Evangelion

Behemoth's ninth studio effort titled 'Evangelion' was the most anticipated release of the year for me but to be honest it let me down on some fronts. The album is epic sounding but not an outstanding by any measure. The rating that I have given here is a little more than what it should get solely based on the fact that I am a big fan of Behemoth.

Technically the album is at the same level as the previous two efforts 'Demigod’,’ The Apostasy' and it could be safely said that they have come down on the technicality of drums and the guitar solos as well. As pointed out very well in the earlier review that Nergal seems to be running out of ideas for creating songs. The first thing that you will notice instantly in the songs is the variation which is missing like earlier albums. The songs continue keep going on a main riff unlike other albums. I have always loved solos on a behemoth album because they stand out from the song as an individual entity but it does not feel so in this album as the solos are not that effective.

But now moving on to the positives of the album which help you grasp this album. Firstly the production on the album is crystal clear and what exactly you would want on a metal album making it possible to hear every single riff and cymbal, crash and toms being hit by Inferno. The vocals are more human like and raspy as compared to Demigod but not as aggressive or passionate as Zos Kia Cultus or Thelema.6.But a definitive change from all the other albums that songs also include long shrieks which were absent in almost all behemoth albums. The motive of Nergal and Co. seemed to make an album sound more epic than 'in your face’ because there are lesser blast beats, more groove based song structures, more riff-age and songs that could be played in big arenas.

The album starts with a very dynamic intro in the opening track 'Daimonos' which sets the stage for the epic feeling that goes on from the 1st second of the album to the last one. It is a fast song with an intense build up and brutal choruses which finally progress into a long solo which just gives it a perfect behemoth song and one of the best openers that Behemoth has had. Another stand out track is 'Ov fire and Void' which is by far one of the slowest songs by Behemoth but is an epic song and has a brooding feel which really hits you hard and makes you bang your head with a lot of intensity. The grooviest song to come out from the Behemoth camp is also in this album by the name of 'The Seed Ov I' which has one of the best breakdowns I have come across in a Behemoth album. Other stand out track would be 'Transmigrating Beyond Realms Ov Amenti' and 'Shemhamfarosh' which are typical blast beat affairs with the Behemoth rage that makes them more enjoyable.

Another high point of the album is as usual Inferno's drumming, he has shifted from blasting like a typical death metal drummer to one who includes intricate patterns between songs and add flavor to these brutal creations. There are much more drum rolls and better fills as compared to any drummer out there. If this is your first Behemoth album then I would suggest you to start with Demigod or Thelema.6 as they are one of their best pieces but this album is good nonetheless.