Few bands are able to generate the live intensity the Polish blackened death metal iconoclasts from Behemoth have been bringing to the stage for more than a quarter century. When founder, frontman and driving force Nergal was diagnosed with leukaemia in 2010, rabid Polish Catholics hailed the diagnosis as a punishment from God but the Dark Lord did not abandon his cohort. Nergal made a full recovery and their tenth album, ‘The Satanist’ (2014), was universally hailed as their best yet. While this unprecedented extreme metal orgy is undeniably a black metal album at its core, the thrash and doom influences are unmistakable. Singer Nergal’s brush with death seems to have brought out the best in Behemoth and the album pushed their popularity to previously unthinkable heights. ‘I Loved You at Your Darkest’ (2018) is probably Behemoth’s most accessible contribution to date, whereas their latest spawn ‘Opvs Contra Natvram’ (2022) alternates spells of supreme savagery with moments of respite (2022) on an album that sounds more refined than some of their previous work thanks to the absence of time constraints. Those who saw their 2019 performance here will once again commune with Behemoth, thirsty as they are for more majesty, energy and excitement. #GMM23
