Polish extreme metal titans BEHEMOTH have announced a lavish anniversary box set for their 2022 album "Opvs Contra Natvram," set for release on June 13 via Nuclear Blast Records. The deluxe edition, strictly limited to 3,000 copies worldwide, includes a remastered version of the album on 180-gram blood-red vinyl, a Blu-ray disc containing the complete film version of "Metropolis" that Nergal recorded as a companion visual piece, an exclusive hardcover artbook documenting the recording sessions and visual concepts behind the album, a set of custom playing cards featuring the tarot-inspired artwork by Marta Szymańska, and a signed certificate of authenticity.
Frontman and mastermind Adam "Nergal" Darski stated in a press release that "Opvs Contra Natvram" remains the album he is most proud of in BEHEMOTH's 35-year catalog — a bold statement from a band whose discography includes genre-defining albums like "Demigod," "Evangelion," and "The Satanist." "This album was made under conditions that nearly destroyed me personally," Nergal wrote. "Coming through that darkness and creating something this honest and this ferocious — I am still in awe of what we accomplished together."
The band will also perform the album in full at a special one-night event in Kraków on June 13, the exact date of the anniversary, with a live stream available for international fans. Tickets for the Kraków event sold out in under six minutes when pre-sales opened earlier this week, with the live stream available through the band's official platform. "Opvs Contra Natvram" received near-universal critical acclaim upon its original release, with Decibel magazine awarding it Album of the Year for 2022 and placing it in their Hall of Fame.