Behemoth Satanica

This album shows Behemoth moving on from the Black Metal scene into Extreme Metal, hence some people have refered to their style as 'Blackened Death Metal'. I personally find this album to be the best Behemoth album produced thus far. Blastbeats, face melting riffs and very brutal Death Metal vocals culminate together to create a very difinitive Death Metal album. However I must warn you, if you're not familiar with the genre it is an aquired taste... Standout tracks for me are 'Chant for Escheaton 2000' 'Decade of Therion' and 'The Alchemists Dream'. If you're expecting a pure Black Metal album like their earlier offerings, then you will be sorely mistaken... However if you want top quality Death Metal then look no further... If you enjoyed this album then check out 'Demigod' which picks up where this left off.

Definetely Behemoths finest album so far, pathing the way for bigger and better things. This album turns the corner for them and leads the way for others. A very technical headstong ablbum which obliterates all in its path, beginning to leave the shadow of the black metal scene and take extreme metal to new heights, tracks like Decade of Therion, Chant for Eschaton and Ceremony of Shiva stand out, a must for any collector. 10/10

Perfekt

Rage, Argne, Brutalité!

Un gran grupo. Muy conocido en el underground, pero con este disco y con el anterior saltaron a la primera linea del metal extremo. Un gran disco, algo corto, pero muy interesante.

Only when Behemoth's fourth disc was released did blackened death metal truly start to take form. 2000's "Satanica" is ripe with blinding energy, intensity, conviction and astounding musicianship. This disc, which is Behemoth's first real death metal influenced release, is top-shelf blackened/technical death metal. These songs' punishing, ultra muscular rhythms ooze with nimble, blazing riffs, vocals which alternate between growls and high-pitched barks, deliciously evil lyrics, and almost constant, frenetic death metal blasts (which are seemingly played with virtuosic ease from one of the best, fastest, and most technically proficient skinsmen in the business, Inferno). The result is a monster, "Satanica", which is completely devastating, ferocious, and genuinely tight and brutal. These songs are stripped of excess fat, making every powerful, punishing track full of frantic, engaging energy and painstaking technicality. "Decade Of Therion" begins the disc on a strong note by underpinning jackhammer insistence of walloping bass drums with searing guitar riffs. (Track six, "Star Spawn", is also this way.) The thunderous second track, "LAM", is one of the best songs of this bunch, because it's backed by chunky power chords and catchy, slamming, lightning fast blast beats which anchor the song. A few other killer songs are the scorching "Of Sephirotic Transformation and Carnality", "The Sermon to the Hypocrites" (which features a deft, driving beat, huge, crushing riffs, and Nergal's retching, black metal-esque yelps which are designed to make the listener's skin crawl), the mostly instrumental and mid-tempo "The Alchemist's Dream", and the album closer (an untitled bonus track), which is slower but equally as bludgeoning and features demonic, monstrous bellows. "Satanica" is Behemoth's first truly great record, and, luckily, the band didn't stop here; they did (and are doing) what all iconic metal bands do: continuing to grow and perfect their sound. They produced another superb album, "Zos Kia Cultus", in 2002, and eventually dropped the godly "Demigod" in 2005. Newcomers are advised to start with that career-defining album, but "Satanica" is still a great, truly inspiring album and a highly recommended pick up for all fans of this band and genre.

I Behemoth non deludono mai. Dai primi lavori, più rudi, alle ultime produzioni, più elaborate, sanno sempre offrire un sound aggressivo e splendidamente coinvolgente. \m/