At the end of 2004, the contradictory — in terms of the emotions it evokes — yet highly anticipated album from Poland's occult butchers BEHEMOTH was released. Recently, the band underwent some organizational changes: the Behemoths moved away from Avangarde Music, adding even more weight to the already prestigious Regain Records roster; they replaced their bassist with Orion; enlisted the well-known Daniel Bergstrand for mixing; and retained the magnificent conceptual artwork brought to life by Graal. Now, let's get closer to the music. On the new album, Nergal and company have prepared a megaton torpedo of high-speed, intricate death-black metal, with the black metal proportions having significantly diminished compared to the masterful creations of Satanica and Thelema 6. It must be said that "Demigod" has taken a negligibly small step from the previous album musically, standing in immediate — I would even say dangerously close and self-plagiarizing — proximity to it. One could say that "Demigod" was cooked using the same tried-and-true recipes as "Zos Kia Cultus." There are absolutely no complaints about the recording, mixing, mastering, and other technical nuances. Nergal's voice sounds even more inhuman — distortion was almost certainly involved. Whether that's a plus or a minus is for you to decide. But if previously you could still make out what he was growling, doing so now without the booklet will be problematic — fortunately, it's a pleasure to flip through and read. Despite Behemoth's beloved jagged rhythmic structures, each individual song comes across as cohesive and monolithic. The solos have also become more organically woven into the compositional tapestry and complement the overall picture more effectively than ever before.
And although "Demigod" rages with the same unbridled fury and aggression, the material is more melodic than on "Zos Kia," though you only notice this after about ten listens. Because of this, Behemoth has transformed from that satanically rabid beast into more of a domesticated Rottweiler — yes, big, mean, and unnaturally heavy, but still on a chain. And therefore, it won't do you any harm. If you set aside all the parallels, comparisons, and such, "Demigod" is a solid, well-crafted product of the Polish metal scene — interesting and deserving of attention.
To sum it all up: those who fell in love with "Zos Kia..." and, generally speaking, consumers of all things in the vein of MORBID ANGEL will find "Demigod" right up their alley.