I know I’ve posted a lot of Behemoth videos from the Satanist album before. But that’s just because that album is so good. I won’t profess to know the exact meaning of this video. But I think I recognize some of the symbolism. Prometheus shackled to the cliff while birds circle overhead, ready to eat out his organs to punish him for gifting mankind fire. One-eyed Odin, the wanderer, with a raven. Both are figures who are similar to Satan in a way, they brought knowledge to humanity and suffered for it. Is that what Behemoth was going for in this video? I don’t know, those are just my guesses.
Not to be confused with the Polish Metal band Behemoth, this is a Chinese movie. Zhao Liang’s film Behemoth provides a striking view of the environmental and health costs of coal mining and consumption in China. The film borrows its plot structure from Dante’s “Divine Comedy”, as a coal miner suffering from lung disease. This coal miner guides the audience through a modern-day hell, purgatory and heaven – the coal mines and cities of Inner Mongolia.
“I believe in Satan Who rend both heavens and earth And in the Antichrist His dearly misbegotten The anguish ov our future A Bastard spawned from lie Born ov a harlot nun Reign high in luxury Aloft the kings ov man”
– Messe Noire Lyrics
Behemoth’s grim new video is a tribute to the Swiss surrealist H. R. Giger.
Giger is most famous for his role in the award winning visuals of the film Alien. He was named to the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame in 2013. Giger is well known for his depiction of human bodies and machines in a cold, interconnected (and often sexual) relationship. His works primarily feature nightmarish, demonic and alienesque landscapes.
The music video above is inspired by Giger’s surreal style, with its focus on large demonic doors, as well as Sharon’s attachment to an occult and demonic machine that drains her blood. The story depicted is the fall of an archangel and his triumphant rise as Lucifer.
I can definitely see much of Sharon Ehman’s own artistic bent in the video as well. Sharon Ehman of Toxic Vision is without a doubt a fucking genius and the top designer of metal and occult inspired style in today’s world.
Zev Deans said the following about this video: “The story of Lucifer’s fall, followed by his defiant rebirth, reminds me of Nergal’s own personal struggles of recent years. Like Lucifer, Behemoth has recovered from hardship, and they are stronger than ever. With Messe Noire, I was lucky enough to work with some of the most talented people in the genre. I owe the success of this project to the intense SACRIFICE that Sharon and the rest of team gave to this work.“
THE ART OF H.R. GIGER IN MOTION
RELEVANT LINKS
(Sharon Ehman of Toxic Vision, as “Abysmal Queen”)
Hellfest is a massive show that was held on the weekend of the Summer Solstice in Clisson France, which featured a legion of the most dark and brutal bands to scourge the Earth. See the set list yourself. Every time I read about one of these major concerts in Europe, I have to punch myself in the face for not being born in Europe. In America we’re lucky to get a show that has even three of these bands in the same venue. But enough of my complaining, in the video above you can see the entire set of Behemoth. As someone who has seen Behemoth twice before, I can tell you that the energy of their albums is only magnified a hundred fold by their stage presence.
Much to my pleasure, the songs on the set list come from two of their best albums: the new album “The Satanist,” and the album that is known for the iconic Behemoth sound “Demigod.”
My Behemoth poster fell off the wall as I was listening to this – Behemoth is too heavy for my walls.
Anyone jumping out of their skin in excitement for when Behemoth’s The Satanist comes out on February 4th? Currently my skeleton is running around my apartment headbanging to this song. The Satanist is available for pre-order on Amazon, which means you can have the album shipped to your house the day it is released, listen to it first and gloat about it as all your friends stab themselves with envy.
With that aside, let me proceed to shamelessly gush about this song as if it were my teenage crush. In a previous post I discussed another song from this album: Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel. In that song, as well as the one above, I notice that Behemoth has adopted a more Black Metalish sound for this album. The guitar has somewhat of that chaotic all over the place Black Metal sound. I also love the tone they chose for the bass, it is haunting and melodic. It knows when to step into the spotlight when the rest of the music calms down, and hold things together with a bittersweet melody.
Really enjoying the two songs I’ve heard from The Satanist. Can’t wait to get my talons on the actual album.
Yesterday, the Polish Death Metal band Behemoth released a new video for their song “Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel.” This song will appear on their next album “The Satanist,” which will be coming out in 2014. The album is currently available for pre-order. Nergal (the vocalist) said he was inspired in the making of this album by his battle with cancer (Metal Injection). There are few things more brutal than telling cancer “nope” and kicking its neoplasmic ass straight to hell.
Now let’s talk about the song above. First I would like to complement the bassist. Listen to the bass at 3:41 for example, I love that part! The bass wasn’t just like “Raaar brutal metalz jun jun jun jun,” it was the velvet wall between the trumpets, drums and guitar, a texture that gave the song definition, emotion and dynamics. In terms of the rest of the song, it of course is very reminiscent of Behemoth’s usual sound. But they did a great job, as usual, in amping up the brutality on this one. Makes me excited to listen to the rest of the album when it comes out.
The video itself is a masterpiece to be sure. I can’t give you a clear cut answer for what the video represents itself, but I have my own interpretation. In this video a girl goes through a journey and a transformation. She walks through a field and finds herself with a trio of “satanist priests?”
The most visually jarring part of the video is where the music picks up in intensity. After the girl drinks the ritual (wine?) she goes through a painful transformation. She starts vomiting blood, thorns pierce her body, her eyes become red with blood and she loses her hair.
As I mentioned earlier, Nergal states that he was inspired by his battle with cancer. What happens to a person when they battle cancer? They lose their hair, spend a lot of time vomiting – possibly vomiting blood – and of course go through mind wrenching pain. I think this girl’s transformation represents Nergal’s interpersonal battle with cancer. At the end of the painful transformation, the girl is something new – something unearthly. She is an angel or a demon, blowing Gabriel’s trumpet. She is more powerful than she was before, having overcome her barbaric rite.
Yet I see a meaning here that goes beyond a battle with cancer. Behold, there are religious images splashed throughout the video: a rosary, a crucifix, a Jewish menorah, a man sacrificing a lamb, etc. Remember, the album that this song is from is called “The Satanist.” Perhaps the girl’s battle represents The Satanist’s battle against all religions and ideologies. It is a battle against systems that attempt to control the mind and the soul. At the end, the new Satanist initiate is more powerful having overcome the religious restraints on her mind and does something that Christ speaks against – she blows her own horn. She is an entity onto herself, a primeval wolf in the forest, her own personal God. She proclaims herself as such as false religions crumble around her.
Nergal, the frontman of the Polish Death Metal band Behemoth may face two years of jail time for tearing the pages of a bible on stage.
This is absolutely ridiculous. Anyone who goes to a Behemoth show knows what to expect. I don’t think anyone goes to one of these shows expecting Kumbaya and a bible study. What do they think this is? Bingo night at the Old Folk’s Home? This is mother fucking Behemoth people! Grow up and grow a pair while you’re at it! So someone doesn’t like your religion? Fact of life: there are going to be people out there who insult the things you like! Gasp!
Someone can get on stage, rip up my picture, spit on images of my family and friends and I might get mad. But I would never in this lifetime press for that person to be jailed because they hurt my feelings.
If you have to jail anyone who disagrees with your system to keep it from collapsing – it probably isn’t a very good system to begin with.
Metal Gaia 