Behemoth
The Apostasy

(So: it's been at least more than a month since I've managed to get this album, and so I've finally decided to talk about it just a few days before its release. Excuse me, but I just couldn't stay silent any longer!)

We are at the dawn of modern Black Metal, in this small great jewel. Small because it perhaps has too short a duration, just under 40 minutes, but this negligible snippet of time manages to remain great in form, technique, and thought.

"The Apostasy", the eighth (and I really hope not the last) LP by Behemoth, satisfies everything a fan of the band expects, and is also capable of dragging along those who just want to take an interest in this slice of clear brutality. Let's analyze the various parts that characterize yet another masterpiece by the Poles.

VOCALS - Nergal on vocals is perfect. The growls are more brutal and "deep", but what is immediately noticed (with pleasant surprise) is the overlay of 50 Nergals at once. For example, "Prometherion" and "Slaying The Prophets Ov Isa". It is... intoxicating to hear such a massive dose of malice elegantly thrown up all at once. The heart of Behemoth's style, the so-called Blackened Death Metal. I would say very avant-garde. And diabolically excellent.

GUITARS - A deep bow to Seth and Nergal, who manage to powerfully handle these instruments with impeccable mastery. The sounds are powerful, it's the first adjective that came to mind as soon as I heard with what grit and clarity they dominate each song. I don't recall being bored for a single second of any song, nor did I lose interest for any boring solo: in fact, the latter are short but concise, varied, they capture and I spontaneously applaud my CD player every time these solos enchant me (I did it once, and I was even seen... From now on I'll avoid that). What to say? Nothing is out of place.

DRUMS - Just as I bow in the presence of Nergal and Seth, I feel duty-bound to worship Inferno. I don't want to go too far, but he is one of the best drummers I see around. Unbelievably precise like a Swiss watch (it's old, I know, but it always works); I don't want to spend too many words or compliments for this phenomenon, suffice it to say he knows what he's doing and seems to have been born with drumsticks in his hands. More than this...

BASS - Here, this is the one and only flaw of the album. Unfortunately there's little space for this instrument, which serves only to "support" the various guitar riffs. And it's a problem that persists in the Death/Black/Blackened Death Metal field. But what can we do, defects are always there, but they don't ruin the overall scene; at this point, better to be content...

Now we can mention the tracks that deserve the most. "Slaying The Prophets Ov Isa" is a shot track, and everything blends neatly and progressively: wonderful and pounding drums, convincing and surprising guitars, unique and unmistakable voice, final solo to scream with oriental choirs that deserve eternal applause, and that continue to be heard with "Prometherion", another great peak of the LP; the solemn "At The Left Hand Ov God" is indispensable, with a clean initial arpeggio, followed by a moment of silence and an eruption of growls and tribal choirs supported by an unbeatable Inferno framing the whole. The combative and warlike "Kriegphilosophie", which fittingly, in German, means "philosophy of war" (wow), demonically rhythmic; "Be Without Fear", with the sudden irruptions of innovative choirs and the famous 50 Nergals I mentioned, almost like a horror film, so much so that the first time I heard them (at volume 99/100, just for the usual eardrum torture) I made a nice jump in my chair. The ultra-brutal "Arcana Hereticae", with hints of technical solos; the original "Inner Sanctum", with even an introductory piano to create an atmosphere of tension and a clear voice (!) intertwined with Nergal's growl. The special guests on this rather debated track are Leszek Mozdzer on piano (I believe he is a jazz musician, but I wouldn't want to be wrong..) and Warrel Dane from Nevermore providing backup vocals. Then we move on to the unstoppable force of "Libertheme" and the very brief "Pazuzu", the latter inspired by the namesake demon of the southeast winds, with a deformed head, eagle wings, lion claws, and scorpion tail (you know the big statue at the beginning of the film The Exorcist, the one Father Merrin was observing with so much fear? There, that one). We conclude the masterpiece with "Christgrinding Avenue", a track that ends worthily, dispersing the sound little by little, until silence follows.

Five stars, it seems to me, is the minimum for such an acclaimed band and for work of this caliber. I hope fans will not be disappointed by "The Apostasy", and I hope that newcomers approaching Behemoth will appreciate this beautiful jewel.

Until next time.