Behemoth- Demigod

We look to the icy winds of Poland for this week’s Metal Masterpiece. After returning last year with potentially one of the most important albums of their career the talented trio enthralled us all once more. Before the rise of The Satanist however their catalogue contains some serious contenders, one being Demigod.

Changing from the previous black metal roots the band opted for a more death metal approach. Summing up Behemoth‘s raison d’etre, the ten track onslaught is relentless. Showcasing the ferocity of Nergal‘s vocals with the frenetic thundering drums, arabian sounding melodies throughout the record paints a desolate picture. Being some of the heaviest material the band has written to date, Demigod was their statement of intent, foregoing their black mental infancy to ascend to death metal heights. The colossal riffs of “Conquer All” and apocalypse beckoning horns of title track “Demigod” the unabated aural assault remains forceful yet never overpowering. Sitting within the perfect balance of graceful savagery, adding colour with the melodic “Xul” featuring a guest solo by none other than Pharoah master Karl Sanders himself.

Demigod was the album that truly propelled this band to the lauded status they now own. Although it being their seventh album, it was the first album where Behemoth truly soared above the competition, a snapshot of just what this band was capable of. I mean, who could ever forget that barrage of “Slaves Shall Serve“. An excersise of delicate brute force that any metal head needs to have in their collection.