Behemoth - Evangelion

“The divine is God’s concern; the human, man’s. My concern is neither the divine nor the human, not the true, good, just, free, etc., but solely what is mine, and it is not a general one, but is…unique, as I am unique. Nothing is more to me than myself!” - Max Stirner

Behemoth’s 9th new hell-raising opus, entitled “Evangelion”, has been released on Aug 07, 2009 across Europe through Nuclear Blast Records, and is scheduled to be released across America on Aug 11, 2009 through Metal Blade Records.

Over the last few months Evangelion has conspired to be an album that die-hard Behemoth fans have been salvating to get their hands on, thanks to all the suspense kicked up by album’s pre-production videos posted on Behemoth’s MySpace and YouTube pages.

I would ideally start off with the negatives…except that there aren’t any! The very first thing to strike me was the fact that the band’s immensely professional attitude towards their work, as portrayed in the pre-production media, has very obviously been carried forth to the actual production, and rather emphatically at that. Evangelion most definitely has the trademark Behemoth precision. The only aspect that might not appeal to the more consistent part of Behemoth’s fan base, would be the band’s decisive venture away from the unrelenting brutality executed in their previous albums, but then again it’s not very noticeable, except for a couple of songs that are obviously slower than the rest. Although I must add that by Behemoth standards, even their simplicity is a tad technical. But this time around, the metal titans from Poland have introduced a refreshing new change to their sound and have been about as musically straightforward as they could possibly get.

Most of the songs carry the familiar Behemoth touch, deviating ever so slightly in places, but just enough to have changed their usual course. “Diamonos”, “Transmigrating Beyond Realms Ov Amenti”, “He Who Breeds Pestilence”, “Defiling Morality Ov Black God”, are all typically Behemoth. Fast, chaotic and aggressive. “Shemaforash”, though following that rule, has an interesting Sitar outro that ends the song with a very unique touch. The tempo seems to slow a little with the third track, “Ov Fire and the Void”. But the delivery remains consistent. Ambient effects throughout add a very haunting atmosphere to the track, keeping it’s melancholy power well in place. “The Seed Ov I”, is something I’d call quite deceptive. It seems a little laid back in the initial phases, but then the listener gets around to realizing that both, the Drums and the Bass Guitar, are thundering at a b.p.m which is somewhere between 200-250, almost all the way from start to finish, except for a small, insignificant break in the middle of it. The seventh, “Alas, The Lord is upon Me”, leans definitively towards the blackmetal side of Behemoth. Slow, dark, repetitive riffs, yet not very monotonous. Takes off with an aggressive stance in parts, but returns to roost almost immediately. The last track, “Lucifer”, is completely blackmetal! However, this is a far more refined version of the intentionally lo-fidel sound that blackmetal is usually associated with. Most Behemoth fans that are used to their earlier sound from Satanica or Demigod, might just sit up and think long and hard. “Lucifer” also has a handful of orchestral elements in its intro that makes it a grand entry into the darkness they have unleashed through the rest of the song, making it extremely sinister!

I don’t think there is any earthly need to refer to the band individually or the technical aspects of this album and it’s sound. It’s exceptional! A lot of releases in 2009 have seen bands straying from their patent styles, and not all of them have succeeded, but being Behemoth, the band has pulled off the new venture with absolute brilliance. As far as the sound is concerned, it was recorded in the band’s hometown, at Radio Gdansk Studios with their long time sound engineer Malta, after which it passed through the scrutiny of the Wieslawscy Brothers of Heartz Studios and finally Daniel Bergstrand, ‘the’ production supremo. There was also involvement of Miloco Studios of London. Need I say more?

All in all, this is a massive new comeback from Behemoth. It is precise, well balanced, with almost all songs stamped with the definitive “Behemoth” stamp. Which leaves me in complete agreement with Daniel Bergstrand. It is fast, primal, atmospheric and brutal all at the same time!

To one and all, a total go-ahead from my side. Evangelion is something that caters to, not only the already existent Behemoth fans, but also, the ever-increasing horde of metalheads who are joining the band’s fast growing legions. Well worth an add to your collection, as and when you can get a hold of this album.

Enjoy the tunes..!

*In support of their 9th full-length album, Behemoth will be hitting the road with Slayer and Marilyn Manson as part of the Rockstar Energy Mayhem Festival tour, through the United States. Behemoth also has over 25 dates through summer, where they will share the stage with label mates Cannibal Corpse, The Black Dahlia Murder, Job for a Cowboy and Whitechapel.*