Messe noire

“Messe Noire: Live Satanist” captures a Behemoth concert in Warsaw during the touring cycle for “The Satanist.” The black mass shows the aforementioned album played in its entirety, such as it was during shows promoting “The Satanist,” intermixed with other Behemoth classics. I have seen Behemoth live a few times myself, and “Messe Noire” shows the usual live experience: death metal, blast beats, spooky visuals, spooky costumes, flashing lights, mockeries of Catholic traditions (also spooky), Nergal in a pseudo-hoodie, and a departing reminder to hail the dark lord. Unless they capture a truly special moment, DVD releases like this are usually pointless. However, this was significant; the homecoming to Warsaw, not to mention Behemoth’s resurgence after Nergal had recovered from leukemia and the return to form marked by “The Satanist,” which was performed in its entirety during its support run.

“Messe Noire” has an important semblance given its connotation, although this is hard to determine based on the performance. I am not kidding when I say this is exactly the typical Behemoth live experience. The visuals, costumes, stage effects, and general environment are carved so deeply in stone that it must be force of habit at this point. They are an excellent live band, of course; the show is enticing from start to finish. The performance from the extra show included here, recorded at Brutal Assault, seems to have more of a chip on its shoulder than the main attraction, interestingly. This is something that caught my attention, but this also could have been something I misinterpreted due to too many black masses. I’m surprised I did not start hallucinating after watching over two hours of Behemoth performing live. But I did learn to speak Latin, so that’s cool.

“The Satanist” is my favorite Behemoth album, so I feel fine with where the setlist stands, although I know I would skewer most bands for performing whole records in concert. The stream of the record adjusts well in the live setting, assisting the shows with a proper atmospheric ebb and flow. Hearing these tracks removed from the studio is also nice given the polished production of “The Satanist.” I noticed bass lines and hooks that left a larger impression on me here; this helped to enrich the actual album upon returning to it. They all sound fantastic, especially “Messe Noire” and “In the Absence Ov Light.” After “The Satanist,” they throw in “Slaves Shall Serve,” “Conquer All,” and a few others for good measure.

“Pure Evil and Hate,” the show’s deepest cut, comes out of the clouds and rips hard. This one, along with the other tunes predating “The Satanist,” is excluded from the live CD included with “Messe Noire.” Big mistake leaving it out; this is hands-down the finest moment from anything the DVD has to offer. “Messe Noire,” despite this minor gripe, is a substantial piece of Behemoth lore worth the price of admission. It embodies the essence of a live Behemoth performance at a special moment in time, bolstered by a diabolical atmosphere and entertaining spectacle, both worth their weight in gold. A fine testament to a fine chapter, I must say.

This review was written for: www.Thrashpit.com