Recensire un disco metal è sempre un'impresa, soprattutto per uno come me che tende inevitabilmente a sopravvalutare il genere, visto che lo ama follemente. Scusate... ma non lo faccio apposta, cerco di essere critico, ma alla fine mi ritrovo a (de!)scrivere sempre di ciò che mi piace, o quantomeno mi colpisce, mi sorprende
I Behemoth colpiscono, vanno dritto a segno, devastano senza pietà al loro passaggio. Solitamente ci metto un po' di tempo a "digerire" questo tipo di sound, che è freddo, cupo, oserei direi glaciale: stiamo parlando di una band black "convertita" al death (passatemi l'espressione...).
Questo disco, come ribadisco anche dopo, possiede la qualità di essere fondamentalmente accessibile, pur essendo "pesantissimo": questo perché quando gli strumentisti sanno suonare, sanno "riempire", sanno anche farsi ascoltare. Non è facile. Difficile obiettare qualcosa sul piano della tecnica, tantomeno su quello stilistico. La voce e le feroci schitarrate di Nergal, coniungate ad un suo gusto inusuale per gli assoli (e ne sentirete diversi splendidi), alcuni arpeggi atmosferici, alcune cambi di tempo degni dei migliori gruppi prog, il batterista Inferno preciso come un orologio, mi hanno procurato un piacere immenso. Il bassista Orion non si sente moltissimo, ma c'è: per qualcuno questa esasperazione dei "medi-alti" sarà un difetto, per me è una scelta stilistica ben precisa - simile a quella degli Immortal - che rende l'idea di un suono che evoca il gelo più assoluto. Buon lavoro anche da parte del bassista, comunque: sound molto consistente e compatto. Se avete presente la furia degli Immortal e la tecnica dei Nile (tra l'altro, il chitarrista del combo "egittologo" Karl Sanders esegue un asssolo in "Xul") potete avere un'idea di come suoni "demigod".
Questa che segue è un'impressione molto soggettiva: il disco è iper-tecnico e iper-veloce e iper growl, ma è "ascoltabile" (ehm, già li sento, i puristi... :)), "fluido", come... che so, "Reign in Blood" degli Slayer. Questo gruppo di polacchi mostra una abilità ed un'originalità davvero fuori dal comune, e conferma che quando si parla di musica bisognerebbe abbandonare ogni nazionalismo... dieci anni fa, infatti, ce la menavano col death americano, poi col black norvegese, poi col death svedese (il death svedese...), poi col rock italiano, con quello inglese ...senza contare che "ogni tanto" ci sono ANCHE band validisssime brasiliane, polacche, jugoslave, greche o giapponesi, sì poco note ma spesso superiori ai blasonati similari made in USA, England & CO. E noi che imperterriti ci facciamo le pippe con quello che ci propinano i (pseudo) giornali musicali... meno male che esiste l'underground (e internet)!
I behemoth, infatti, rientrano nella (felice) "categoria" del metal "underground & nessun-compromesso": ritmiche serrate, sonorità ricche di dissonanze, esasperazione massima dell'uso del growling (la voce la sento un po' filtrata, magari mi sbaglio: senza trovare in ciò nulla di male, per carità). La produzione è decisamente all'altezza, anche nei momenti più caotici si riesce a discernere ogni nota.
Concludo: se amate le sonorità minimali, e siete disposti a sentire un po' di cupo (death/black) metal come non se ne sentiva da tempo, accomodatevi pure... "all things stir in me with joy and suffering my sermon stead fast and proud there is nothing but god in me"
Elenco tracce testi samples e video
03 Conquer All (03:29)
Mightiest Self!
Cast out ov Thy Elysium
With blood ov nazarene
I write the history ov man
2000 years is nothing
Though it has been enough
Come forth victorious
Muting the foul angelic choirs!
None ov thy empty gods, shall ever stand above me
None ov thy weak brothers, shalt ever share my blood
My awareness, catalyst, ov godhate I have spawned
In sinister ecstasy eternally I decompose
Race ov man!
The errors ov a wise man make Thy rules
Ye shall see
Rather than the perfection ov the fool
The most divine!
I am many! among so very few
Beyond redemption, beyond the weak
Thus I beheld the truth!
None ov thy empty gods, shall ever stand above me
None ov thy weak brothers, shalt ever share my blood
My awareness, catalyst, ov godhate I have spawned
In sinister ecstasy eternally I'm decomposed
I am the pure flame that burns
I am (ever shining) Sirius son
I am the infinite space
I am the most conquering One
04 The Nephilim Rising (04:20)
( music by Nergal; lyrics by Krzysztof Azarewicz; acoustic outro by Seth )
I'm burning like a fucking fire
Mysterious Domain, Murdered Apprehension
Shemyaza, Lacifarus - glow like the Sun
in this final hour
ov Dawn ov the Dusk
I, heart ov all chthonic hearts
vulture eye, fallen one, proclaim:
this great world
is a mirror ov my small self :
striving for infinity, shall I remain?
we cannot kill the time:
it is the time that kills us
and I'm the answer on my questions
and blood ov my hopes and all prayers -
mark the sunset, the last judgement -
and my rainment... -
this is the night, just black damn'd night
as dethroned so enthroned, attracted... rejected...
in this totality is perfection ov Me in Thee
freedom ov Nature, delight ov Existence
so intoxicate me as I intoxicateth thee
slay me as I createth thee
when reality is nothing more
than quantum vortex
deep sleep
make it lucid dream
or hallucinate if you please
in exaltations ov All, One, None
there Is No Difference
we are the First and the Last
Io Pan!
lead: Nergal
acoustic lead: Nergal
05 Towards Babylon (03:21)
[music and lyrics by Nergal]
Leviathan!
eternally Thy powers rage within
I am reborn
purified
in the burning flames ov Sodom
by the powers ov the gods
awaken the mighty Will
that shalt carry me through eternities
Faceless One!
avenge my torment
materialise my utmost Will
beyond all legends and myths
Thou art the emmissary ov the beast
thwart the realm above
spawning might below
[backgroud lead: Nergal]
"Give us the flesh"!
"Give us the will" I command!
Dumuzi Lord
godhead immaculate!
Thou art the sun
toward the light feel no shame
Ia Asag!
forever Thou shalt remain
in victory I burn
masacrate the enemy
in battle that I hath already won
Thee I invoke
brothers ov Ariman's seed
Thou hast aroused all beings in me
come All in One
resurrected
stronger than death Thou hast become
revert my death
hail to my return
tis time to reign as a god among man
[background lead: Nergal]
"Give us the flesh"!
"Give us the will" I command!
Dumuzi Lord
godhead immaculate!
Thou art the sun
toward the light feel no shame
Ia Asag!
forever Thou shalt remain
[lead: Nergal]
[lead: Seth]
Appolyon
o resplendant flame
begotten ov beyond
may I coruscate eternally
gods ov all perfection
I command - come forth!
in company ov Ur
all doubts and fears eclipsed
[once again the Elder Gods accompany me in yet another one ov life's journeys. the Ancient Ones have always been present in my life. my gods are equal to my tools by which I crush the burdens ov disbelief and ignorance. they are like vipers, who slash with their beaks the weakness ov the flesh and crippled minds. they are guardians ov my mortality, full ov vitality and beauty at the same time being cruel and merciless to all the enemies. they defend me from the plagues ov the world, cleansing it with its knowledge and purity.]
06 Before the Æons Came (02:58)
( music by Nergal; lyrics by Ch. Swinburne )
before the beginning of years
there came to the making of man
time, with a gift of tears
grief, with a glass that ran
pleasure, with pain for leaven
summer, with flowers that fell
remembrance fallen from heaven
and madness risen from hell
strength without hands to smite
love that endures for a breath
night the shadow of light
and life the shadow of death.
and the high gods took in hand
fire an the falling of tears
and a measure of sliding sand
from under the feet of the years
and froth and drift of the sea
and dust of the laboring earth
and bodies of things to be
in the houses of death and of birth
and wrought with weeping and laughter
and fashioned with loathing and love
with life before and after
and death beneath and above
07 Mysterium Coniunctionis (Hermanubis) (03:40)
[music by Nergal; lyrics by Krzysztof Azarewicz]
sounds ov the night
are born from the stillness
censer scent ov the sun
attracts the memories
dark shades - eyes
moths - green pupils
burning echo ov your words
appears
in the heart ov possibility
in extra-real surroundings
there are my passions:
simplicity ov stars
royal Art
alkhemy ov Soul, Body, Word
and I transport
spell ov self-love I weave
and I scream
in the fumes ov antiquity
divine past
in solar room
filled with midnight hour
and midday power
inevitable, immovable
with names witch are Many
with secret meaning:
Koγζ Oμ Pαζ ON Mευω
[background lead: Nergal]
and I THINK, FEEL, and LOVE
we vibrate light
together
radiate life
on the path to City ov the Sun
angel calls out:
in mysterium coniunctionis deus est homo
and I understand the Burden
ov this journey:
I know, I will
I dare, and keep silence
[Iam facit ipse deos mittitque ad sidera numen - Manilus, Astron. IV 934]
[this song deals with very personal experiences ov occult nature I can't clearly explain to myself. life seems to be unending initiation into its mysteries and the Four Powers ov the Sphinx are the great and first ov all practical keys which open the gates to the most secret and sacred jewels ov the universe.]
08 XUL (03:11)
The son ov morn
What made me so divine?
I, transcending ecstasy through ecstasy
I who am eternally defined by my Will
Behold I am the spawn of downcast Ariman
Awakened, yet am no longer human
Kindle me to Thy rapture
As I descend into Sheol
Hiva! hear my call!
Transform my flesh into flame
Hiya! hear my cry!
Sustain my being in million-fold forms
Our creed: the living flesh
Our law: trespass all the laws
Since NUIT is our refuge
And HADIT becomes our light
All stirs within
Tis chaos in and above me
In the world ov nether-nether
"I" infinite space is all-consuming
Behold! I am unending!
The consciousness ov "I" shines universally
Unbound by wretched dogma
I spew my will forth!
Hell is democracy!
All things exist in me
I believe in naught save myself
My sermon steadfast and proud:
There is nothing but god in me!
All things stir in me
With joy and suffering
My sermon steadfast and proud:
There is nothing but god in me!
09 Slaves Shall Serve (03:04)
[music by Nergal; lyrics by Krzysztof Azarewicz]
Father ov Terror!
Aba ol-Hol
enter the pylon
thru' the galleys ov past
catacombs ov night
into the starry womb
slay, slay!
Asar un-Nefer
we have no fear
our time had come
our will is done
dance, dance!
O Mighty One
in the fields ov Aqert
and spit
upon slaves ov death
War God!
trample all weakness
this is your day ov pride
draw Thy flaming sword
cut the umbilical cord
to set me free from eternal sleep
[lead: Seth]
...step by step
Khem: evolution: spiral vibration
can you hear?
can you touch?
can you see?
can you really see?
we charm all jins -
automata, inprinted realities
they creep like snakes
and all we feel
is painful bliss
as we burn forth
like winged globe
like solar disk...
...and penetrate eternity
[lead: Nergal]
Slaves shall serve!
[the title ov this song is taken from "The Book of the Law". these words invoke powers ov individuality which stands against fear and oppression ov western civilization with all its taboos, fallen religions and political idols, stupid and mad masses - "twisted mob ov Jerusalem". I wrote wrote these verses after my journey across Egypts entirety which I made in April 2004 e.v. but direct inspiration was successful invocation ov God Horus I performed in city ov Cairo on April 8th, exactly 100 years after Crowley received the text ov "The Book of the Law".]
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Di post-ino
«Il mix tra death e black qui è eseguito in maniera sapiente e non sembra mai essere un copia e incolla.»
«Con The Satanist i Behemoth raggiungono forse il punto più alto della loro carriera.»
