Behemoth – The Satanist

behemoth-the_satanist

I did something I never thought I’d ever do and bought the new Behemoth record today. Was never a big fan of the early stuff (out of ignorance in never really listening to them more than anything) and have associated the 2000s material with 14 year old kids transitioning from Slipknot and Korn into death metal…

Before I even heard a note of the new one I was intrigued. Reading Darksi’s interviews post-leukemia in reference to this album really got me interested in what was in store sonically and lyrically and several reviews seemed to highlight that it was a turning point. Also very stoked on Denis Forkas’ art and Metastazi’s layout (that dude: FUCK) so it seemed quite the package.

I can say without a doubt that this is already a highlight for the year, even given Behemoth’s stature as a ‘celebrity’ death metal band. The production is wholly organic; gone are the vocal effects, clicks, snaps, and pops of their usually very sterile and over-produced sound. ‘The Satanist’ sounds natural and warm, vicious, and inspired. Each track is it’s own tight little opus – every song is memorable without being just a cavalcade of “dude check out this RIFF.”

None of this goes without saying that it does have it’s weaknesses (use of OV, stupid dress-up costumes, Slash guitar solos, and a goddamned Saxophone solo [Y U DO DIS PLEASE STAHP]), but the good far outweighs the bad. For a band to be this reinvigorated and viable on their 10th(!) full length, I have to commend them.

behemoth-the_satanist-cover

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29 thoughts on “Behemoth – The Satanist

  1. tiny midget says:

    Dear Brett:

    Somebody just posted a Metal-archives review on your site. Or, maybe he actually intended to post it on metal archives but got here by mistake insted of their Behemoth profile page.

    1. tiny midget says:

      Oops! I’m sorry,my bad,I just read the guidelines at Metal-Archives and this review wouldn’t have made the cut even there. So I’m afraid someone just hacked your site!

    2. I asked him if he’d mind my posting it. It’s important to be well-rounded.

  2. Pantskidder says:

    Isn’t Nergal accused of being a rapist? Where’s the story on that?

  3. kvlt attakker says:

    I must be on my way out of metal, because this is so dull that it couldn’t cut butter. Too linear. No dynamics outside of hard rock music. There is nothing here aside from easily comprehensible pop music. It’s Hot Topic music. I don’t understand how Behemoth has a fan base outside of 14-16 year olds that lack taste in music.

    Seriously. I am questioning metal in its entirety if this is espoused as “amazing.” I wish Derpsky would’ve realized some things on the brink of death, but nope! Same old fucking hogwash. He’s talented enough to make good music if he set himself to the task. This is just a cash grab.

    I can’t use Deathmetal.org’s news/reviews/interviews blog as a viable source for quality. If I had bought this from thinking it was actually good, I would mail my own feces to Prozak so that he would know what shit smells like.

    1. kvlt attakker says:

      There are no redeeming qualities to this song.

    2. Lord Mosher says:

      Come on kvlt attakker , let’s not over react. ORATION OF DISORDER reviews do offer a good selection of cool bands to check out.
      .
      Although the only redeaming quality to this tune is that after 30 seconds you can realize it’s better to search for Bill Whittle videos.

    3. trystero says:

      The original reviews are of course, still solid as ever. Unfortunately I have to agree with you kvlt attacker, I no longer trust this website. Even reading between the lines, picking up on faint praise etc. doesnt do the trick anymore. I cant think of any possible defense either. That isnt to say I have given up on the place, but the reason I come here is to get something different from the sea of shitty metal websites and blogs. Even the Sadistic reviews feel kind of manufactured now, something to appease the audience.

      If this article is some sort of parody then consider me amused. Otherwise… well, tiny midget is right. This would have been rejected on metal-archives.

    4. DeathMetal.org’s news feed exists as a means of introducing people to the main archive reviews. Of course… not much should be included in those, so they will be mostly unchanging. That wouldn’t help you with your weekly jaunts either.

      1. trystero says:

        That was one of the defenses, but it doesnt really make sense considering nothing on the main page ever really draws one to the rest of the content. There was one link to a review in a recent article, that is about it. Also, people already familiar with the website have perspective, so they can take material on the front page in stride. Those unfamiliar would have no grounding to discriminate between praise on the front page and praise in the archives. I dont know, maybe its working.

        On an unrelated note, I am pretty sure Richard Brunelle would be up for an interview, he may be contactable on his myspace. I know he has volunteered info at random places on the internet fairly recently.

        1. fenrir says:

          I think so too.
          There should be more pointers to the old reviews to give clear examples of excellent releases.
          I’ve also pointed out how many worthwhile articles are lost in a sea of newsfeeds and you are only able to find them by stumbling upon them by chance when searching a specific topic with the search box. I cannot deny this gives me a very curious feeling of mystery and the excitement of some kind of esoteric and explorative learning, but I am not sure this is the best way to guide people into Metal. In fact, people who do not know how to start to listen or look up Metal will just feel lost in this website.

          1. 1349 says:

            It’s the general scourge of today’s internet. No structure, no accumulation of worthwhile info, no “table of contents”. All updates become equal (equally transient) in this flow.
            Really, this could look like a forest, a mysterious place where you can’t see far from where you stand. But in the forest, you can at least hear distant things, and you’re surrounded by trees, not garbage. In the internet, you’re deaf and rambling through a landfill.

            One could argue that there’s always a search field to search what you want. But when i’m inexperienced, i don’t know what i can search for. Thus internet isolates a person from the world. This is a form of atomization.
            Some kind of table of contents is needed. (This is not to say that this site doesn’t have one; still, the updates feed is unstructured.)

            1. This is one of the reasons I resisted the blog format for years.

              With a blog, you have three basic methods of structure: date, tags and category. Date generally works for chronological browsing, which few do; tags are free-form but are usually the closest to the index you speak of; category generally refers to the type of thing being posted, much as we use “news” as a category.

              One way to do this is to use tags as a type of index by important topics, and essentially hand-code a guide to this place. I haven’t yet found a method I like, and tend to concentrate on writing more than updating software at this point.

              1. 1349 says:

                What are the other reasons why you resisted the blog format?
                And why did you eventually give in?

                Before you think about answering here, check your mail. I’ve sent you 2 letters but they probably still get into spam. Search for “1349” in the mail.

      2. Count Ringworm says:

        I’d like to go out out on a limb and defend Mr. Stevens — the informed metal community lacks accessibility.

        As someone who stumbled upon the DLA a few years ago purely through a random Internet search on Godflesh, who on a whim listened to Dismember’s ‘Override of the Overture’ on Youtube and forever had his musical outlook altered for the better I can attest that this site should, and can, be a catcher in the rye.

  4. trystero says:

    garbage music

    internet memes

    :(

  5. multikvlt says:

    And here are the top 10 most addictive branded and non-branded sounds in the USA

    1. Baby giggle (non branded sound)
    2. Intel (branded sound)
    3. Vibrating phone
    4. ATM / cash register
    5. National Geographic
    6. MTV
    7. T-Mobile Ringtone
    8. McDonald’s
    9. ‘Star Spangled Banner’
    10. State Farm

  6. snaggletooth says:

    BEHEMOTH DIED UNDER METAL BLADE RECORDS,,,THEY WILL LOOSE THE ORIGINAL LISTENERS , BUT GONNA GAIN HUGE POPULARITY FROM THE MALE-CORE DEATH/BLACKENED DEATH FANS,,,THESE MALL-CORE KIDS WILL ESTABLISH THAT THIS IS BLACKENED DEATH,,MORE WILL FOLLOW,,,THE GENRE GONE. NO FUCKING WAY. I REJECT YOU BEHEMOTH ON THIS DOWNFALL BUT I WONT FORGOT THE PAST.

  7. Kingdomgone says:

    Is this some kind of a sick joke? I don’t want jokes, I am a serious man who listens to his Slayer and Bathory with passion and dedication.

    Give me some true metal.

  8. Dionysus says:

    Prozak works in mysterious ways…

  9. 1349 says:

    It’s Darski’s 10th album and it’s strange how he still pronounces some of the English words incorrectly.
    Well, maybe it’s a commercial trick.

    1. EDS says:

      So he sounds edgy for our American Hot Topic kidz…. Hey look at me! I listen to extreme music and the singers are from Europe! I’m the cool kid in school now….

  10. neidan says:

    I have to admit, I basically never give bands another chance after sell-out. It would take unanimous praise from various trusted sources for me to even consider it (and even then I probably still wouldn’t bother). Yes, I have only room in my head for five all time best albums at any one time, but when I say ‘best’ ( and I could one-punch-kill just about anyone that disagrees with me on this) I do mean it. As for Behemoth, well they were a con-job from the beginning, even their best stuff, so this is no surprise.

    1. EDS says:

      I’m right there with you. I could care less for a band after they sell their soul to commercialism. On the same token, I never cared for Behemoth except for that one little demo they did and I can’t reason with myself as to why I enjoy it so much. The Pagan Vastlands is good for a few journey’s in the forests of the north east. Hell its one of my favorite black metal recordings ever.

      1. neidan says:

        Hmmm… .. .

        I might have to give The Pagan Vastlands another listen.
        Only for you do I do this EDS!

  11. “None of this goes without saying that it does have it’s weaknesses (use of OV, stupid dress-up costumes, Slash guitar solos, and a goddamned Saxophone solo”

    Could also be Watain.

  12. Robert says:

    I downloaded this album for free. Outside of the “Ora Pro Lobis Lucifer” track, I couldn’t care less about this album.

  13. Nito says:

    The title track sounds like the Monster Mash.

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