The Satanist (album) explained

The Satanist
Type:studio
Artist:Behemoth
Cover:BehemothTheSatanist.png
Caption:Cover art (containing Nergal's blood) by Denis Forkas[1]
Released:3 February 2014
Recorded:February – June 2013
Studio:Hertz Studio (Białystok, Poland), RG Studio (Gdańsk, Poland)
Length:44:17
Prev Title:Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel
Prev Year:2013
Next Title:Live Barbarossa
Next Year:2014

The Satanist is the tenth studio album by Polish extreme metal band Behemoth. The album was announced on 31 May 2013[2] and released on 3 February 2014, through Nuclear Blast and on 4 February in Poland via Metal Blade Records and Mystic Production, respectively.[3] Release was preceded by digital download single "Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel" and 12" EP under the same title released on 4 December 2013.[4] [5]

Background and history

The Satanist was recorded between February and June 2013 in Hertz Studio in Białystok, and RG Studio in Gdańsk, both in Poland, produced by Behemoth, Daniel Bergstrand, and the Wiesławscy Brothers. The album was mixed by Matt Hyde at Hydeaway Studios in Los Angeles, and mastered by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound in New York City. Colin Richardson was the initial producer for the album, but stepped down after four weeks due to creative differences.[6]

A music video was shot for the song "Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel" which was produced and directed by Grupa 13, and Dariusz Szermanowicz.[7] The video premiered on the Behemoth YouTube channel on 3 December 2013.

On 7 January 2014, Behemoth released the first part of their video prologue for this album.[8] Subsequently, the second part was released on January, 14, the third part was released on January, 21, and the fourth part was released on January, 29.[9] [10] Earlier, on 28 January, the official lyric video for the song "Ora Pro Nobis Lucifer" was released.[11]

The song "In the Absence ov Light" contains a spoken word quote from the Witold Gombrowicz drama The Marriage (pol. Ślub) which states:

Critical reception and legacy

The Satanist received acclaim from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the album received an average score of 92, which indicates "universal acclaim", based on 10 reviews. Joe DiVita of Loudwire noted that the album "sees the band shed away that skin as they simultaneously get back to some of their blackened roots while exploring new areas with… dynamic songwriting". The album claimed the top spot on Loudwire's list of the best metal albums of 2014, with Loudwire hailing it "a masterpiece from beginning to end, with absolutely no filler".[12]

Grayson Currin of Pitchfork wrote: "The Satanist is a terrific coil of most everything Behemoth have ever done well, a strangely hopeful vision of hell wrested away from its very grip." The editorial staff of Dutch webzine Lords of Metal named it the third best album of 2014,[13] after a score of 93/100 for the initial album review.[14]

In 2019 the album was voted the "Best Metal Album of the Decade" by publications such as Loudwire, Consequence of Sound and others.[15] [16]

"It's a really intense album," observed comedian Bill Bailey. "And the music is so orchestral, almost: the guitars layered on and this sort of tornado of drums… It's epic. I listen to it when I'm cycling."[17]

Track listing

All music composed by Nergal. All arrangements by Behemoth. All lyrics written by Nergal, except where noted.

Personnel

Production and performance credits are adapted from the album liner notes.

Behemoth
Production
Additional musicians
Note

Release history

RegionDateLabel
Europe3 February 2014Nuclear Blast
United States February 4, 2014Metal Blade
PolandMystic
Japan5 February 2014JVC Kenwood Victor
Australia7 February 2014EVP
CIS18 February 2014[18] New Aeon Musick/Фоно/Metal Star

Charts

Chart (2014)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[19] 78
Canadian Albums Chart[20] 46
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[21] 86
US Billboard 200[22]
US Independent Albums[23]
US Top Rock Albums[24]
US Top Hard Rock Albums[25]
US Top Tastemaker Albums[26]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: BEHEMOTH Unveil The Incredible Artwork To The Satanist. 6 January 2014.
  2. Web site: Behemoth Announce New Album 'The Satanist' . www.metalhammer.co.uk. 31 May 2013 . 3 February 2014.
  3. Web site: BEHEMOTH's NERGAL: 'The Satanist' Is 'More Human Than Any Other Record We've Made'. 9 January 2014. www.blabbermouth.net. 3 February 2014.
  4. Web site: Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel – Single – Behemoth. itunes.apple.com. 3 February 2014.
  5. Web site: BEHEMOTH: Third 'Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel' Teaser Posted Online. 21 November 2013. www.blabbermouth.net. 3 February 2014.
  6. Web site: Behemoth: 'The Satanist' Cover Painting To Include NERGAL's Blood. 2014-02-05. 12 September 2013. www.blabbermouth.net.
  7. Web site: BEHEMOTH: 'Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel' Video Released . 4 December 2013. www.blabbermouth.net. 3 February 2014.
  8. Web site: Behemoth: First 'The Satanist' Trailer. 8 January 2014. www.blabbermouth.net. 3 February 2014.
  9. Web site: Behemoth: Third 'The Satanist' Trailer. 22 January 2014. www.blabbermouth.net. 3 February 2014.
  10. Web site: Behemoth: Fourth 'The Satanist' Trailer. 29 January 2014. www.blabbermouth.net. 3 February 2014.
  11. Web site: Behemoth: 'Ora Pro Nobis Lucifer' Lyric Video Released. 28 January 2014. www.blabbermouth.net. 3 February 2014.
  12. Web site: 20 Best Metal Albums of 2014. Loudwire. 15 December 2014 .
  13. Web site: The Lords Of Metal Top 30 – 2014. Lords of Metal. 1 January 2015. Evil Dr. Smith.
  14. Web site: Behemoth – 'The Satanist' review. Lords of Metal. 1 March 2014. Vera.
  15. Web site: The 66 Best Metal Albums of the Decade: 2010 - 2019. Loudwire. 7 September 2022 .
  16. Web site: Top 25 Metal Albums of the 2010s. 8 November 2019.
  17. Polly. Glass. Q&A: Bill Bailey. Classic Rock. January 2018. 244. 24.
  18. Web site: Behemoth – The Satanist. folkcd.ru. 7 March 2014. Russian.
  19. The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 17 February 2014. https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20140219035500/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23790/20140219-1455/Issue1251.pdf. dead. 19 February 2014. The ARIA Report. Australian Recording Industry Association (Australian Web Archive). 1251. 17 February 2014. 17 August 2016.
  20. Web site: BEHEMOTH's "The Satanist" debuts at #34 on the Billboard Top 200. www.metalblade.com. 16 February 2014.
  21. Web site: Oricon: Behemoth. www.oricon.co.jp. 5 February 2014. Japanese.
  22. Web site: Behemoth Chart History (Billboard 200). https://web.archive.org/web/20211117165734/https://www.billboard.com/artist/behemoth/chart-history/tlp/. Billboard. 17 November 2021. 15 August 2024.
  23. Web site: Behemoth Chart History (Independent Albums). https://web.archive.org/web/20211118011446/https://www.billboard.com/artist/behemoth/chart-history/ind/. Billboard. 18 November 2021. 15 August 2024.
  24. Web site: Behemoth Chart History (Top Rock Albums). https://web.archive.org/web/20211118020147/https://www.billboard.com/artist/behemoth/chart-history/rck/. Billboard. 18 November 2021. 15 August 2024.
  25. Web site: Behemoth Chart History (Top Hard Rock Albums). https://web.archive.org/web/20211117171807/https://www.billboard.com/artist/behemoth/chart-history/mtl/. Billboard. 17 November 2021. 15 August 2024.
  26. Web site: Behemoth Chart History (Top Tastemaker Albums). https://web.archive.org/web/20211118010624/https://www.billboard.com/artist/behemoth/chart-history/tas/. Billboard. 18 November 2021. 15 August 2024.

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