Poland's Behemoth are back with a vengeance on their latest platter of technical death/black metal titled Evangelion. Though their previous release The Apostasy proved to be very popular and gained plenty of critical praise, longtime followers of the band felt that it lacked a little in the brutality area, which the band seemingly took into consideration when putting Evangelion together. Evangelion is without a doubt comparable to their breakthrough Demigod, a compelling collection of brutal & technical death metal with flourishes of black metal (especially the occasional keyboard orchestrations and moments of atmosphere) that kicks your ass from start to finish.
It's pretty obvious that Nergal, Inferno, and Orion have perfectly mastered their craft thanks to the countless tours, both as openers and headliners, over the last five years. The proof lies throughout Evangelion, a CD jam packed with relentless drum blasts, huge riffs, maniacal guitar solos, and memorable death metal songs. Tunes such as "The Seed Ov I", "Daimonos", "He Who Breeds Pestilence", and "Ov Fire and the Void" are just a few examples of the surpreme extremety that these guys can create, Nergal spewing his venemous growls over arrangements that are so tight and machine-like that you instantly will start headbanging 'till your neck snaps. Though the band has come a long way from their humble black metal beginnings, you'll hear snippets of their former style throughout Evangelion, but make no mistake about it, Behemoth are truly a death metal machine these days, often times combining crushing, technical arrangements with eerie orchestrations, much like the great Nile. Closing epic "Lucifer" sees the band slowing things down, combining doom, death, & black metal for a chilling ride, with explosive guitar leads, cold torrents of arpeggios, and pounding rhythms shattering the mix.
The deluxe edition contains a bonus DVD with a documentary on the making of the album, and a full booklet containing plenty of photos, artwork, and lyrics. It all just screams 'epic' in every way, and my guess is Behemoth are going to ride that momentum they've been driving and use Evangelion to take them all the way to the top. Extreme metal doesn't get much better than this folks.
Track Listing
1. Daimonos
2. Shemhamforash
3. Ov Fire and the Void
4. Transmigrating Beyond Realms Ov Amenti
5. He Who Breeds Pestilence
6. Seed Ov I
7. Alas, Lord Is Upon Me
8. Defiling Morality Ov Black God
9. Lucifer
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