Demigod

Behemoth has always put a little more into their music than most other metal bands. Just reading through Demigod's included booklet one will noticw how much thought and care was taken in writing the music. Nergal attributes every riff and every lyric to some experience or personal endeavor. This effort and high level of influence really seems to show in the music in the end. In writing, the band plays around with some odd cultural elements in their music to give it a truly distinctive edge, as well as throwing in some unusual timing and putting their own spin on the essential basics.

There's something about Polish death metal that really hits like a sledge hammer. Maybe it's an emphasis on genuine aggression instead of the noise-based blasting that most death metal bands use to sound "brutal". Behemoth, Vader, and Decapitated all manage to hit a new level of heaviness in their own styles. Behemoth distinguishes themselves by using said influences. In the opener, Sculpting the Throne of Seth, the appropriately unexpected use of acoustic guitars is immediately displayed. The following riffs also display excellent use of odd timing, as the guitars and vocals are offset in a strange, yet fitting way.

The rest of the album spans quite a spectrum of death metal styles. Slaves Shall Serve is a straightforward brutal antichristian rant, complete with the most menacing shouts in metal. The Nephilim Rising features an amazing acoustic outro. Xul throws out some of Behemoth's most melodic moments, as emotional licks compliment the usual heaviness. Karl Sanders from Nile provides an ultimately unneeded guest guitar solo, which adds an even more technical feel to the album. Conquer All and Demigod both bear some fucking merciless riffs worth of the unholy hairwhips. The epic closer, The Reign of Shemsu-Hor, ends with some simple but effective metal riffing and more acoustic guitars playing some eastern scales.

Demigod could be spoken of endlessly, so the only real way to learn of it is to listen for yourself. Rest assured any time spent investigating Demigod is time very well spent. This is Behemoth's crowning achievement so far and only The Apostasy can (and from the sound of things, most likely will) dethrone this as one of the best and most unique modern death metal albums.