Behemoth - The Apostasy

Nergal seems like a tightly wound guy. The songs he writes for Behemoth are as efficient as they are epic, like a raging fire that he desperately tries to contain. The result is singular; with their Phrygian riffs and martial syncopations, Behemoth songs are instantly recognizable.

Inner Sanctum
Christgrinding Avenue

Thus, while the band’s latter-day death metal records are its strongest in terms of identity and songwriting, they have a certain sameness. They’re not the same, of course; Nergal has a gift for catchy riffs and vocal patterns, and Behemoth songs are more individually discernible than those of, say, Suffocation. But, overall, the band has operated within a very coiled sonic sphere.

That’s not the case with The Apostasy (Century Media, 2007). It’s a headphones record, a first for Behemoth in its death metal years. In fact, its black metal years come to mind, when Nergal would drop in a random acoustic guitar or female vocal out of nowhere. Sure, the songwriting was much weaker, but the unpredictability was charming.

Now Nergal’s vision is fully formed, so instead of “charming,” we get “textured.” There’s piano, brass, synths, choirs, a Warrel Dane cameo, even Tibetan monk samples. Therion this is not, though, as the mix is subtle and streamlined; the over-compressed mastering ensures no coloring outside the lines. Despite claims of being “organic,” The Apostasy is massive and polished.

Downloaders lose out on liner notes that rival only Nile’s Karl Sanders in verbosity. Once again, Nergal accompanies each song with an essay, and while his worldview is jumbled (“there are no gods beyond those made ov human flesh” stand next to invocations of Hekate, Belial, Kali, and other deities), at least it’s heartfelt and rich.

I’d like to hear Nergal let down his hair, so to speak, and write a 12-minute epic that recaptures the atmosphere of his black metal days. However, that probably won’t happen anytime soon with his control freak tendencies. The battering ram may have fancy ornaments now, but it’s still a battering ram.