Review by Tammy Lomax for MPM
Opening my emails, I see the album staring at me, it is a wonderful feeling. I managed to witness one of the most efficient and militant sets in my life when they headlined the main stage at Bloodstock this year. I was captivated by how controlled their set was, it was simply incredible.
Behemoth, the band that keeps on giving.
Since their formation in 1991, they are considered to have birthed the Polish metal underground scene. They are set to release their 12th album ‘Opvs Contra Natvram’ any day now via Nuclear Blast.
‘Opvs Contra Natvram’ is suggested to be one of their most elite creations to date. Produced by Behemoth and mixed by Joe Barresi, (Nine Inch Nails, Tool, QOTSA, Alice in Chains) they are offering us listeners some new inventions.
They have constructed a sound that has not been touched upon before and it is inspired by the embodiment of rebellion, individual and unflinching self-expression, shaped by a literary worldview.
Frontman Adam ‘Nergal’ Darski has revealed the album is a representation of going against the current. This relates to the negative values, morals and ethics in pop culture. Situations like cancel culture which can have such an ample detrimental effect on anyone.
In conjunction with their upcoming album, there have been numerous single releases, ‘Ov My Herculean Exile’, ‘Off To War!’, ‘The Deathless Sun’ and ‘Thy Becoming Eternal’.
‘Post Gods Nirvana’ marches us forwards into the album, an opening melodic statement before they unleash their heavy magic upon us all.
Guessing correctly, ‘Malaria Vvlgata’ takes no prisoners, there is no messing around and they get straight to it. Nergels vocals are fierce, he is expressive with passion and is totally miffed off. The pace is accelerated as the drums and guitars are battering all over the place.
I have already reviewed the single releases on this effulgent album already, so I am diving straight into the track ‘Neo- Spartacvs’, it is very chunky and indeed very weighty. The pace bounces in places, holding some groove with the beats and the bass guitar is spotlighted a lot.
‘Disinheritance’ brings us back to a black metal stance and offers such a wallop with it but ‘Once Upon A Pale Horse’ is certainly favorable for me. It assuredly demonstrates the evolution that Behemoth has created. I bob my head to the rhythm of the repetitive riff. Nergels vocals are incredibly powerful and the feelings of nostalgia are undenying.
There’s an excellent section where every instrument just plummets forwards and crashes everything in its way. Tonky riffs that bounce off both guitars, it highlights fine musicianship to an absolute pinnacle.
Closing the album is track ‘Versvs Christvs’ and it is totally addictive and hypnotizing. I would say it is vastly more atmospheric than some of the others and you really have to hand it to them.
Ending with everything they have, throwing it all at us, what an excellent way to close one of the most outstanding album releases this year.
It is a huge pile of meat and is a success. Behemoth should be proud of this, topping one of their best releases thus far.
Opvs Contra Natvram tracklist:
POST-GOD NIRVANA
MALARIA VVLGATA
THE DEATHLESS SUN
OV MY HERCULEAN EXILE
NEO-SPARTACVS
DISINHERITANCE
OFF TO WAR!
ONCE UPON A PALE HORSE
THY BECOMING ETERNAL
VERSVS CHRISTVS
UK tour tickets are available here, with Dublin tickets here.
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