Polish trio Behemoth surely need no introduction, having been at the head of the black metal scene for well over 25 years. Given that bassist Orion is the new boy, and he has been there for 15 years, it is of no surprise that they all know what they are doing. Singer/guitarist Nergal has been there since the beginning, and is showing no sign at all of slowing down, while drummer Inferno is still bashing those skins as if his life depends on it. Mind you, there are times during the first real song, “Wolves Of Siberia”, where the snare seems to be a fraction behind where it needs to be, which gave me quite a cause for concern as I found it incredibly offputting.
Luckily the rest of the album doesn’t suffer from the same issues, as the band bring in both choral and orchestral elements to show that they understand their legacy yet are going to continue to drive forward. “I really wanted to redefine ourselves with this record”, Nergal explains. “’I Loved You At Your Darkest’ is a more dynamic record. It’s extreme and radical on one hand, but it’s also more rock-oriented than any other Behemoth record.” Nergal doesn’t view the heightened rock influence as a conscious creative decision so much as a renewed interest in the historical origins of the music he makes. “We don’t give consideration to musical direction, we simply create what naturally comes to us” he says. “But 15 years ago, if you had asked me who I thought was the best band on the planet, I probably would have said Mayhem or Morbid Angel. Today if you asked me, I’d say AC/DC. That should give you a clear indication of why this album is more rock-based. It all comes down to the song writing.”
The album title may also upset some people if they understood the origins as well. “It’s a verse from the Bible,” Nergal reveals. “It’s actually a quote from Jesus Christ himself. For Behemoth to use it as the basis of our record, it’s sacrilege to the extreme.” No strangers to controversy, Behemoth are back with an album that while not exactly essential, is still pushing all the buttons in the right place.
Rating: 7/10
