Review by Jeger on May 17, 2025.

The mighty Behemoth! - champions of the adversarial way and the voice against religious oppression. Frontman, Adam "Nergal" Darski, has faced imprisonment on more than one occasion due to his criminal blasphemies against the Catholic Church. Not an esotericist; just a pissed off Glen Benton type of fella who finds it necessary to risk his freedom by stepping on holy paintings and defiling Bibles. You could say that he's a reckless fool, or you could argue that his crimes are necessary in this day and age of war against the Church - a silent war - one that rages on virtual fronts: social media, the music industry and on publishing platforms. It used to be old lady Bible thumpers back in the day that people like Nergal would take on. Now, it's the voice of Christian progressivism and the weight of Catholicism upon Nergal's fellow Poles that must be silenced and destroyed in his eyes.

All Blackened Death Metal sounds the same… From Vader to Hate and even Behemoth. It's just not nearly as versatile as Black Metal and Death Metal are. You basically know exactly what you're getting yourself into when you prepare to spin a Blackened DM record. Behemoth's 2018 opus, I Loved You At Your Darkest, is one of few exceptions. What a phenomenal album! Opvs Contra Natvram? A valiant effort in comparison. Now, the 13th seal upon Behemoth's unholy rapture has been opened. On May 9, The Shit Ov God was released via Nuclear Blast.

Expect the immensity of a hundred Black and Death Metal bands playing simultaneously, expect larger-than-life instrumentals and the wrath of The Devil as it falls upon you with the weight of unfathomable gravity. A little more of a lean toward Black Metal and a bit of a step back from some of the Death Metal brutality we've become accustomed to is The Shit Ov God. The opening track, "The Shadow Elite", sees the band in typical form: massive riffs, tremolos interjected into the mix and segmented, choppy compositions. However the following cut, "Sowing Salt", conveys an unconventional ritualistic vibe with enchanting melodies giving way to bellowing chants that resonate into a cold and barren atmosphere. Aroused by its elegance and in awe of its majesty - the titular track: choirs, baser rhythmic sequences and epic like the apocalypse. Utter blasphemy… Controlled chaos! Evil to its core…

Percussionist, Inferno, puts his capacity for versatility on display, as he alternates between finesse and sheer power. Nergal's guitar contribution? Stellar, arguably his greatest accomplishment. Enthralling during some parts and impossibly brut during others. Experimental but telltale Adam Darski through and through. "Nomen Barbarvm" is a grande compositional and instrumental accomplishment. Orion's intrepid bass lines drive it forward with freight train-like momentum while ethereal tremolo riffs drift upward as gargantuan cadences shake the earth below.

The bells of cataclysm are tolling! The reign of the Dark One is nigh and The Shit Ov God is the soundtrack to this rapture of condemnation. I wouldn't call it a return-to-form and I wouldn't call it experimental but something somewhere in between. Diehard Behemoth fans will be all over this thing and so will true Black Metal enthusiasts. This band continues to please: striking visualizers, an ever-evolving style and recording class incarnate. Pretty amazing stuff for a trio. Say what you want about Nergal's offstage and out-of-studio antics, but Behemoth's music has been of an exacting level of authenticity since the beginning. The Shit Ov God is no exception, even considering its experimental nature. May the blood of the lamb fill our chalices now as we take in yet another victory of a Behemoth album. Let the heavens blaze and let us behold the sheep as they scurry beneath the inferno. Hail Behemoth!

Rating: 9 out of 10