Behemoth - Evangelion

After the snoozefest that was Behemoth's last full length release Apostasy, it seemed that the band would not be able to create the same diabolical atmosphere that they had once did in 2005's seminal Demigod. And that disappointment is met with firm amendments in the shape of their latest full-length studio release Evangelion. Having said that, it does not mean that they have reached that pinnacle point again. But they certainly seem to be back on that track with their new album Evangelion.

Musically there's nothing new about Evangelion, as at times things tend to get repetitive. To be precise the riffs heard on most of the tracks are same as any of the riffs you've heard before. However with a new label (Metal Blade Records) and a new producer( Colin Richardson), the band have definitely avoided the horrid overproduction of their sounds that marred their previous work. As a result you get to hear a single layer of furious growls from Nergal, which is far better than ten of them. So much so that you can even make out the lyrics clearly. The sounds of the instruments are also far more natural unlike being played on computers. And speaking of the drums, Inferno's drumming is quite controlled and varied enough though inhuman at times, its much better than starting off with a straight double bass and playing blastbeats for the rest of the tracks as noted in previous release.

The album makes an apocalyptic beginning with Daimonos which starts with an audio scene of what sounds like hell on earth before jumping into a flurry of mixed percussion. Shemhamforash that comes next is the album's most chaotic and fastest track with creative leads. Ov Fire And The Void may be the defining track for the band and their want to further thrust their music into the mainstream. Catchy, melodically sound like few other tracks of theirs, it sticks in your head rather quickly. But from here on rest of the tracks seem to have been placed to just fill the place till the closing track Lucifer which is an excellent attempt of the band at an epic, doing its job without droning on too long.

Although Evangelion is an excellent album, nothing in the album makes you pop your eyes out or grab your attention like Pazuzu or Conquer All did from prior works. With the same riffs being played on most of the tracks, you would expect Behemoth to come up with something more on their part.While Evangelion is a step in the right direction, Behemoth have not yet taken their music to the next level as you would have come to expect from a band of such stature. Easily better than some of their albums, but nowhere near as good as others, it is a middle-of-the-road release for a band who should by all rights do better.