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38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The musical apocalypse!, January 29, 2005
When Sculpting The Throne Ov Seth came through my speakers, I knew I was in for a treat. After the fitting and appealing acoustic intro, with a strong Eastern flare, I was pretty much pulverized. I have never heard death metal that is this epic, this big and this abysmal. The organized assault that was put upon my ears was beyond this world.
If you, the reader, aren't sure of what Behemoth is about, currently (they used to be a black metal band), I'd have to say they're about the most epic and apocalyptic death metal band in existence. All of the songs on the album are, without a doubt, of a brutal nature. There are some somewhat mid-paced moments, but I use this term with caution, as the brutality does not cease for a moment. Now, believe it or not, I am usually not all that crazy about brutal music, as much of it is unorganized and undeveloped. Behemoth defies this with rage. The songs are structured extremely well and the musical development, from their early material to even comparisons to other bands, is phenomenal. No one can deny the fact that this band is on top of what they're doing.
I usually do not take much concern of lyrics, however, the lyrics on Demigod are fantastic and worth mention. The lyrics here would certainly have any Thelemic metal fan drooling, not to mention anyone with a fairly deep interest in mythology and history, particularly of the East. Death metal has never sounded so intelligent.
To sum up my review, if you're a death metal fan, you need this album as you do water. For those that aren't too keen on death metal and/or brutal music, you may find Demigod to be quite a treat - give it a shot! For all those that are ordering, prepare to be maimed by the infernal horde known as Behemoth!
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A true death metal masterpiece, August 15, 2005
The sticker placed on this album makes a bold statment: "'Demigod' is the 'Alters of Madness' of this generation; a truely perfect death metal album." After thoroughly listening to the album, I can only conclude that the above sentiment is actually an UNDERSTATMENT!
"Demigod" may very well be the best death metal album ever recorded. I say this for a number of reasons:
(a) "Demigod" manages to capture the immense musical talents of the three death metal virtuosos who make up Behemoth. You will be hard pressed to find three musicians within this genre of music (or any for that matter) who have completely mastered their instruments to such a degree. Nergal possesses one of the finest death metal voices. Throughout the album he simultaneously mixes his lower death growls with midrange/ higher pitches which create an almost demonic sound to the vocals. In addition, Nergal is an outstanding guitar player who creates some of the most memorable riffs you will hear on any extreme metal album. Orion makes his first appearance as bassist on this album, and does not fail to please, as he matches Nergal's intensity throughout the album. Then there is Inferno, one of the most gifted and fastest drummers you will hear. So much so, that Behemoth has had to endure some accusations that they actually utilized a drum machine in the recording of the album. Though not true, once you hear the sheer speed with which Inferno tears through the songs, you will understand why critics thought otherwise.
(b) Unlike many death metal albums, each song on "Demigod" is distinct. Despite being an enormous fan of extreme music, even I have to concede that there is some truth to the criticism that death metal albums consist of many songs that sound similar (to the point they could play as one long song if the pauses were omitted). With that being said, "Demigod" does not suffer from this fault. Rather, the structure for each song is unique, making each of the songs clearly distinguishable from one another. Furthermore, there are songs on "Demigod" that (dare I say it) are accessible and listener friendly! Make no mistake about it, Behemoth ranks as one of the most extreme metal acts (perhaps second only to Suffocation). Nonetheless, there are some catchy songs on the album (e.g., Demigod, Conquer All, and Slaves Shall Serve). Keep in mind I use the term accessible in the loosest sense, by no means do I feel that someone who is turned off by extreme music will find this album easy to listen to. But to death metal fans, this album will be a feast for the ears!
(c) This is far and away the most extreme, intense, and fastest album ever recorded (or I should say, that I have heard). From the opening song to the very last riff, "Demigod" unleashes an onslaught that NEVER lets up! Even the above mentioned band, the mighty Suffocation, have never released an album so insanely fast. Blast beats are plentiful throughout "Demigod." However, unlike some albums where listeners find their excessive use to be boring and one-dimensional, the heavy reliance on blast beats only enhances this album. They add to the overall intensity, which will energize the listener, whipping him/her into a fury.
(d) The production of "Demigod" is FLAWLESS! This album is the most polished death metal album I have ever heard. All of the instruments shine through with a clarity that is crystal clear. Surprisingly, it is Nergal who produced the album, proving that his talents extend far beyond the stage and his instruments, into the studio as well.
Though "Demigod" is an outstanding album, no recording is without flaws, and "Demigod" is no different. Perhaps the only stylistic flaw that I found is the long instrumental introduction the album's final song "The Reign of Shemsu-Hor." Time wise, this song clocks in at over 8 minutes, with the first 2 1/2 minutes being nothing but the aforementioned instrumental introduction. The intro is powerful; however, it is slow and fairly repetitive. I find myself fast forwarding through the intro or skipping this song all together. The first two minutes serve as somewhat of a lull in an otherwise perfect album.
My only other criticism comes from a personal standpoint that is completely unrelated to the music. Personally, I have never been one to enjoy lyrics that are pagan in nature. I wouldn't call "Demigod" a satanic album, but there are certainly references made to pagan gods as well as inspiration drawn from Alister Crowley. However, I knew of Behemoth's spiritual beliefs before purchasing the album, so by no means was I offended or taken aback, as a Christian its just not my style, but that is me, and by no means should this criticism be taken as a stab at a band as musically talented as Behemoth.
In short, as one other reviewer succinctly stated, "Behemoth are obviously the best at what they do" - I could not state it any better. "Demigod" seems to occupy the space in my CD player more so than any other album I own. I literally see myself eventually wearing this album out from repetitive play...it's that good! Anyone who is a true fan of death metal should do him/herself a favor and buy this album...you will not be disappointed. I can only wonder what Behemoth will do for their next release, as I don't see how it will be possible to top the masterpiece of "Demigod!"
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11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good, but they've done better, February 16, 2006
I've had Demi-god for a while now and I haven't really been able to get into it. After listening to it, it leaves me wanting something more... As others may have mentioned, behemoth screwed around with Nergals vocals, recording a low-pitch track, and then playing another, higher pitched vocal track "underneath" the normal vocals.- the only track which doesn't seem to use this method is "before the aeons came" which seems to be more reminiscent of behemoth's older, more minimal death vocal style. This new production method makes the vocals uninteresting and lack-luster. No where on demi-god will a certain scream or growl stand out, they end up being like death metal spoken word.
Behemoth seems to borrow quite a bit from the well-known american death metal act Nile. The most noticeable being In the solo section. But this dosen't bother me very much because the solos are absolutely amazing solos, some of the best I have heard in a long while in fact. Other times its harder to pin down.. Its not really a big deal, behemoth obviously has been influenced by Nile. being influenced by a band is fine; just as long as they don't turn into Nile Junior. They even have a Guest apperance on Xul by none other then Karl Sanders, Nile's guitarist and Mastermind.
I have the same problem with the lyrics as I do with all their other albums, I don't know anything about them, im not fammiliar to what it is they are trying to portray through the lyrics, Since most of them seem to written on old mythology from mayan to egyptian. now this would be O.K. if they came with a big discription of what the names...but the descriptions provided don't really shed much light onto the deeper meanings of the lyrics. So I had to bash up Wikipedia to find out what some things meant, i.e. Shemyaza, Dumuzi Lord, and the like. I will however give them credit for making unique and original lyrics. If you are into the hole occult/etc thing I supposed you will understand these lyrics perfectly...I guess i am just a stupid vn-Kvltish mortal. Anyway, the only song I like lyricly is "Before the Aeons came", and behemoth didn't even write this, it was written by an old english poet.(Algernon Charles Swinburne for anyone who cares =P)
This "new" beefier sound with dual vocal distortians can work work out extremely well. Like in Slaves Shall serve, Mysterium Coniunctionis (Hermanubis), Conquer all(I am obsessed with this song, it has a great death metal vibe/groove to it), Sculpting The Throne Ov Seth, and The Reign Of Shemsu-Hor. All of these tracks prove behemoth can be crushingly heavy when they want to be. While some other times, it can be a less intense and more average death metal, like in Xul, and the Nephilim Rising.
In the end I like this record, but I think it could have been so much more. Not to say its bad, it definitely has its moments. I don't regret buying this album one bit. Is it one of my all time favorites? No, Is it the worst thing to ever come from death metal? Hell no! Its another solid album from behemoth, who in case you haven't noticed, have been spewing out tons of quality records recently. Im gonna keep my eyes open for the next album from behemoth, hoping that they will take what they did with "Demigod" even further. To end this review i'll say that if you like Nile, or death metal at all, you should pick this up because you will most likely love this record.
If you managed to read this entire review, and didn't feel like kicking me in the teeth after doing so, or found it remotely interesting, appealing, or helpful please take a second out of your busy and important day to press the "yes" button next to "Was this review helpful to you?"
Thank you,
-Igar the Terrible
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