I picked up my copy last night, thanks Quack, and I'm really enjoying it. I have only listened once, so I am not 100% sure of all the songs, but I do like the feel of the album. It is not 100% blast beats all the time and I am welcome to this change.

I don't get all the rave reviews for this album. It's not a bad album, but it certainly isn't a masterpiece IMO. There are some excellent moments, but none of the songs are "brilliant". Meh, guess I just expected much more, even after the mediocre singles.

The first three songs are very mediocore, although the album takes a nice spin after Ora Pro Nubis Lucifer.
As a whole, the album is worse than their last 6 albums.

I'm not all the way through yet and this shit is just absolutely gilded in Satanic splendor. Everything has blown my expectations by far.

I'm halfway through and really loving it. Messe Noir is the best yet - fast, catchy, and closes with a legitimately amazing guitar solo.

Just curious, how have you goys gotten advance copies? Or did you find a leak/stream on the internet somewhere?

Oh wow, just completely accidentally posted using my old account. But I second that question! Haha.

My local record store had it on Wednesday. Love that place lol.

Giving the album a listen before thinking of purchasing and I went straight to the final song. Has a great rhythm after the dark as hell at the beginning. One thing I'm loving is the bass prominence. The song sounds closer to black metal and is quite melodic. Outro could have been better but I dug it. "Ben Sahar" also has a great rhythm. Nice mid-paced stuff. Reminds me of Gorgoroth and Marduk.

Overall it feels more relaxed compared to the previous ones.

This album is surprisingly... good! Very diverse and dynamic, with a lot of twists and turns. There's a lot of different elements being used, but they seem to be well placed actually. There's a lot of pomp and it does sound a bit preachy some times, but I don't know, it seems to feel like a complete work. As in, individual songs may not be highlights, but the album as a whole seems to work very well.

Shockingly enough, Behemoth seems to have finally heard my bitching and released an album more based on dynamics and songwriting than on unrelenting blasting! Seems like a grower this one, with a lot of potential, but so far I'm liking it very much.

Agreed! In the Absence of Light was a song that particularly stood out, I thought, but the album as a whole has exceeded my expectations considerably. This is the first album of theirs that I've actually enjoyed from start to finish without having an urge to skip through any (or a lot) of the tracks.

My first listen has been highly enjoyable. I feel that this is a lot more black then previous releases, more melody (of sorts) then sheer brutality. Really loved the ending of Amen, and the title track is fucking great. Good to have Behemoth back...

You know, I gotta tell you I find myself having a hard time really making my mind up on this album. I find the album very similar to The Apostasy in the sense that they are experimenting more with sounds, structures, and instruments not normally found in a death metal record (such as the already mentioned saxophone). But this album has a much more established atmosphere, and in general is a much more greater record than the Apostasy. However, though I found myself engaged, challenged, and mesmerized by some parts, I also found myself disappointed by others.

I must agree with androdion in the sense that no specific song sticks out, but the songs, when played together, form an album that itself is a highlight; in other words, no specific song should be heard on its own but instead should be listened within the context of the entire album. An example of this is the first single, “Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel.” I, like some others, found that single to be interesting but lacking in punch and being generally unmemorable. However, when listened within the context of the album, the song acts as an excellent intro track to the atmosphere and miasma that plagues the album. Nevertheless, several songs still stick out because of certain unexpected moments.

And it has been said several times before, but I must repeat on the uncanny resemblance to Deathspell Omega on some parts of the album. Specifically the song, “Messe Noire,” and the concluding sections of “Blow Your Trumpets…” and “In Absence ov Light” have the most Deathspell-ish vibe to them. Not complaining as I am a fan of Deathspell, just simply stating that this was quite the surprise. Then again, Nergal has said before that he finds himself as not just a mere fan of Deathspell, but a worshipper so I guess we shouldn’t be too surprised.

Speaking of Deathspell influenced songs, I must say I absolutely love “Messe Noire.” It’s the song I was most excited about mostly because of the comment that Inferno had made in which he claimed he “felt” Nergal’s leukemia through the riffs. I immediately took that comment as nothing but artsy-fartsy hogwash, and I still do, but in some sense I understand where he is coming from. The song is simple but atmospheric, which is only strengthened by the dissonant sinister riffs that is being played throughout; and it’s a riff that you wouldn’t exactly expect from Nergal, so perhaps the leukemia did play a role in influencing his playing style. There was some build-up for me over this song, and I must say it had successfully delivered.

“In Absence ov Light” seems to be one of the songs that most people were drawn to, and I’m pretty sure it’s because of that spoken-word section. A great moment in my opinion, it paints a very vivid, film-noir scene in my head; like I immediately pictured a trench-coat wearing, cigarette smoking Nergal speaking in his Polish tongue in some smoke-filled bar that is near closing, with that acoustic guitar and saxophone playing in the background. However, I must say that the moment was poorly placed within the song. I passionately feel that the section should’ve been placed in the beginning of song; in fact I felt so passionately about it that I actually uploaded the song to Audacity so that I may edit the song to my liking. The way it is placed totally ruins the vibe and momentum that was immediately established by the instant blast beats and dark riffs. When placed in the beginning, it acts as an introduction and the song blasts off and never lets up until the end. That’s how the song should’ve been! (By the way, if anyone can tell me what Nergal is saying during the spoken-word section of this song, I would greatly appreciate it!)

“The Satanist” seems to be another song that has everyone talking, but I find myself generally unimpressed by this one. It’s a boring song, plain and simple; and it’s the song in which I feel that Behemoth tread a little too far from their signature sound. It just wasn’t them. Nergal once said that this album would have a Killing Joke vibe, and I believe this song shows what Nergal was talking about. The song, “The Satanist” seems to be a rock song but with the production sound of an extreme metal band, complete with death metal vocals which I feel was out of place within the context of the song. The song, I felt, should’ve had clean vocals. As if that wasn’t enough, the song is also too long and bloated for I felt it definitely surpassed its overall staying power.

Another disappointment (and one I felt was more damaging) is the final song. It’s moody, laxed, mid paced, and…well that’s really it. And that spoken-word section (this one being an unnecessary one!) that closes off the song, and ultimately closing off the album, does not help at all. Perhaps I was expecting a song more like, “Lucifer,” a song that is also moody, laxed, and mid-paced, but had that bite and power that “O Father O Satan O Sun” is missing. I believe it could also be that tremolo riff that is played several times throughout “Lucifer” that really made me love that song, for that riff sounded very black metalish (which I now feel may have been the first sign that Behemoth were going to revisit the sound and aesthetics of black metal somewhat in the near future). And the reason why I feel this disappointment was more damaging is because it’s the final song; an anti-climatic end to an otherwise interesting album.

And to round up the album, Behemoth placed some songs such as “Amen,” “Ora Pro Nobis Lucifer,” and “Furor Divinus” that sound more like the classic death metal style. A solid album, one in which could be recommended to anyone interested in checking out a death metal album that is artsy, and somewhat unorthodox and unpredictable. However I don’t know if the album truly has any long-lasting replay value, and only time can tell on that factor because I can’t make up my mind on that one.

Picked it up yesterday between shifts, (I'm a cleaner, work at a high school in the morning and a college in the evening). Went home, popped it on phone, went to shift, lorded it up over the music students who are into metal hahaha. (On an unrelated note, some of them are making really cool music) Told them the guy at the local record store told me there was one copy left and he's gotten an email from NB saying all the special editions are gone, so imagine there being a race this morning when he opens up.


The album itself. Ok first listen was while working so it didn't exactly have my undivided attention, and at the time only a few tracks grabbed me, but it was good from the parts I did pay attention to. Got home put it back on, and have given it a few listens.
Blow Your Trumpets didn't stand out at all to me at first, but it's really grown on me. That can be said about a lot of it actually. At first I thought it was too inconsistent, but, yeah, I love it. I would say I think it's their best album but I've only heard a few if them.

On a final note, I don't know how I feel about the way the lyrics are presented. Not the lyrics themselves, which are pretty interesting, I mean the way they appear. They're supposed to look like, presumably, the demented etchings of a madman. So on the one hand I like the idea of you having to study the pages to understand the lyrics, and on the other hand, man, fuck you Nergal, I just want to see what mental shit you're shouting about without getting eye strain...

While I do really like the album after my initial listen, I have to say that the final track is a really unfortunate letdown. I just really don't think a drawn-out moody section is a fitting way to end an album with such great and lively continuity throughout. I find the long spoken passage really unconvincing. A shame, since Behemoth often drive the point home with the closing track, case in point: The Reign of Shemsu Hor.

That said, I do really dig the album as a whole, and Messe Noir is quickly becoming one of my favourite Behemoth songs.

Granted I don't think the final track has the pomposity of Lucifer, I felt it a strong closing track.

What a shit cd.. huge dissapointment wtf feels so boring not much that stands out.. they failed hard sadly..

Yeah. I like Denis Forkas as an artist and everything, but I will forever curse the fact that a fine-print transcript of the lyrics wasn't included, from what it appears.

That being said... anyone want to help me with this deciphering work? I already finished with "In the Absence ov Light" and only have a few parts of "Furor Divinus" left to figure out. Since they haven't even shipped out my pre-orders yet, I don't have the booklet with me...

EDIT: Actually, nevermind. I got a reply from the Behemoth Webstore page and they informed me that the printed lyrics would be available with the launch of the band's new website. This should save everyone a lot of trouble.

Having listened to it a few times, I'm in agreement. "Ben Sahar" is my favorite. Getting a lot more listens of it each time I listen. The final song starts great but unfortunately peters out. "Reign ov Shemsu-Hor" is an awesome song and "Lucifer" was another great one. This one doesn't have a climax, which would have helped tremendously.

Honestly, the new album is awesome. It's probably the best Behemoth album to date, and I don't think it's boring at all. I think you accidentally listened to The Apostasy.

This is the first Behemoth album since Demigod that I can fully appreciate as a whole. You're much better off listening to it in its entirety than trying to figure out which 2-3 songs are your favorites...
I, too, appreciate the DsO influences, especially the last part of Gabriel. I'm just so happy I didn't expect excellence in vain; it's a really strong album!

Well, now the question is, do I wait for my preorder that is shipping directly from Poland, or do I say "Fuck it" and just listen to it on YouTube, since I pretty much found all the songs on there?

I'm jumping on the loving the shit out of this album bandwagon. I was pretty confident that this album would actually be well worth the wait, but it's always kind of scary to think maybe the band made a less consistent album than they've made previously. IMHO, all the previous albums since Thelema .6 are fucking incredible, so it's insane that they've been able to actually to maintain excellent quality compared to other bands. The albums definitely a transformation from the older material, and I wouldn't be surprised if it garners new fans for Behemoth. Like many also said before, the album is great beginning to end, and no song "sticks out" when heard in that way. It's a novel of music, and I'm glad Nergal actually lived to make it.

So I gave in and listened to the album using YouTube (all of the songs have been uploaded). I wasn't giving it my 100% undivided attention, but as a whole it sounded very good. The title track was particularly cool with it's "rocking influences" as someone before pointed out. The spoken-word ending of "O Father O Satan O Sun" over the slow riffing was cool as well. "Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel" is still a badass opener as well.

This will definitely require many, many more listens, but I see appreciation continuing to increase with each listen. Every full-length Behemoth release that I own (most of them) is loved, and this should continue to be no different.

Pretty meh, the increased black metal influence appealed to me more than the total numbskulled chuggery that has made up their recent efforts, but the album doesn't really have any standout riffs to me ears, and seems pretty drawn out through almost all of the mid paced sections, if only because the riffs aren't good enough to carry that sort of repetition. It's not BAD, but I don't think I'll be listening again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHe4g4z_KsU

There you have the final song "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHe4g4z_KsU".

I think it's a great song that got me even more hyped for the album.

Also I just decided to wait and not listen to the full album until I get my copy that I pre-ordered from Australia (since I want the bonus track, hehe).

I think it's going to be difficult for any band to top this album this year. I don't see any of the tracks on it as weak, other than maybe the first one which is a little too slow for my tastes, but works well enough when you listen to the album as a whole, which is really how it's meant to be experienced. My personal favourites were Ora Pro Nobis Lucifer, Amen, The Satanist, and O Father O Satan O Sun!. Amen is the heaviest song I've heard from any of their albums. The Satanist is really different for them but I enjoy it a lot, the bass is beautiful and I like the vocals in particular as well. The closing track is just epic in every sense of the word, honestly. I think it might have been better without the spoken word at the end but it's not a big deal. I'm immensely satisfied with this album. Behemoth always struck me as a band that I really enjoyed but weren't living up to their potential. Evangelion is where I at least began to see them pushing their boundaries a bit more more, as they brought back the black metal influence and a lot more atmosphere (Daimonos intro, crow sounds, etc.) and this is the album I've always wanted them to produce. No complaints about it from me.

I know where you're coming from and I agree that if you're going for extra sugar on the guitars you'll be a bit disappointed. The album is made more of nuances and particularly its (apparently, at least to me) misanthropic atmosphere, more so than satanic dare I say. It's funny since I've always been attracted towards Behemoth because of the quality of guitar riffs vs drumming dynamics, which is why I like their mid period so much, and yet this new writing approach has really grabbed me by the balls.

I think you should approach the album with a different mindset, more when you're feeling contemptuous about the world rather than angry at it, if you get what I mean by the misanthropic remark I made above. It's weird I know, but the album really gives me that vibe, almost as if it was Nergal envisioning the world differently due to his illness and putting it out in a semi-preachy quasi-satanical way. If that makes any kind of sense, he.

@ forfrosne - I think the album is pretty good and that it will probably be one of my favourites this year, but man, so much good stuff is lined up to be released... And then there's Oi Magoi of course. Now that one I think will be hard to dethrone.

I don't really listen to anything in particular mindsets, I'm a pretty shallower listener in that sense, but I think I get where your'e going. Thelema.6 (my personal favourite) was obviously still very blackened like this one, but it definitely had that "I AM GOING TO STOMP ON YOUR FACE FOR SATAN" pissed off attitude on it, this one seems to be the least angry thing they've done since they started adding in the death metal side. With that said from what my one listen left in my mind I don't see how this album would compete at all with other bands with that same sort of misanthropic streak.

I think what I tried to say about it is that the album comes out as one with a dark misanthropic mood, even when it gets more aggressive like on "Messe Noire" and "Amen". It feels purposely made that way though, as if Nergal had something to say, which is what makes it sound convincing I guess. It has this sincerity about its presentation that makes me feel like it's a very personal record, as opposed to a formulaic pre-formated one like the last albums of the band have been. It feels sincere, I don't think I can put it in any other words really, and it's a rare thing to witness in a metal albums these days.

As I said above, the album is a grower. And while it doesn't have highlights it does work very well as a cohesive work when played in full.

I agree completely. I'm fairly impressed by the record, not because it's a masterpiece or anything but because it feels so sincere and full of vitality. It has a genuine, raw passion to it that Behemoth hasn't had in years.

After only one listening I can’t say too much, but I think that this album is going to disappoint me, I would like to listen to more epic tunes and some arrangements but the album is something different, it contains some great tunes (O Father O Satan O Sun! is truly brilliant) but the variety between songs don’t work me this time, which is something strange. Anyway let’s give some time to this album and I will see.

True, though it hasnt impressed me that much I can see and appreciate a true passion in this album.

Exactly! You could almost say that it feels full of life, which says a lot by itself given the circumstances.

Someone pointed out to me that O Father O Sun O Satan is basically a heavier version of Zepplin's Kashmir. Not since connection SepticFlesh's Communion to the Meow Mix song have I been so annoyed of song association.

This album made a bigger impression on me than many of their other records. It's very strong, and I like the added black metal elements; it reminds me a lot of God Dethroned. Great release.

Woah. That's bad. Though I think the Septic Flesh one is worse. How'd they not hear it?

^I don't really think this song sounds like Kashmir. Similar kind of rhythm but a different melody entirely. Who cares even if it did?

Regarding SepticFlesh, do you think they've ever actually hear this song? Its an American advertising jingle; I know I'd never heard it before, living in Australia and all. Theres a wide world out there...

The first Behemoth record in a looooooooooong time that I can see myself really revisiting. Deserves all the heaps of praise. Very well thought out and constructed.

I am on my 5th or 6th listen, and still it's not as great as I thought other albums were. Right now, it's just good to me.
I really like Furor Divinus, its straight up black metal. Amen is pretty awesome too, but sounds too much like Shemhamforesh from their last record.

I feel like the songwriting on the past few albums haven't been that great. As if the songs don't really go any where. Yes, there are those "few" tracks, but the rest just goes no where. They might as well make longer songs especially tracks, like the last two tracks.