Behemoth- The Satanist
“powerful, immense, and twisted…a strangely hopeful vision of hell wrested away from its very grip”
All hell breaks loose, in a musically artistic sort of way.
Although Behemoth tries to shy away from the label of black metal, this album is perhaps one of the best black/death metal albums of the year, even in bolder statement, perhaps one of the greatest black metal albums of all time (now I know some of you will try to argue, but this is my opinion, whether you respect it, that’s cool, if not, then fuck off).
Now I know that The Satanist has just been released not too long ago, this album was so powerful that I felt that it would instantly be appropriate for this series, and I will devote this article on why. From Nergal’s haunting lyrics and brutal guitar shredding, to Orion’s uncompromising bass playing, and the intricate drumming of Inferno, The Satanist provides the variety of hellish brutalness that would satisfy the musical hunger of both black and death metal fans. From the mesmerizing songs that made this album stand out from the rest of the metal albums of 2014, to the two twistedly powerful album covers that displayed the sheer ferociousness of Behemoth, The Satanist took many metal heads from all over the world on journey through hell, making each and everyone of them addicted to the craziness, and if you weren’t a Behemoth fan before, most likely, after hearing this album, you will be.
First off, the sick and twisted cover that makes deathcore bands look like a bunch of faggots (which they already are)
Look at this artwork and you would think it would be in a museum. The evilness of the image of a face with “wings” branching out towards the top, and that gauntlet-looking thing on the bottom, truely represents the sound of Behemoth, especially for the sinister nature of this album. You know how some people would pick up an album to listen to just by how their album covers looked, well this album is one of them. As haunting as the painted cover is, the songs within The Satanist are just as evil and…well…the type of music that you would expect from Behemoth.
Welcome to the darker side of Heavy Metal, where Christianity is looked down upon, and no fucks are given
When you hear “Blow Your Trumpets, Gabriel” (a.k.a. the opening track), the mezmerizing opening guitar riff will get you hooked instantly, accompanined by the brutal, intricate double based drums, and the dark and powerful growl of the mastermind himself Nergal.
All of these songs on The Satanist are unique and different, yet deliver the same intensity that would make you headbang at a faster rate than you are normally accustomed to (just don’t damage your brain like that one dude at the Motörhead concert). From “Blow Your Trumpets, Gabriel” to “O Father! O Satan! O Sun!”, Behemoth takes you on a hellish journey through the darker sides of life and music, yet making you bloodthristy for more. Each song beautifully combines the distorted elements of black metal and intensity of death metal (also called blackened death metal) with a perfectly placed selection of trumpets to top it all off. Each song is basically a “fuck you” to Christianity but this time, it is said in a more musically powerful type of way. Nergal’s screams and growls throughout the album truely show the ferociousness and insanity of Behemoth and makes them stand out amongst the crowed scene of black metal and heavy metal in general.
Accompanying the crazy guitar riffs and growls of Nergal are the legendary bass-playing of Orion and the energetic drumming of Inferno. Both of them successfully contribute to the hellish vibe of The Satanist and extreme metal scene in general. From start to finish, Orion is able to back up the sound of Nergal’s guitar riffs with his fast bass shredding and Inferno perfectly lays the the foundation of each song that Nergal and Orion are able to build upon, creating the haunting sound that many fans have came to expect from Behemoth.
In Conclusion,
The Satanist is one of those albums that once when you listen to it the first time, you become hooked on the album. Whether or not you’re a Behemoth fan or a fan of black or death metal, after listening to this album, you will be, I am sure of that (or partially sure). One thing that really stands out for this album is the universal acclaim from various reviewers including the popular British newspaper The Guardian, recieving mostly perfect ratings in all of the reviews. This album could very well be the Reign In Blood of our generation, even though it’s too early to tell. But for now, sit back, relax, and prepare yourself for the raw power and emotion of Behemoth, with possibly the best metal album of the year, The Satanist.
