Behemoth - The Shit ov God

Angry Metal Guy 60

It’s funny that I’m reviewing back-to-back releases from Hate and Behemoth. While Hate has always been a solid outfit, Behemoth is a bit of an enigma. You really don’t know what to expect from Nergal. Thankfully, he keeps the weird shit on Me and That Man releases and lets Behemoth do what it does best. Like Hate, Behemoth shifted its sound, pulling deathy pomade through its greasy, black hair. In their heyday, we were blessed with remarkable albums like Evangelion and The Satanist. The latter is one of the best black/death albums of all time. Yup, I said it. Since then, the band hasn’t quite lived up to the mastery of The Satanist. But, I would argue that it’s impossible. Now they’re back with a toned new album that, per usual, celebrates our Heavenly Lord much like Pontius Pilate did in ancient times. But, who’s really The Shit ov God? Spoiler alert: it’s you.

I’ll admit, ole Grier gave up on Behemoth after the release of 2018’s I Loved You at Your Darkest. While not terrible, it did little to satiate my thirst after The Satanist. While our esteemed leader found I Loved You at Your Darkest to be more than acceptable, I did not. That said, it’s a better album than the boring-as-fuck Opvs Contra Natvram. Seriously, how does one get that through that slog of a release? That was a classic case of an album that could have been an EP, considering that nothing interesting happens until the last couple of tracks. So, I walk into the idiotically-titled The Shit ov God with reservations. But, on paper, this new album has a couple of things going for it before even spinning a single track. For one, it’s tightly cropped to a sleek eight-track structure. The other thing going for it is its reduced runtime. Unlike previous releases, this record caps off at a mere thirty-eight minutes. Not that it suggests greatness, but the epic qualities of late don’t hit as hard as they used to. So, get your rain trousers on. We got some god shit to sift through.

“The Shadow Elite” gets the ball rolling with a dooming atmosphere that transitions into a heavy, blackened death march. As Nergal’s nasty vocals lash around the instrumentation, the song detours through dissonant guitar work and rumbling drums before tearing off on a blackened charge. While not a remarkable track for Behemoth, it’s a solid way to kick off the album. While I wasn’t overly impressed with the title-track single, it does make more sense in the album’s context. Kicking off with an angry spoken-word segment, the song settles into a mid-paced plod that insults everyone’s favorite Easter bunny. And does it almost absurdly with its lyrical alphabet soup. It’s one of the stronger tracks, instilling the right amount of rage. Follow-up track, “Lvciferaeon,” is similar in its vocal delivery, spouting philosophical wisdom on the Satanic thought process. Or something like that. This track, instead, uses a more melodic approach, utilizing big backing vocals and a hooking chorus.

Others worth a re-spin include the back-to-back “Nomen Barbarvm” and “O Venvs, Come!” The first sports some serious black metal action and booming choirs in the background before the death march kicks in, punching through melodic atmospheres and vicious fucking vocals. But the fun part comes on the back half when the guitars unleash a badass death-thrash lick that separates “Nomen Barbarvm” from the rest. Taking one look at the title of “O Venvs, Come!,” my mind immediately wanders to The Satanist’s undisputed classic, “O Father O Satan O Sun!” And, in all honesty, it has a similar foundation. Though it never reaches the levels of epicness displayed in The Satanist’s closer, it holds its own. Injecting some old-school Watain melodicness, this passionate piece proves that Nergal still has it when it comes to fully engulfing one into his chaotic beauty. Not to mention, the riff on the back end feels like I’m being passed violently between two pinball bumpers.

As one can ascertain, The Shit ov God is not Behemoth’s strongest outing. But, it is their best album since The Satanist. Which, I suppose, is saying something. What helps is the shorter runtime, avoiding the long-winded pieces that have become boring in the last ten years. With that conciseness, the songs also benefit. While a song like “Sowing Salt” doesn’t do much for the record, I can’t say that any of these ditties overstay their welcome. Even the epicness of “O Venvs, Come!” is captured in a tightly-structured six minutes. While this new opus has a ridiculous title and some lyrical content that almost makes me chuckle, The Shit ov God is a comfortable album that works well on repeat. If you are a Behemoth fan, there’s plenty to like on this new platter.



Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 256 kb/s mp3
Label: Nuclear Blast Records
Websites: behemoth.pl | facebook.com/behemoth
Releases Worldwide: May 9th, 2025

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