by DAN SOUTHALL
BEHEMOTH gained a genuine foothold in both black and death metal circles in the early two thousands before breaking through the underground with 2009’s Evangelion. They have wrestled with their sound since then, ebbing and flowing between slower tempos and confronting lyricism, gaining ever more followers than they lose while arguably reducing their sonic bite.
That makes this little stop gap release more of a curiosity than a requirement. I, Scvlptor exists because the band wanted the title track to see the light of day after it was considered unfit for their previous full length release. There’s also a couple of re-recorded early tracks and some other fluff to puff out to that strange precipice between album and EP status.
In typical Behemoth fashion, they do not miss their target. “I, Scvlptor” has a similar slow burn as tracks found on I Loved You At Your Darkest orThe Satanist that is grand in its design and even more so in its execution. It’s obvious how this wouldn’t have fit amongst the chaos of the last release.
This is followed up by the other unreleased original “Lord ov the Horizons”, a track that aims for cinematic scope that the band have expressed previously. This track has apparently lain around the studio since 2021 and again, it obvious why. Compared to the album released around that period and since this track doesn’t conceptually have a home. It is far from run of the mill, although thematically it would have clashed with the goings on of Opvs Contra Natvram.
From here the release sees Behemoth modernise a couple of their oldest tracks from their early black metal canon. Both “Rise of the Blackstorm of Evil” and “In Thy Pandemaeternum” show how far they have come and how much they are still the same beast underneath it all. It’s a point proven with the unreleased “Begotten” sneaking its power in there, another left over from the recording sessions of their last album.
Their love of black metal continues with covers of Bathory and Venom. With a guest, on each Shagrath from Dimmu Borgir ably steps up on the stomp of “In League With Satan” and Rotting Christ’s Sakis Tolis joins them for a live version of the aptly titled “Return of Darkness and Evil”.
Overall this is a stop gap release, more a curiosity than necessity. A great release for fans old and new, but not a requirement on the shelf unless you are a completist.
