Behemoth "Demigod" (Olympic)
By Taylor Green
Friday. Jun 03, 2:29 AM
The new definition of intimidation.

Behemoth have come a long way since their early days as one of the many Eastern and Northern European black metal thrashers. Almost 15 years later, they've emerged as one of the most notorious black metal acts around, and Demigod gives their praise justice. Deadly and precise, Behemoth embark on a 42-minute journey to destroy your soul with their latest album, and succeed on most levels.

What's amazing to see in a black metal album isn't so much the high production quality – since that has been the growing trend of the genre lately (with noted exceptions from the purists) – but the underlying electronic influence I find in some of the songs. It’s almost similar to grindcore powerhouse Aborted. The electronic stuff isn't outright blatant, but after a few listens the album seems a lot more diverse in its production value than just organic notes. Particularly in the title track, Behemoth display proof that not only does this work, but it makes the album sound better.

From the start of the album to the very end, the combination of speed and tribal influenced black metal does Behemoth justice. Demigod is an album that has brought Behemoth into the picture as one of the most respected black metal acts in the world. The never-ending pursuit of perfection is never as clear for the band as in this release.

If there were areas to gripe about, I would have to say that the vocals are generally unimpressive. Besides the electronic feel to them, there's a lack of range and they just seem like random screaming and grunting at times. The only time the vocals actually enhance the song is during the final track, "The Reign of Shemu-Hor," but by that point in the album you’re probably already too consumed in the riffs and hectic drumming to take notice. This album will be just what speed metal and black metal fans are looking for.

Highlights: "Sculpting the Throne ov Seth," the title track, "Slaves Shall Serve," "The Reign ov Shemu-Hor."
www.behemoth.pl
www.olympicrecordings.com

Click here to buy this album on iTunes!

Click here to download the iTunes jukebox application for Macintosh or Windows!

Taylor Green

Got something constructive to say? By all means, rant away. Gonna blab about something unrelated and/or talk shit? Don't expect your comment to stick around.