlights are the jackhammer guitars and machine gun drumming on "As Above So Below," the punching, almost thunderous riffs on "Hekau 718," the title track, which has catchy, pounding riffs and more great drumming, and (my personal favorite) the album opener, "Horns Ov Baphomet." Here, the guitarists play rhythmic, heavy chugging, cascading riffs over a blast beat and Nergal's shrieking vocals, and the song ends with a brief acoustic breakdown. All things considered, this is a great album. If you like death metal (even a little bit), make sure you pick this up and enjoy one of the finer things in life. Cryptopsy, Nile, Necrophagist, and Behemoth's 2005 album, "Demigod," are also highly recommended.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very Brutal Death Metal From Poland !!, June 2, 2004
Let me start off by saying this is a very Brutal and down tuned Metal album. Most of this album is played at a slower grinding pace, but picks up some wicked speed at the perfect times. I love this group's intensity and Satanica, Thelema 6 and this album are all top-notch Death Metal albums. I truly don't believe there is a band that is more brutal than Behemoth. The bass and drums just destroy my speakers and I'm sure my neighbors just love it! Critics say that Behemoth sound too much like Morbid Angel and being a big Morbid fan, I have to say that's bogus. These guys have a sound of their own. Nergal's vocals are absolutely the best Death Metal vocals I've ever heard and the lyrics are written extremely well. They have a new album set to be released soon and I can't wait! What a treat for any Extreme Metal Fan!
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