The Polish blackened death metal band Behemoth has been riding high years. Since the last record, The Satanist, which came out in 2014, fans wondered when we will be getting the new record. After all, critics and fans alike loved The Satanist, the band’s tenth album. Not many bands get to a point where arguably their best album is something that comes out so late in their career. Now the band has released the title of the new album, I Loved You at Your Darkest along with the first single, God=Dog.
The track has a rhythmic and groovy sound to start off. It gave me a false sense of safety before the traditional Satanic brutality that is Behemoth. The speed quickly picks up with faster, but still maintaining a nice rhythm with the guitars and bass, while the drums are firing like a machine gun. This makes for an intense instrumental intro that gives a dominant start to the song before the first verse.
As the speed continues, we get Nergal guides us into the first verse. His screams are brutal and in moments he starts talking in a haunting tone. During those moments of speaking, an operatic voice can be heard adding to some atmosphere to these words, “The holy river Ganga flowing through my muddled hair. In the ancient times before I learned ov who I am.” His voice just adds to the level of power and horror to his words. With lyrics such as, “There’s serpent coiling around my neck,” and “If I am a missing link between the pig and the divine. I shall cast the pearls before the swine,” Nergal shows he has not lost a beat in writing excellent lyrics to continue his statement about religion.
Halfway in the song, you get to catch your breath after the first verse. Short bursts of the guitar as the drums halt to slower pacing lends itself to some contrast from the relentless verse. Now that you caught a few breaths of air, it is time for the band to grab you by the throat through the rest of the song.
The second verse starts with the same horrific voice and singing in the background as he says, “I am no good shepherd on an ox. But a solitude ov the loneliest star,” before going back to gruesome screaming.
The most disturbing aspect comes in the last verses. As Nergal screams one sentence, children repeat after him. Having a choir of children to stand by him as they say things such as, “Is a God to live in a dog? No!,” and “Jesus Christ, I forgive thee not!”
Before the last verse, we get an excellent solo with added chaos from the other instruments. This is a nice break that shows more contrast to the chaotic track. There is some peace with the destruction that adds a level of complexity to the song.
God=Dog is an excellent way to introduce fans to the new record. We don’t hear a ton that is too new for the group, but we get hints of their further evolution here and there. The song is evil and relentless throughout. During slower moments of the song, you never feel safe as you should feel during a Behemoth track. Fans of Behemoth will get everything and more with the new track that came along with a brutal music video full of nudity, violence, and evil religious symbolism that make Behemoth’s message still stand strong.
Comment below on what you thought of the new track and if you are excited about the new album. I Loved You at Your Darkest comes out on October 5. You can listen to the new track and pre-order the new record below:
Header image via Nuclear Blast
Tristan Zelden 