I Loved You at Your Darkest

Behemoth, nowadays they’re the biggest black metal band out there, and once upon a time they were celebrated as pioneers of the Polish black metal scene, and later praised for popularizing blackened death metal. However, ever since their 2014 magnum opus The Satanist, the band seems to have developed a "hatedom" due to how popular they have become, surpassing even Dark Funeral and Dimmu Borgir, and that peaked with their 2018 record I Loved You at Your Darkest, which has since become the most divisive and scrutinized record in black metal. However, I usually don’t buy into hype or "anti-hype" and since Behemoth are preparing to release a new album this year, I figured I might as well go back to this often praised and maligned little record.

I’ll start with my gripes with the album, which aren’t many but are worth pointing out, which is that it is definitely less aggressive than The Satanist, while at the same time following that record’s style and overall atmosphere. Furthermore, while I can appreciate Behemoth’s intent of going “bigger” than they did in The Satanist, by bringing in symphonic instrumentation, and even choirs (which yes, includes the often mocked and disparaged children’s choir in the intro track and lead single 'God = Dog'), the fact that it permeates through the entire album makes the music sound somewhat overwrought and even pretentious.

Finally, of course, is how this record does come off as "The Satanist 2: Blasphemic Boogaloo", and while I wouldn’t call it a “The Satanist B-sides” as some people have decried it as, I do agree that the ideas and themes here are more of the same from The Satanist; blasphemic anthems about Satan, Christ, the hypocrisy of the church and references to ol’ Al Crowley for good measure. Also, this is seemingly the first record where long time collaborator and co-lyricist Krzysztof Azarewicz didn’t contribute and in some areas it shows. Nergal is a very good lyricist on his own, but for a record that follows the path of its predecessor, the lack or diminished presence of poetic flair and Biblical literacy that Azarewicz has always added, is missed, although, and to Nergal’s credit, he does have a knack for chant-worthy hooks and choruses.

So, while I Loved You at Your Darkest does lack in some areas, especially when compared to The Satanist and even Evangelion, does that mean the “haters” are right? No, because while not as fresh and unique as The Satanist, ILYAYD is still a pretty good record and at its best, it showcases how Behemoth can evolve by pivoting from The Satanist. What I personally enjoy the most of this record and what’s its biggest strength is how the songwriting and music seems to be heavily inspired by gothic rock and post-punk, as well as Nergal’s country and blues project Me and That Man. This can be heard in tracks like 'Sabbath Mater', 'If Crucifixion Was Not Enough…' and 'Rom 5:8' where the drumming and bass work of Inferno and Orion respectively are the backbone of the songs, and the guitars add flair in the solo work. Furthermore and in direct contrast from The Satanist, the music is also much more progressive and symphonic second single 'Bartzabel' is the biggest example of this, and it also applies to the best song in the entire album 'Havohej Pantocrator', both songs are sprawling epics with massive riffs and melodies and grand atmospheres.

However, and in spite of all the unorthodox experimenting the band did in this record, they certainly haven’t lost or downplayed their blackened touch, as the rest of the tracks are predominantly blast beat driven and riff heavy ragers with occasional moments of the weird experimenting and genre bending I highlighted in the major tracks. And while having those two very specific moods might somewhat make the album formulaic, the band do a good job of balancing both styles and also succeed and being consistent and at 46 minutes the album is substantial and enjoyable, though in my opinion the track 'We Are the Next 1000 Years' is the least interesting track and it's something of a fizzling way to close the album, and that feeling was worsened when the band released their A Forest EP which had a much better closing track, but I digress.

Overall, if Behemoth has had so much success, it is definitely off the back of The Satanist and I Loved You at Your Darkest, and while I can agree it is flawed, I have to absolutely disagree with the vitriol this album has gotten, since the best aspect of this album is how Behemoth once again, succeed in evolving, even if this album is one step forward, and two lateral steps from The Satanist.

This review is so painful for me to write for so many reasons. Let's just say that Nergal is a huge influence for me and Behemoth is one of my favorite, all-time, death metal bands. While this record is not all that bad, it is definitely not the Behemoth I know and love. Sorry, Nergal; I love you man, but this is starting to veer pretty darn close to a "St Anger" level release...

For starters, I am not sure what Nergal was thinking with the song-writing with this record. On the one hand, the typical blasphemy is present, which is always welcome. On the other hand, it feels like he is loosening up with the guitar playing and music. It seems that he thoiught to himself that, "Yeah, I have done it all and proven myself. Now, I don't need to play so extreme anymore. I can relax a bit." Sure, I can understand the sentiment when a band has been playing at a high level for this long. But, come on? I think this illustrates my feeling on this record; Behemoth has toned it down quite a bit and it shows.

What is most important for any album is the song-writing and that is, unfortunately, my biggest gripe with this record. So, on one hand we have Behemoth lightening up and writing a much softer album, and on the other hand, the song-writing is not as good. These two things combine to make for a lack-luster album that warrants a great deal of criticism. Many of the riffs are straight, rock-n-roll riffs. They aren't bad riffs, per se, but they are fairly weak. The drumming supports this with equally light, swinging rock drums. Not through the whole album, mind you, but there are extended forays. Songs such as "Sabbath Mater" and "Ecclesia Diabolica Catholica" (until the end of the song) feel a bit cheesy, light, and "not metal" to me. They aren't bad songs, mind you, just not befitting for Behemoth's legacy.

Still, there are plenty of heavy moments and there are some great songs on here. For example, "Angelvs XIII" is an extreme, well-played song that feels more like what I would expect of the band. Songs like "Bartzabel" are triumphs on the album, being memorable, dark, and undeniably Behemoth. Inferno's drumming is stellar throughout the album even if he does a little light rock, swing here and there. The atmosphere is also quite dark through much of the album, with a raw, but well-produced vibe throughout. The vocals sound exactly like "The Satanist", which is not a bad thing. It's these heavy, memorable, atmospheric qualities of the album that lift it up and make it worthy of purchase.

Unfortunately, I don't see many people giving this entire album repeated spins over the years despite the positive qualities to be found. A select song or two, such as "Bartzabel", will certainly get repeat plays, but, not so much, the album in its entirety. Overall, this is a lackluster and half-hearted continuation of "The Satanist" and probably the weakest album in the Behemoth catalog. That is still saying a lot considering this album does have some good high points and several redeeming qualities. For now, this is the experimental album of Behemoth's catalog and one I can't say is representative of their legacy.

So here’s the quick take if you want to spare yourself any extra time reading about an album you should neither be excited about, nor purchase: Behemoth, arguably for the first time in its entire career, phoned in what is essentially a Walmart version of Aosoth on training wheels, and slapped a silly name on it as a marketing tactic to lure in teenagers still angry at their parents for making them go to church. If you want the in-depth analysis, by all means continue reading.

You know those moments when the people in life whom you love and respect give you the whole, “I’m not mad, I’m just disappointed” spiel? That is exactly the feeling fans are going to have after the letdown that is I Loved You at Your Darkest fully sinks in. While it’s true that not all of Behemoth’s 10 previous full-lengths have knocked listeners off their feet, most of them have played an essential role in taking Poland’s most popular black metal outfit to heights no other extreme band in the entirety of Eastern Europe has ever experienced. Most recently, the deservedly popular and now four-year-old album The Satanist re-captured plenty of older fans who saw it as an invigorating return to form after the stagnation of The Apostasy and Evangelion. The Satanist was packed to the brim with the same types of riffs that made the original Nergal/Baal era shine so brightly in the eyes of the underground, but with the energy and enthusiasm that Inferno brought to the table during the band’s most classic run of albums in the early aughties.

To rewind slightly, the importance of Behemoth’s early second wave material may often be understated due to both the experimental nature that was common for black metal in the mid 90’s (acoustic guitars, operatic vocals, synth-heavy song segments), and also its lack of ferocity (Baal had a style of his own that was fitting for the time, but he was no Inferno). In fact, the only real glimpses of pure black metal Behemoth ever showed with Inferno was a three song EP entitled Bewitching the Pomerania, which featured only one original song, and Pandemonic Incantations, which already showed signs of the band beginning to transition to the blackened death style that would put Poland on the map forever.

When Behemoth’s completist fans argue over which of the band’s albums reigns supreme, it’s generally one of the three consecutive albums that hit the sweet spot of firmament-tearing riffs and a destructive blitzkrieg of drumming that set the standard for blackened death metal, namely Satanica, Thelema.6, and Zos Kia Cultus. Demigod, although popular at the time of its release, started a transition of form over function that may have excited fans due to overblown production and pomp, but would not go on to age very well, something that was even more apparent on the two albums that followed.

It’s a general rule, even in extreme metal, that once band members can sustain a nice living churning out album after album with little-to-no effort, not much is done to push musical boundaries ever again. That’s not to say living on the road is by any means an easy thing to do, but why ruin a good thing when it’s not broken? That’s what side projects are for. Well the defiance of this attitude, quite frankly, is what made The Satanist so goddamned exciting. In terms of accessibility, Nergal would have been better off sticking to the same formula that sold so many copies of The Apostasy and Evangelion, but he took a risk, and going with his gut apparently paid off. Well, that wave is exactly what Nergal, Inferno, and Orion were counting on riding when they phoned in this piece of shit, folks, because I Loved You at Your Darkest is a giant, riffless turd that you’re going to have to flush more than once to remove from your memory.

– I Loved You at Your Darkest will hereby be given a new name for the sake of brevity: I<3’dU@URdarkest –

First, let’s talk about aesthetic, since that is the only thing that’s going to sell I<3’dU@URdarkest. The album starts out with a choir of children singing about the same type of sacrilegious jargon Behemoth has been using since Satanica, but it’s not backed up by any actual music. The same children’s chorus is repeated on “God = Dog,” one of three tracks that received a music video before the album was even released. One of the most unfortunate things about the album is that it shares the brilliant, stripped-down-but-still-crisp production of The Satanist, but there are no riffs to accompany the production. It isn’t until I<3’dU@URdarkest‘s fifth track, “Bartzabel,” that the illusion that this album could possibly be worth a shit falls flat on its face. The songwriting displayed here is drastically formulaic, and is the laziest attempt to piece notes together that Nergal has put forth over the 27 years that Behemoth has been a band. One could get more riffs out of a lone tumbleweed waddling through the wastelands of Western Texas. Well, at least there’s still Inferno. Right? Right?!

Around the time of Zos Kia Cultus and Demigod, Inferno was a shoo-in on any list when it came to naming the best drummers in metal. Consequently, this was right around the time that his founding band Azarath put forth its sophomore effort, Infernal Blasting, an album that would give any Behemoth release a solid run for its money. Although Inferno’s relevance as a drummer has waned, his live performances on tour are more than proof that the dude can still hold his own behind a kit, which is why he may have used only one hand for the studio recording of I<3’dU@URdarkest. Hell, even by Polish standards, younger drummers such as Darkside (Kriegsmaschine, Mgła) and Namtar (Furia, FDS) wipe their asses with toilet paper stronger than the fills and cymbal work on this album, and that doesn’t even begin to describe how thoroughly boring Inferno sounds for all 46 minutes of I<3’dU@URdarkest.

The bottom line is that it’s perfectly understandable for bands to be distracted in the off season. To continue the sports metaphor, when a team wins the championship, its players are distracted with so many things, whether it be internal vices such as pride or arrogance, or external obligations such as commercials, photo shoots, and endorsements that make it so much harder to focus on next season. In 2014, Behemoth might as well have won the championship, and since then has released one EP, three compilations, and three live albums all on top of touring considerably. It’s no wonder the band is trying to bullshit its way into hitting those sales margins again, and it probably can with the amount of market share it has captured in the last four years. But for fuck’s sake, y’all, do something better with the amount of power and attention you now have. In the amount of time it took to shoot all three ridiculous videos for I<3’dU@URdarkest, teenage Nergal could have riffed circles around whatever hollow shells of artists are on display here. Meanwhile, a hologram version of Inferno from 15 years ago would be more interesting to watch than whatever autopilot mode he seems to be in now.

Of all the releases Behemoth has ever brought to the drawing board, this one contains the highest level of material that should have been scrapped and sent to the junkyard. It is complete and utter bullshit that the band would put its well-earned reputation on the line just to ride its recent wave of popularity in both the underground and in the mainstream metal community. Sure, people with no musical backbone might pretend I<3’dU@URdarkest excites them, but even the most shallow of all metalheads will end up being astonished at the amount of dust this will collect on their shelves even if they do try and tout it as one of their favorites of the year. Next time, Behemoth, try at least pretending you give a shit.


*Originally Written for Last Rites*

As a brief perusal of my review history would indicate, I've got a strong affinity for black metal. For that reason, my knowledge of Behemoth stagnated for many years with their 90s output - solid work, but hardly a quarter of the band's career output. In 2018, however, I decided to give some of their later material a shot. As it happened, I came upon the music video for their then-new single, "Wolves ov Siberia". The song hooked me, and I pre-ordered the album instantly. What I found was not just my favorite record of 2018, it was an album that helped reshape my notions of what extreme metal could be.

The first impression the record gives, of course, is its packaging. As any fan can attest, Behemoth in the 2010s have been no strangers to attractive art and design; The Satanist and Xiądz are proof positive. But with this album, the artists responsible have soundly outdone their predecessors. The liner notes feature dark recreations of classical religious paintings and images set against portraits of the band members in full ceremonial regalia, with the song lyrics neatly occupying the photos' negative space. The cover is even more impressive - behind a matte black slipcase featuring Behemoth's inverted triple-cross logo is perhaps the most aesthetically gorgeous cover art I've ever seen; it looks more like the Oxford edition of a gothic horror classic than the cover of a death metal album.

Appropriate, then, that it's not a death metal album - not exactly, at least. The Satanist reintroduced black metal elements into Behemoth's sound in proportions unheard since Pandemonic Incantations or even Grom, but ILYAYD takes those elements and runs. The songwriting is diverse enough that one would be forgiven for not noticing that every song, save "We Are the Next 1000 Years", is in a variation of C# minor. "God=Dog", "Sabbath Mater" and the aforementioned "1000 Years" are perhaps the greatest examples, each flirting with black and death metal then taking a sharp turn into something a bit more experimental and - dare I say it - progressive.

Adding to the impact of these incredible songs are some mind-numbingly good performances. Adam Darski's vocals are in top form, whether it's the pained scream that kicks off the first verse of "Angelvs XIII", the fittingly untrained cleans in "Bartzabel" or "God=Dog", or his absolutely inimitable growl, here even more intense and distinctive than ever before. Zbigniew Promiński's drums have never sounded better, both in terms of production and performance; his parts manage to be virtuosic and chops-heavy without verging into the indulgent, and the excellent tuning and recording ensure that each note is clearly audible and impactful, no matter the speed or dynamic. And, though the bass guitar is not always easy to hear, when Tomasz Wróblewski plays a more exposed part, it invariably elevates the song to stunning new heights.

As alluded to earlier, many of these performances feel like a natural progression from the musicianship and composition heard on The Satanist. But, where that album redefined Behemoth's sound after 10-plus years of relatively unassuming death metal, this one serves to refine and perfect that new direction, with plenty of new sounds introduced as well. One of the most satisfying and least expected of these seems to come from the same place as Darski's side project Me & That Man; that band's dark outlaw country stylings are echoed here in hypnotic, goth-Americana guitar melodies and stoner-metal licks that sound how the vast deserts of the American Southwest look.

Though the comparisons to country music may end there, the hints at gothic rock do not. Some of the album's best moments come from arpeggiated rhythm guitars that recall early tunes by the Sisters of Mercy or Fields of the Nephilim (both bands that Darski, at least, is a known fan of). Perhaps the best example of this can be found in the standout track "If Crucifixion Was Not Enough", whose D-beat inspired verses give way to a driving and tension-filled chorus. Like most of the record's tracks, the song is punctuated too with well-researched and convincingly-delivered lyrics - lyrics that reformat all-too-familiar subjects like Satanism into something fresh and worth paying attention to.

That last point is well worth drawing out. I've read plenty of bad Satanist writing, and this ain't that. Yes, there's some posturing, and yes, there's some drama. But here, it's all built on a foundation of real theological knowledge. The Satanism preached on I Loved You At Your Darkest, really, is less about accepting Satan and more about rejecting Christ - and particularly the Catholic iteration thereof. Put simply, the band is candidly aware of what they're responding to. This shows in the language employed. Quotations from Marionite hymns and prayers abound, as do Biblical citations and references in English or Latin. But interwoven between them are countless blasphemies. Inversions of liturgical scripts, juxtapositions of pagan symbols against their Catholic opposites, and wholesale denunciations of holiness wave a banner against the tide of theonomy, one that is sure to resonate with apostates worldwide nearly as much as in the band's native Poland - a country marked by fervent religiosity in governance and public life, whose context is absolutely inextricable from a rounded understanding of the album's themes.

It is, in fact, this quality of the album that prevents its weaker moments from tarnishing the quality. Take for example the children's chorus heard in "Solve" and "God=Dog". On a lesser album by a lesser band, this symbolism would be hackneyed at best - the 'purity' of a child vs. the 'sin' of the words they sing. But by taking on this sociopolitical dimension, the album reorganizes this trite idea as not just a flagrant blasphemy, but also the ultimate rejection of a 'cultural Christianity' that indoctrinates children far too young to understand what they're pledging themselves to. The inverted Lord's Prayer that characterizes "Havohej Pantocrator" undergoes the same absolution, succeeding at what many artists have tried and failed to do by contextualizing a tired cliche with actual stakes - perverting a revered creed in a country that enforces its blasphemy laws, and thereby spitting in the eye of theocratic power.

In this way, I Loved You At Your Darkest is a truly great album in spite of itself; even its weakest moments are swept away by the grandeur of the work as a whole. Behemoth takes some flak from many in the metal community for their (relatively) mainstream take on black and death metal sounds, but I'd argue that that quality is no black mark on the band's authenticity; instead, it's a laudable marriage of sounds and styles obscure and familiar. The band has found a way to incorporate the most engaging elements of mainstream metal and the most engaging elements of the underground, and with I Loved You At Your Darkest they've synthesized them into an album that, if the world is just, will stand as not just the highlight of their career but as one of the best in the storied history of metal music.

This is the album I was hoping Behemoth would never make, and especially following up their two strongest releases, “ILYAYD” was a total shock. From the song titles, to the aesthetics of the album, to the compositions themselves, this is “Behemoth-by-the-numbers,” a rehashing of many of their former albums in a stilted, uncomfortable package. It is a decadent “resting-on-the-laurels” in the worst possible way, a lazy release by some of the best musicians in the genre at present. And it is a true disappointment that is not simply a failure to live up to “The Satanist” but the album is – and I hate to say this – almost a sell-out, an attempt to bring the Behemoth sound down to a formula. This is to say nothing of the awful means of promoting this release, which sees poet-laureate of the black/death masters Nergal degraded to a dog food salesman, an absolute travesty that one can only hope will be lived down in the same way Dio lived down his Budweiser commercial. The exact reasons for this album’s disappointment will take some time to explain.

First, one should not discount the context in which “ILYAYD” was released – immediately following “The Satanist,” which has widely (and rightly) been hailed as the highpoint of Behemoth’s musical output, leaping to another mountain’s peak would undoubtedly be a difficult feat in the first place. And while the band has not exactly changed that much – the line-up is exactly the same as it has been for some time – the ephemera surrounding “The Satanist” may also be a factor in what occurred in “ILYAYD’s” creation. A sea of merchandise, three live albums (albeit, one being only a four-song Live EP), an EP, and relentless touring all surrounded “The Satanist.” Moreover, Nergal himself was the object of much attention due to his recovery from cancer, which fans were certainly ecstatic for as was he. As such, following the masterpiece that was “The Satanist” was an absolute mire of other events that may have impacted on the ability to allow the songwriting process to "organically" develop.

While this is largely postulation on my part, there is certainly evidence on this release of a deep lack of focus compared to previous Behemoth albums, and even a relative lack of purpose considering how profound the return “The Satanist” signaled was. In the first place, the exact elements that bring this album together as a cohesive whole are unclear almost immediately – the artwork, photography, song titles, and lyrics have very little relationship to each other aside from a loose overtone of blasphemy (recall the assertion that this was “Behemoth’s most blasphemous album yet” – which is, itself, not even really true). The choice of album title, one that is certainly unusual, is unfortunately not given any significant thematic clarification through the course of the album’s runtime either. From a strictly musical perspective, the lack of focus is quite evident by the intro and outro tracks – “Solve” and “Coagula.” While they ostensibly share some relationship, they end up being rather limp attempts at building atmosphere, an introduction and conclusion that are not only unclearly related to one another but that do not really flow in or out of the respective songs to which they are attached. When Behemoth has done intro-tracks/intro-sections previously, they have flowed effectively with the song to which they are adjoined: “Slaying the Prophets of Isa” is a natural continuation of “Rome, 64 C. E.,” for example. “Solve” has nothing to do with “Wolves of Siberia;” “Coagula” has nothing to do with “We Are the Next Thousand Years.”

There are certainly some good tracks on here. Despite the absolutely awful title, “God=Dog” is actually quite a solid Behemoth track – its sound evocative of “The Apostasy” or “Demigod” in a positive sense. “Sabbath Mater” is a great slice of mid-paced death metal with a truly fantastic vocal performance driving home the sensuous blasphemy (“Love me orgasmically – Fuck me ecstatically!/Genetrix Meretrix, I pledge my heart to thee/I bow down devotedly”). “Rom 5:18,” despite how simple it is, might be the single best song on the album and is certainly one of my favorites from Behemoth in recent years – a straightforward, gloomily robust work, executed with conviction, that is also hindered by a brutally unremarkable song title (remarkable only in its perhaps deliberate allusions to Marduk). And again, “Angelus XIII” is a powerful, fast-paced track whose appellation is predictable, rather drab imagery from the dust-laden corners of the black/death realm. These laudable compositions aside, unfortunately, a fair deal of the content here is either dispensable (“Wolves of Siberia” is a rather mediocre opener; “If Crucifixion Was Not Enough…” has very little that is memorable going on), or an outright disservice to the album (“We Are the Next 1000 Years” is a painfully ho-hum closer that certainly does not help the album linger in the memory – why the album did not close with the actually quite ominous “Havohej Pantocrator” is beyond me). There were multiple songs on this album that I found myself, quite frankly, bored by - which has rarely happened during the run-time of other Behemoth releases. On essentially every other Behemoth album, even if an individual song is a low-point, its situation within the track-list and service to the pacing of this album usually compensate for its individual weakness. Behemoth albums are, as a rule, worth listening to front-to-back. Alas, I have to admit, here, that is not the case - on relistens, I skip over "Wolves of Siberia;" I skip over "Bartzabel" and "If Crucifixion Was Not Enough...," and I most certainly skip over the last two tracks.

“ILYAYD” is quite simply an uninspired piece of work from one of the best bands currently working in the genre. The song titles give it away, the songwriting gives it away, and while the aesthetics of the album are interesting, their lack of relationship to each other also betray the uninspired nature of this release. There is, as usual, good material present here but it is far from elevating this album beyond its flaws. This is no “Cold Lake” or “Illud Divinum Insanus” or “In Torment in Hell.” Nonetheless, one cannot avoid the conclusion: this is without a doubt the worst album of Behemoth’s career thus far. “From the top of the highest mountain…”


60%

Behemoth is a famous blackened death metal band from Poland. I could compare their style to Nile, Morbid Angel and Krisiun. Only ''The Satanist'' was a bit different and more original. ''I Loved You At Your Darkest'' seems to be a failed continuation of ''The Satanist'' which was Behemoth's very big commercial success. Although I think ''The Satanist'' was quite overrated, it has few interesting moments such as ''Ora Pro Nobis Lucifer'' or ''Ben Sahar'' which are very memorable tracks and Inferno proved that he is one of the best black/death metal drummers who can play very fast and intense. Just check ''In the Absence ov Light''.

In general there are not many tracks here which are listenable, but I can divide this album into two parts. The first one begins with ''Solve'' which is an intro done by the children choir and it's something new for Behemoth. ''Wolves ov Siberia'' is quite decent song with some interesting riffs and fast tempo. The next track ''God = Dog'' is unexpectedly the best track on this album with very intense blasts done by Inferno and riffs similar to ''Wolves of Siberia''. Only the choir is quite unnecessary here, but let it be. Some moments of ''Ecclesia Diabolica Catholica'' sounds like a rock music, but it's even a memorable song. ''Bartzabel'' is a very good invocation to gods of war and it's very catchy track as well. Here ends ''the better'' side of ''ILYAYD".

When it comes to the second part I don't see a point in describing every song one after the other. Fusion of rock with black or death metal is very common nowadays and it's nothing wrong in it, but you have to know how to do it. Behemoth just failed with it. Moreover, the second part of this album lacks creativity and new ideas for music which make the second part of ''ILYAYD'' sounds very boring and forgettable. Behemoth rarely uses instrumental tracks but here ''Coagvla'' is an instrumental outro which finally ends this album.

Before the release of ''ILYAYD'' Nergal said it will be more blasphemous than ''The Satanist'' was, but it isn't. There is just a lot of hype around this album, but it's not really worth it. If you are into blackened death metal you should avoid ''ILYAYD'', because it's more a hard rock album with black/death metal image. Frequently such experiments are interesting, yet sometimes good, sometimes not. Here it's mediocre. The quality is certainly very good, but the music itself is very tiresome and forgettable.

Most people have probably pieced together that I spend a lot of time covering the more "popular" bands in metal, and that's simply because I listen to way more stuff with established reputation than unknown obscurities. It's not necessarily because of some sort of internalized elitism, but mostly because after over a decade of actively reviewing I've come to find that undiscovered gems are like .1% of all undiscovered metal while the remaining 99.9% was forgotten for a reason. It's more a matter of pragmatism than anything else. I only have so much time to listen to music nowadays, I choose to listen to things that are proven to be good. Because despite my notoriety for trashing bad albums, I don't actually like listening to them because I'm not a fucking masochist.

Anyway that small bit leads me to Behemoth, who is pretty much second only to Cannibal Corpse as the biggest extreme metal band of likely all time. The band, particularly Nergal as a celebrity, are fucking huge. Especially in their home country of Poland, the band has been put on trial for blasphemy charges, and Nergal himself is a bona fide celebrity, having high profile relationships with pop stars, acting as a judge on the Polish version of The Voice, and presumably sparking Beatlemania style riots when he announced his leukemia diagnosis. They're a big deal, is my point. So with those first two things in mind you'd figure I'd be all up on Behemoth's dick, but the weird thing is that throughout all my years as a metal fan, even getting into more extreme metal around the time Demigod came out, I've just never really been able to give too much of a shit about them. This time, I think the intersection of underground respectability and mainstream awareness just kinda missed the mark. Zos Kia Cultus has a handful of good songs and I remember liking both The Apostasy and The Satanist well enough, but everything else has always registered as not much more than a faceless blur of blastbeats.

So that brings us to I Loved You at Your Darkest, an album by a band that has captured the hearts of headbangers across the globe that I've just never cared too much for, but admittedly I was willing to give them another shot with this one based on the intriguing title and the fact that I remembered liking The Satanist from four years prior. That one was much darker and more brooding than their competent-but-unexciting barrages of non-riffs from the years previous, and I Loved You at Your Darkest here continues in a similar vein, but it feels more... I dunno, calculated, if that makes sense. I'm not sure how to explain it without sounding too tinfoily, but I get the feeling that Nergal and co. saw how successful The Satanist was (and don't get me wrong, it was a rare bona fide hit for a band of this style) and decided that their own personal celebrity and the comeback story of Nergal recovering from leukemia had nothing to do with it and it was all purely because they added in darker, slower, gloomier elements. Thus, they leaned into those once-tertiary elements super hard this time around

As a result, we're left with a black/death album that's pretty content to sit in a midpaced tempo and just fart about with spooky melodies and huck gothy arpeggios at you as often as possible. That's not to say the idea is dead on arrival, but it's hard for me to argue that the execution was flawless here, because even after a dozen or so spins I still just totally check out for almost the entire runtime. Batushka took the metal world by storm with chants and ecclesiastic bombast, but the only time similar idea here really works are in the huge preaching-to-the-undead-army breakdown in "Havohej Pantocrator" and the similar section utilizing a children's choir in "God = Dog". I'd say the chanting chorus in "Bartzabel" is a highlight as well but honestly I think it stands out more for being the most unabashedly "churchy" part of the album than it does for actually being super well written. "Wolves ov Siberia" kicks the album off on an old school Behemoth vibe with intense blasting and furious riffage (if not entirely memorable, which was always a problem for them), and then "God = Dog" more or less continues it with some more of the new elements integrated in, but after then the album pretty much drops it. There are moments of blasting intensity here and there but they're so few and far between that I can never remember where exactly they show up.

That's pretty much my main beef with I Loved You at Your Darkest, it's just kinda full of non-songs with a few standout moments here and there and that's pretty much it. I actually think "God = Dog" is probably the best song here because it's the one that blends their old school furious blasting death with their new school ecclesiastic seriousness. "Angelvs XIII" goes for the same thing with slightly less success (though the epic solo section near the end works really well) and "Havohej Pantocrator" just feels larger than life and kicks much more ass than it should, but that's about all I truly recommend. I still don't know how the last few songs sound, most of the middle tracks blur by as well, it's honestly just a weird album that feels like it's caught between two worlds while simultaneously sounding very confident in its own confusion. It's a very passive album and I feel like that really wasn't the intent, so I'm not sure how to feel about it. Something did compel me to return to this album fairly often, but even after all these months have passed I'm still not sure what that reason is, because there's nothing particularly grabbing here besides a few moments in particular. I wish I could explain it further than that but I really can't, it's just an album that barely happens, and it's hard to get excited about background noise.


Originally written for Lair of the Bastard

The metal community of these days can be splitted into two supergroups. On one side, we have those who appreciate innovations, originality and uniqueness when it comes to music, because, let's remember it, it's the music, the GOOD music that counts in the end, not the band's image or the adhesion to a model. On the other, we have the so-called "purists", people clinging so hard to the past and to a determined, sometimes obsolete, "standard" of music, that they literally can't see the forest for the trees. Looking to some of the reviews for this album, which, going straight to the point, is an excellent release to say the least, I'm starting to wonder which of the two sides are those listeners on.

By the way, Behemoth's leader, Nergal, is clearly the kind of guy that is blessed, at the same time, by an unmistakable musical genius, by self-confidence, and will to experiment, venture forth, break the boundaries, with the sole purpose of reaching new musical heights, to craft something beautiful and unique. The change in sound that Behemoth experimented with "The Satanist" was honestly like a breath of fresh air for the whole black metal scene, and resulted in the band's most ambitious, beautiful and successful output to date, and also one of my favourite albums of all times.

"I Loved You At Your Darkest" isn't a record as instantly digestible as"The Satanist", but those willing to devote the due time to the listen of this masterpiece, will soon understand this is by no means a lesser copy of its predecessor. With "I Loved You At Your Darkest", Behemoth furtherly developed the elements that made the fortune of "The Satanist", expanding and maturing them, bringing us fourty-six minutes of sheer satanic ecstasy. The gothic rock influences typical of the previous album are still plain for everyone to see, just think to the melodic solos, the clean choral arrangements (see the chorus of "Bartzabel" or "Sabbath Mater", for example), the general atmosphere of the record, the usage of a lighter style of riffing, the production.

Nergal's vocals sound as natural as possible, yet as strong as ever: the overlayering is almost completely abandoned, save for a very restricted number of selected moments: still, he sings the beautifully and carefully written lyrics of the songs (full of references to religion, occultism and Satanism) with as much belief and strength as ever before. Speaking of the production, it sounds lighter, the guitars are still evil and crunchy, but less distorted, something that really fits the musical direction taken with this release; the riffing relies on tremolo picking, dissonances, usage of minor triads, and an increased availment of dissonant arpeggios. There are lots of acoustic and overdrived guitar sessions, something that really adds variety to the album and somehow contributes to its peculiarity: just think to the ending part of "Ecclesia Diabolica Catholica", or the whole "Havohej Pantocrator".

Orion's bass grooves play a crucial role in exalting the guitar work, during the rhytmic sessions, but also while the guitars are playing their classic goth-rock solos. Inferno's drumming not only relies on his usual amount of demonic speed, aggression and brutal blast-beated sessions, not to mention his mastery of the double bass pedals, but also slows down in various songs or sessions, to accompany the instruments and serve the general atmospheric and evocative feel of the album, thus proving to be a polyhedral, versatile drummer.

As stated above, this new incarnation of Behemoth doesn't sacrifice the usual sheer brutality and aggression, but instead smooths it, to explore new frontiers of atmospheric, charming and experimental songwriting, and the band completely succeeds in doing so. Every song of the platter is top notch: there are no fillers to be found, each track has something beautiful to convey and it's well distinguished from the others, thus providing variety yet cohesion to the release, and incorporating new elements to the music, perfectly mastering and amalgamating them in Behemoth's new trademark sound. The use of classical instruments, like the trombone, the flute, the strings or the horns, a pleasant addition since the 2014's release, is still present here, and serves as a perfect example of what was stated above, adding epicity and importance to the mix.

Analyzing only certain highlights doesn't entirely make justice to the rest of the platter, but surely some songs deserve a special mention.
"Wolves of Siberia" is a pure black metal blast of ferocity that starts off things really well, completely packed with minor chords, tremolo picking and neverending blast beat sessions; "God=Dog" is one of the most experimental tracks, starting off with an interesting, quasi-rock bass lick, to proceed with furious riffing and pounding drumming at an extremely fast tempo, and incorporating goth rock elements like the melodic solo, the clean choral voices and the children's choirs found also in the intro. "Ecclesia Diabolica Catholica" starts with a nice dissonant arpeggio, sticks to a mid tempo with a simple yet effective tremolo-picked riff for most of its duration, and ends with a great acoustic guitar sessions backed by blast beats towards the end. "Angelus XIII" is one of the most furious songs of the whole lot, while "Havohej Pantocrator" might as well be the best track, thanks to the fantastic strummed stanzas in minor chords played by the overdriven guitars, and to the thrilling crescendo towards the end, backed this time by distorted guitars and demonic vocals. "We Are The Next 1000 Years" closes the album in epic fashion, it includes an astounding ambient-sounding session with sampling, keyboards and classical instruments, and it's closely followed by the orchestral outro "Coagvla". What better way to end this fantastic work of art?

Really, for the listener possessing an open mind, good musical taste and love for originality, this album is nothing less than an eargasm, and for the fans of Behemoth, especially those who loved "The Satanist", this is a must-have CD. Go out and get it now, this is one of those albums that deserve to be owned, enshrined and listened to in its physical version, and respected for what it is: a musical masterpiece.

I started following Nergal on social media a couple of years ago, the dude loves to preach constantly about how he matured and evolved over the years. I do not mind maturing nor evolving as long as its result is a better self. At first, I appreciated the continuous talk about evolving. Evolution and maturity reflected on The Satanist were the reason I started following him on first place. I was looking forward to experience how further their music has evolved in the new album. Little did I know, their music has evolved into a parody of The Satanist and they shamelessly tried capitalizing on its success.

ILAYD feels and sounds like it is an extended second disc of The Satanist that lacks the basic elements of blackened death metal or extreme music. Many of the songs sounded like they are trying their hardest to sound the way the previous album did, but fell short of that. Guitar riffs are mellow and far from being extreme and Inferno’s performance sounds like Nergal has tied up his hands and feet to slow him down, but still manages to break loose every now and then. When he breaks loose, he plays those weird tom-toms in “Angelvs XIII" and “Sabbath Mater”.

It all starts with an intro supposed to spook and creep the living hell out of you by kids reciting somewhat blasphemous lyrics. Quite the contrary, it was dull, boring and out of place. It sounded like a class reciting their forced and apathetic morning prayers. After the horrendous intro, comes the only decent song in the whole album “Wolves ov Siberia” and it should not be THE decent song in a Behemoth album. “Wolves ov Siberia” would have been my least favorite in any other Behemoth record, but here, it is the only song with consistently decent blackened death guitar riffs and drum line throughout the whole song. Then, boredom reigns on the rest of the album! Other than a couple of catchy choruses and riffs in “Bartzabel” and “Havohej Pantocrator”, the songs are weak, forgettable, boring, and at times bothersome. Take the chorus on “Sabbath Mater” for example. What is that? Is that supposed to create an atmosphere or something? It is just cringe worthy. On top of that, comes Nergal’s mediocre vocals. You might blame it on his age or previous illness, but they definitely added insult to injury.

Other than the theatrical display, there is nothing positive to mention. Artwork is dark and brilliant, and their video clips offered shock value and uniqueness that I am sure satisfied the band. They earned my 10% review rate from that and obviously made a few bucks with their art gallery displays.

I have to admit, my mind has drifted away a few times while listening to the record because of the lack of originality and repetitive riffs. In order to judge the record properly I had to listen to the record multiple times, which made my experience worse. I am all for music evolution and maturity, and I know musicians need to make money and attract new audience. Not this way, this is a cheap way to do so. This is not a revolutionary album, but a dark moment in the band's history.

Here is it, I Loved You at Your Darkest.

Behemoth released The Satanist in the year 2014. It had capable songwriting, fantastic production, and impressive emotional resonance. Nergal had, in my opinion, captured the best vocal performance he had ever produced. Their popularity blasted them into some mainstream attention and even conjured more ire from the Polish government. Advertisements were even seen, and the social media concoctions from Nergal were apparent - The Satanist had blown up and conquered the world for a few weeks. The next four years were like any other average wait for the next metal album, but it was fruitful with live performances from Behemoth.

Was it worth the wait?

I Loved You at Your Darkest begins with "Solve", a track that shows Behemoth introducing a strange (for them), although structurally generic opening track. It has a children's choir reciting a few lines over and over until the end. This is pretty disappointing and rather odd for the Polish heavy-weights. It can even be viewed as a little cringe-worthy, if I am being fully transparent. Does this subtract from the rest of the music? No, but not the other songs in a vacuum, it just reduces the overall package quality AS a package. Further in, Behemoth begins to utilize the same guitar tone, tuning, and stylized playing we have heard on The Satanist. This type of playing has become their mainstay sound and it doesn't subtract from the music because of how they use it to craft atmospheres of punctuality. Besides, repetition is not inherently negative.

I won't be highlighting too many tracks except for the ones I think define this album's sound. Fortunately, they are all frontloading the god damn album. So, any who gruel at having to listen to Behemoth will be happy about this, as it gives them an excuse to bail early. Onward anyway.

"Wolves Ov Siberia" is the first real song and comes in with power. The song begins with a rather expected (but not bad) drum pattern, then breaking into a few darkened guitar passages. This track is moderately enjoyable due to the simplicity and the rather punchy, layered mix. For all intents and purposes, this track is intended to not fool, but convince you of Behemoth's permanent stylistic change. It is probably the best one on the album and it doesn't overstay its welcome. Consistency and a welcoming, blasphemous ego tries to convince your ears.

"God = Dog", the name gathers a lot of (rightly deserved) strange stares. It isn't startling when Nergal hams up his edginess, but it is always disappointing. The man with supposed schooling in examinations of theology has a flare for the dramatic and it isn't always respectable. Look, the concept of ideological resistance against religion, or at least an evil deity, is always novel and will forever be when done right. But, sometimes it is too juvenile to be really captured with authenticity. However, moving into the music content, Behemoth immediately pronounces the more flamboyant aspects of Nergal. The song goes back and forth, lulling for a few moments, then building up and unleashing a fury of tremolo picking and blast beats. Ugly (in a good way) groaning leads in guitar riffs that sound like they are chopping meat. The drums carry the music overall with some enjoyably clean and powerful octopi-like banging.

A stronger focus on choir support is the black sheep of the soundscape here, with Nergal straining his throat without much reward. His vocals are more damaged in tone and seem to be thrown with more attack than usual in the past five years. It can be concluded that his vocals are, indeed, getting worse. Candidly, he's seemed to have lost some of his power from The Satanist. Also, while at this track, I must say that the lack of instrument focus is a real downer. Motivations for a declining youth and voice aside, the second cut could use a distinct revamping.

I must praise the album for it's distinct and well-kept production values. The guitar, drums, and even the bass sound pretty. They are bright and burning, audibly (with exception of the bass) searing the album's canvas. The first song to jump out at me with this was "Bartzabel". This song is unique to Behemoth, as it dictates a more careful, laidback listen. Although, as I hear the instrumentation, the guitars particularly, I notice the underwhelmingly isolated tremolo picking. I haven't listened to the 90s Behemoth material much, with the exception of Satanica, but I am sure this is a rather interesting divergence in the method for them. There is a quirk with this track, and it isn't necessarily a good one. It highlights a problem I have had, and continue to have with Behemoth, and that is the sheer lack of bass consideration for most cuts. I really would like to hear Orion pluck away on his axe, but I can't seem to find much of it outside of introductions and less intense choruses.

The bass is there, just not audible enough, and I am willing to die on that hill.

"Angelvs XIII" has a few surprising elements and helps it stand out. The intro to the track is quite malicious. Nergal experiments a bit with his higher range and yelling instead of screaming. He gags, cackles, and even gives us some of his more desperate bellows from his very gut. After a little while of this, the song breaks down into a sonically compelling acoustic interlude, with some spicy guitar soloing in the onion. If they did this sort of thing more often, like past delves into this on Demigod and The Apostasy, but just went all out for every other part of the track, it'd be more enjoyable than over half the track-list here. They obviously have a latent talent for deconstructing riffs and drum rolls. Now, only if they'd use it.

"Sabbath Mater" is on the level and caliber as the first few tracks, with the notable exception of a 'interesting' choir section. Nergal is involved in it, and it is clear that he wanted to implant some quirky holistic vocals. Is this part of the song a make-or-break? To me, it is decidedly a distinct and strong breakage of the flow. It isn't very convincing, and it could be confused for another band's musings, as if Nergal sent this track to them to mess around on. Further in, there are some mild guitar solos with no real purpose of being there, as the song drags on a little too long. Five minutes is a bit much for the same hyper repetitive riffs that aren't capable of enduring longer than a few minutes each song, let-alone for two (now three in 2023) albums. Really, the only thing keeping any attention here is the oddities from Nergal's throat.

"Havoheh Pantocrator" reminds me of a previous track - I wonder which one? Anyway, this song is paced rather well, compared to the rest. It has an endurable melodic center that I, oddly, do not find very exhausting like other cuts have prolonged until the fifth or sixth minute mark. Nergal has much better pacing with his pronouncements and the clean acoustics in the background and forefront lend a GREAT deal to the likeness. A little more than half, the song ups the intensity and divulges in some soloing from the guitars. The solos themselves are decent and the drums are still the pinnacle of the soundscape. Furthering the melody whilst going out, a pretty, repeated acoustic strum and sudden miasmas of guitars, cymbals, and other instruments bookend the track.

"Rom 5:8" and "We Are the Next 1,000 Years" are middling/decent/good tracks that entertain as long as you don't listen to them back to back. Behemoth's new sound simply doesn't have the novelty to keep me listening to the same thing over and over again without boredom. Although, with this said, these tracks, if not included here, would've fit right into the theme and dimensions of The Satanist. These are 'good', but not great, and should've been optional extras, not mainline songs to pad the length. I think it comes down to the production, which is technically awesome, yet utterly monotonous if continuously banked on.

The album closes out with one of the most straight-forward outro tracks I think Behemoth has done. It's not trying to achieve a magnificent closer like "O Father O Satan O Sun", nor does it end like Evangelion with a dynamic change in style. I am disappointed by this, as I expected something more at the end. Something of true glory or hellish soundscape. Neither of those desires are met. The highlight of the cut is the rather rolling and energizing opening riffage. But, that is here and then not as fast as an average death metal intro. The rest is, sure, nefarious, but nothing utterly unholy like from previous material. It isn't an interesting stylistic change. It isn't even a particularly powerful and outlandish ending. It is just a closer, and that is it.

What would've been awesome is if they had actually taken it all back to Evangelion, or The Apostasy, and given us an utterly crushing death metal bout. Although, I doubt Nergal will ever sacrifice his overall production cleanliness to get all the fuzz back.

I Loved You at Your Darkest is not the tribulated affair The Satanist was, but I do think it is okay. However, to top The Satanist is no easy feat, and if they had it would be most surprising. Honestly, topping Evangelion or The Apostasy isn't easy, either. I find a decent amount of enjoyment from some of this package; some songs, the composition, the instruments. It is just that Nergal has gotten too wrapped up with being an iconoclast or some kind of martyr in the internet age. I think it has spiritually poisoned him, if not physically. The decline in (his) the music is ultimately what is identifying and marking this.

M favorite tracks on the release:
- "Wolves Ov Siberia"
- "Bartzabel"
- "Angelvs XIII"
- "Havohej Pantocrator"

My disliked tracks:
- "Solve"
- "Dog = Dog"
- "Sabbath Mater"
- "Coagvla"

I feel a need to come clean with this record - more than I would like to, at that. When it comes to Behemoth, I very much was familiar with them for what they represented, prior to having first heard them. I had convictions that told me to ignore them, to not hear what they would offer, for god knows why, and yet... I could almost hear a warcry, a sounding of horns when the release of "The Satanist" came to pass. I'm willing to admit that, in fact, "The Satanist" was the first album that I had ever heard from this band... and I loved it. Unlike any album before it, I adored it with burning passion, a passion alone that still lingers as I write this review. I came to learn the events leading to this album - Nergal's bout with leukemia, and the five year wait that ensued with it - and, in a way, I came to understand that, indeed, "The Satanist" was as much a personal adventure for them as it would become for us. I feel that, in a way, this factor alone is what made that album a monumental success.

I know, you're gonna ask: Well, why spend a whole paragraph telling us about your experiences with "The Satanist" instead of this album? Why tell us these things? In reality, I'm telling you this solely because I feel there's an irony to it all. In a way, this album is its own microcosm compared. We came together and, in fact, loved Behemoth at their darkest, as they would release a firestorm across the world. A firestorm massive enough to shadow all that came before it. It's an irony that, in hindsight, is almost comedic, as this album feels like the complete antithesis of all that had come before it; a thunderous clap followed by silence. This album's a depressing borefest for me... one of which took me by surprise at first, but not of which I didn't fear.

Where to start... well, why not the sound itself? Inherently speaking, it isn't at all abhorrent. In fact, I actually quite like how the album sounds. The instruments on their own are perhaps the cleanest they've ever been... and after having to deal with the distorted drums of "The Satanist", it's perhaps the most pleasant thing about this album. I hope the two guys that mixed and mastered, Matt Hyde and Tom Baker, are proud of their work on this album, as it is a stellar step forward, and a welcome one. The way these instruments work in conjunction together is simply... unparalleled, compared to what Behemoth has released before it.

It's a lot to praise the master, and I'm aware that such a notion probably isn't fair if I'm writing a negative review... but it's important to consider, when these aspects have to produce a payoff. One may ask, what's the payoff? Well, not a lot, you can be damn sure! This album has momentum issues up its ass! It legitimately felt as though Behemoth had no idea how to pace this album... and the intro song itself, "Solve", almost perfectly exemplifies that on its own. Hell, most the short track lengths do better work for it than anything else. But "Solve" feels like a special case to me, as... it's been a while since Behemoth has really done a track like it. If my memory serves me, I believe the last one we saw was on "The Apostasy", in the form of "Rome 64 C.E.". In a way, the real point of intro tracks like this is to help the listener identify the general sound of the album their about to listen to, or even build a momentum that the album is able to carry throughout. In this case, "Rome 64 C.E." has a better grasp, because... in the end, it knows what it is. A song that sets a mood in the starting seconds, and the sound to follow shortly after. A dynamic and bombastic soliloquy, quite similar to a numerous amount of albums preceding it and coming after it. Meanwhile, "Solve" doesn't feel like it really means to identify the sound at all. It's a somber build to a heavier sound, but the direction isn't interesting enough. The momentum to it just simply doesn't seem to exist.

Moving forward from that, the album itself almost scarily has music that sounds like it would better belong on an extended edition of "The Satanist". Most of the songs have a sound that feels as if it wishes to mimic the things people liked. You can tell that, too - half the time, on the faster, heavier songs, the guitarwork sounds like something straight out of "Furor Divinus". The drums as well have a similar issue... and yeah, maybe going to make that accusation isn't fair, but it's a glaring fact. This album feels as though Behemoth took the success of "The Satanist" and said, "...well, alright. Let's just make more of it. People will love it, right? It's not like we can top The Satanist. Guess we shouldn't even try to, let's just throw away our originality and cash in on this album!"

In the end, this album takes as many steps back as it tries to take forward. It's a sad notion, in my eyes. If Behemoth could move forward with the sound of this album, but bring back the momentum, the driving force that made the albums before it feel impassioned and good, I feel as though we would have another great record on our hands. Hell, they have all the right elements in place! The sound is good, the crew to master and mix it is good, they just need the spark to make it work. Honestly, it's almost disappointing that I have to say that I despise this record in such a way, but... fuck, man, there's not a lot of good here. For an album that I had placed all my hopes in, for an album I hoped would be fantastic... it's a drag. It's boring. It's not original. It's just Behemoth.

Maybe we need something more than just "Behemoth" these days.

The name Behemoth is tightly associated with Blackened Death Metal and with anti-Christian motifs, as well as shockingly contentious music videos. The front man and the mastermind, Adam Michał Darski (also and more recognizably known as Nergal), has made sure that the image we get from the band concurs with this association. However, behind this evil and vile projection, there is another side, the more down-to-earth side, where Ryan Gosling is as influential in making an album as is Satan.

The new output by this Polish extreme metal trio, I Loved You at Your Darkest, is partly old-school, signature Behemoth that we have known for long and partly the new, more rock-influenced trend the band wishes to seek. Nonetheless, the dominant sound of the album is the looming, ferocious and macabre ambience, with several ritualistic sections and dark, sacrilegious, myth-imbued lyrics.

The album opens with a choir of (church) children, singing in unison and depriving gods from their forgiveness. This choir, which will be infused on another track (God=Dog) later on, is where Ryan Gosling kicks in, not himself of course, but his footprint. As Nergal mentioned in an interview with exclaim!, he got this idea from Gosling’s musical project Dead Man's Bones and then he “decided to bring it even further … to extremity”.

This might be seen as a drawback for such an album and within such a morbid genre; but considering the fact that the band intends to signpost their shift towards a more rock-ish sound, this frequent integration of children’s choir, along with other factors, such as drumming, implies this new tendency.

Other than this slight yet noteworthy alteration which can be observed on a track like God=Dog (especially its opening), everything else remains just as epic and monumental as it was. Different songs have their musical nuances, from more raw black metal (Wolves Ov Siberaia) to post-metal / post-black metal (Havohej Pantocrator) to atmospheric/ambient black metal (We Are the Next 1000 Years) and everything in between. We have machine-gun drumming (e.g. Angelvs XIII), ritualistic sections (Bartzabel), fast paced riffing (Wolves Ov Siberia) and guitar solos too (Sabbath Mater).

Lyrics-wise, the same-old imagery of demon-angel dichotomy, profanity and demonological figures permeate the album with influences from mythologies of around the globe, and there is even one particular song with a demonic invocation chorus (Bartzabel). Not that this thematic sameness is a disadvantage, no, not in the least bit; quite contrary, these are the themes that suit the image and the music of the band, and this is what most fans admire them for. Even some seemingly arbitrary Latin phrases or Old English words here and there (e.g. Ecclesia Diabolica Catholica) can add to the richness of this auditory experience and are more than a show-off of Nergal’s one-year course in Latin in the University of Gdańsk.

At the end of the day, this album is a full-flavored extreme metal dish that can reach out to fans of all inclinations and can satisfy their need for a well-produced major album and at the same time, tempt some new listeners with its new, more accessible sound into giving it a try.


Rating:
Lyrics: 8.0
Artwork: 8.0
Musicianship: 8.5
Vocals: 8.5
Overall: 8.5

It’s been four years since the Polish blackened death metal horde unleashed their masterpiece ‘The Satanist’ onto the world. Now they have returned with a new, long-awaited full length release entitled ‘I Loved You at Your Darkest’. I absolutely adored their previous opus so I have high hopes for this…

As far as themes go, this album offers the usual array of topics present in Behemoth’s music, including: Satanism, the occult, critical views on Christianity, particularly Catholicism. One new addition is the reference to alchemy on the opening and closing tracks aptly named ‘Solve’ and ‘Coagvla’.

The children’s chanting at the start of the first track ‘Solve’ gets a little irritating after a few seconds. I was relieved to hear the guitars reminding me that this is in fact an intro to a Behemoth album and not to some children’s choir. ‘Wolves Ov Siberia’ is a savage beast of a song with packed with aggressive, coarse guitar riffs, Nergal’s bleak shouts and Inferno’s relentless drumming. It sounds as harsh and bleak as a Siberian winter. ‘God = Dog’ is more complex and melodic than its predecessor and it features some progressive tones in the guitars. It has the hallmarks of a classic Behemoth track, including the eerie atmosphere, aggressive yet melodic guitars and powerful vocals. The one thing that I could have done without is the children’s choir which essentially continues from where it left off in the intro.

Oddly enough one of the slower tracks, the gloomy sounding ‘Bartzabel’, has quickly become one of my favorite songs on here. I can’t get enough of that eerie mid-tempo groove guitar in the chorus and Nergal’s haunting vocals. The rest of the album varies in pace depending on the song ranging from the fast and abrasive black metal on ‘Sabbath Mater’ to the slower, more melodic ‘Havohej Pantocrator’.

In summary, ‘I Loved You at Your Darkest’ is very different from its predecessor ‘The Satanist’. Parts of it reminded me of Behemoth’s black metal era while others show the band’s willingness to experiment with some new styles. It is not the easiest of albums to listen to, and it requires a lot of patience from the listener. But rest assured, patience will be rewarded.

Originally written for https://valkyrianmusic.com/

Behemoth has been a staple in my metal diet since their release of Demigod and it only got more regular with the release of The Apostasy and Evangelion. From there I had a wealth of great blackened death history to explore and enjoy. The Satanist was a bit of a let down for me but it could have been much worse and I was dreading their next would follow suit. Unfortunately, I Loved You at Your Darkest is the album I was dreading. It's a progressive successor to their previous album, exemplifying the tonal shifts made on that last release. That being said, this is a very sad album. Even sadder than The Satanist in many ways yet still feeling dry. I was hesitant with the terribly named single "God=Dog" that was equally terrible (More on that later). Once "Wolves ov Siberia" dropped, I felt a little more confidence in getting a killer album, even though it was a little bland. It would always be a challenge to continuously release such amazing material like they've done for 10 full-lengths and eventually they would have to falter. Some of my nightmares were realized this day.

This is album produced a conundrum within me on the basis that 50% of it is quite boring, 25% of it is an obvious attempt to grab more mainstream listeners from the upper echelon (Lower?) of metalheads and the other 25% consists of bucking death metal and writing more of a blackened heavy rock/metal, if you will. It's experimental for this band, something they started on the previous release, but it is utilized more here and of which I am not a fan. These sections have a slower tempo, simpler drums, segmented chords, and a generally more groovy feel. Listen to the aforementioned "God=Dog", "Bartzabel", and "Rom 5:8" for an immediate example. I might enjoy this from another band, but we're getting cheated on the Behemoth of old that can write blistering blackened death complete with unique instrumental progressions and dare I say, catchy vocal patterns (This release does have a few here-and-there). This leaves me running to the comfort of songs like track 2, 4, 9, or 11 but to be left with raw Behemoth moments that have little character or real meat to bite into. There is a great rhyme in "Sabbath Mater" that goes "Love me orgasmically. Fuck me estatically". I like when death/black metal bands put in the effort to rhyme, which Nergak used to do more regularly. Now keep in mind that all this is coming from someone who really appreciated Songs of Love and Death, even though most of it can be traced to a particular folk/americana singer/song-writers due to the heavy imitation.

Nergal's vocals doesn't skip a single beat here. He lends his very unique voice to belt out screams of pure and concentrated evil. It's one of the real comforts I found in this album. If you didn't like the borderline clean singing in The Satanist then you will be further displeased here. I hate the kid gang vocals copy/pasted twice, once in "Solve" and once in "God=Dog". No, not a children's choir, that usually ups the evil in black metal. No, I mean gang vocals from kids. It was awkward in the video they released for it, and is still awkward here. The lead guitar yet again is left many times to ring random off-notes over the top of the song. There are a few solos that are unique, with an odd ball hair metal solo in "Bartzabel" and an overall great one in "Ecclesia Diabolica Catholica". The drums are fine enough for what is going on. They're more groovy than in any other release which fits the lighter feel to this album. Remember in Blessed are the Sick on the track "The Ancient Ones"? Well when it opens with a couple high rack tom notes I thought it was just straight silly the sound of them (more specifically I am talking about the original recording for their demo Abominations of Desolation as "Azagthoth"). Well guess what? The comically high toms are here and used 5 times through the release. 4 out of the 5 times it is the same high-low roll and stuck out like a sore thumb. The bass is very important on this release, and possibly more so than any other album. It has a chance to really weep in the background while the guitars mess around up high. A lot of the emotion is translated via the bass, which I like.

Honestly, it seems like Behemoth isn't good at being Behemoth anymore. I mean that in all honesty. Whenever they write a more traditional composition it's bland and boring. The only way they can make their songs stick out and be interesting is when they incorporate someone else's vocals, or trumpets, or completely change their sound to something more approachable and accessible. Pretty please, can the old Behemoth come out to play?

Favorite tracks:
--Bartzabel
--Sabbath Mater
--Wolves of Siberia

Technical skill: 58% Originality: 61% Song writing: 41% Production: 70% Accessibility: 68%

Behemoth stopped being relevant in the underground years ago; thanks to the good marketing skills of their leader Nergal that converted the band into a very good company. Changing styles constantly has always been another particular aspect of the band, starting with a traditional black metal proposal and morphing into a heavier and more brutal blackened death metal act a few albums later, which I consider a fine move since they managed to release memorable and intense music in both genres. Their previous album “The Satanist” (2014) shows the same theatrical and symphonic feel featured here but definitely had an extreme element in the percussion and some of the riffs. For this album, “I Loved You At Your Darkest” (2018) they used some of that intriguing and obscure elements as well but there’s no violence or aggression whatsoever. The children choir at the beginning of the album for example is kind of chilling and dark but in a goth rock way, not very black metal.

The visual work behind the album concept, the pictures, the live performance, the music videos and the lyrics; I admit everything has a high aesthetic value but I feel it looks and sounds way too much like a darker version of Ghost. Musically, the composition and arrangements are probably also one step closer to the narrative style that Nergal wants but they also sacrificed the little relation they had left with extreme metal. The first couple of tracks involve aggressive percussion in some sections, tupa-tupa beats mainly and a couple of bars of blast beats but the sense of melody shows there’s a conflict between the belligerent nature of extreme metal and the delicate concept of the album. This failure is materialized in track 4 “Ecclesia Diabolica Catholica”, that’s exactly where things started going wrong. The nostalgic and sad arpeggios at the beginning of the song remind me more of radio friendly bands like Evanescence or HIM, the mid paced drums that accompany through the rest of the song are extremely boring and flat and the ecclesiastical choruses are absolutely vomitive, I felt I was in church. The rest of the album follows exactly the same formula.

The composition talent behind this piece of music is undeniable, what bothers me most is the intention to brand this as “wagnerian black metal” when there’s nothing or little of resemblance between this and the old Behemoth or even the genre’s raw and truly evil roots at all. There are a number of other contemporary acts like Bathuska or Cult Of Luna that tried to attempt something similar but remained true to the canons of black metal, with a fair share of blast beats, high tempos and low tuning; not of that featured in this album. The vocals are also lacking a lot of attitude and potency, you can blame Nergal’s age for that. The production of the album is top notch as you can expect, the symphonic arrangements and samples are intelligently placed in the mix to generate impact and impress but the riffing is pretty weak and the harmonies and scales used this time took the extreme metal part away from the band’s sound, leaving room just for the obscure but indigestible solemn and delicate ceremony-like tones.

After ten albums, almost all high-level, culminated with the excellent last four works, acclaimed by fans and critics, it was a difficult mission even for a band like Behemoth to create a new album that was close to the level of precedents and that also gave a breath of freshness. Well, for Nergal and his companions the mission has largely failed miserably. Already with the first two singles the hype for ILYAYD had lowered, but the release of the third single Bartzabel two days after the release of the album, some hope for another good work was rekindled.

The eleventh effort of the Poles opens with the intro Solve, in which immediately appears a chorus of children which praises a religious song (the same as the first single God = Dog): if in the intro the chorus (quite annoying in the long run) can be accepted as an introduction to the album, in the single it appears totally out of place and the repetitiveness of the riffs does not help to make God=Dog better. The recycling of riffs is a constant in this full length and this can be seen in many other songs (Wolves of Siberia and We Are The Next 1000 Years, two songs that are almost identical in the initial part) and this greatly lowers the rating of the album. There is no lack of convincing episodes: Ecclesia Diabolica Catholica, a very dynamic song with a heavy rhythmic base, a fast solo and a beautiful acoustic part; the highly unusual but effective Bartzabel with a very catchy and melodic refrain that alternates with very powerful deadlifts. However, they aren't absolute masterpieces, but only good tracks that stand out easily in the midst of the many banalities of this album.

Summing up, ILYAYD certainly has the advantage of being very sliding and also give a fairly pleasant listening, but the drop in inspiration is seen (or rather, is heard) because of the continuous repetition of riffs, always too similar to each other, and certainly represents a step back from the last albums.

Now, however, I would like to focus on the title: "I loved you at your darkest". A rather strange title compared to those who have used the band in the past. It is possible that it was not a coincidence and that there is a meaning behind the title. Even Nergal and the others will have noticed in the studio of the creative decline occurred in recent years? So, we fans, have we to continue to love Behemoth at their darkest?