The Satanist (album)

The Satanist is the tenth studio album by Polish extreme metal band Behemoth. The album was announced on May 31, 2013[5] and released on February 3, 2014, through Nuclear Blast and on February 4 in Poland via Metal Blade Records and Mystic Production, respectively.[6] Release was preceded by digital download single "Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel" and 12" EP under the same title released on December 4, 2013.[7][8]

The Satanist
Cover art (containing Nergal's blood) by Denis Forkas.[1]
Studio album by
Behemoth
ReleasedFebruary 3, 2014
RecordedFebruary – June 2013
StudioHertz Studio (Białystok, Poland), RG Studio (Gdańsk, Poland)
Genre
Length44:17
Language
Label
Producer
Behemoth chronology
Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel (EP)
(2013)		 The Satanist
(2014)		 Live Barbarossa
(2014)
Singles from The Satanist
  1. "Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel"
    Released: December 4, 2013
  2. "Ora Pro Nobis Lucifer"
    Released: December 3, 2014[3]
  3. "Messe Noire"
    Released: April 8, 2015[4]
Alternative cover
Alternative LP edition cover art

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.[9] 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.[10]

A music video was shot for the song "Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel" which was produced and directed by Grupa 13, and Dariusz Szermanowicz.[11] The video premiered on the Behemoth YouTube channel on December 3, 2013.

On January 7, 2014, Behemoth released the first part of their video prologue for this album.[12] 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.[13][14] Earlier, on January 28, the official lyric video for the song "Ora Pro Nobis Lucifer" was released.[15]

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

I reject all order, all ideas / I trust no abstraction, no doctrine / I don't believe in god, nor in mind / Forget all gods! I don't believe in God. Give me man! / May he be like me, troubled and immature / confused and incomplete, dark and obscure so that I can dance with him!/ Pretend to him! Ingratiate myself with him! / And rape him, love him and forge myself / Anew from him, so I can grow through him, and in / that way / Celebrate my marriage in the sacred human church!.[16]

Critical reception and legacy
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic92/100[17]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[9]
Exclaim![18]
The Guardian[19]
Loudwire[20]
Pitchfork8.2/10[21]
PopMatters[22]
Rock Sound[23]
Spin[24]
Teraz Rock[25]
Terrorizer[26]

Upon its release, The Satanist received universal acclaim reviews from music 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.[17] 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 would claim the top spot on Loudwire's list of the best metal albums of 2014, with Loudwire stating that "The disc is a masterpiece from beginning to end, with absolutely no filler to be skipped over".[27]

Grayson Currin of Pitchfork said "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."[21] The editorial staff of Dutch webzine Lords of Metal named it the third best album of 2014,[28] after a score of 93/100 for the initial album review.[29]

In 2019 the album was voted as the "Best Metal Album of the Decade" by various publications such as Loudwire, Consequence of Sound, and others.[30][31]

Track listing

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

No.TitleLyricsLength
1."Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel" 4:25
2."Furor Divinus" 3:06
3."Messe Noire"
  • Nergal
  • Krzysztof Azarewicz
4:04
4."Ora Pro Nobis Lucifer"
  • Nergal
  • Azarewicz
5:35
5."Amen" 3:49
6."The Satanist" 5:33
7."Ben Sahar" 5:34
8."In the Absence ov Light" 4:58
9."O Father O Satan O Sun!"
  • Nergal
  • Azarewicz
7:13
Total length:44:17
Australian bonus track
No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
10."Ludzie Wschodu" (Siekiera cover)Tomasz AdamskiAdamski4:11
Japanese bonus tracks
No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
10."Ludzie Wschodu" (Siekiera cover)Tomasz AdamskiAdamski4:11
11."Chant for Ezkaton 2000 E.V."Krzysztof Azarewicz 5:10
12."Qadosh"Azarewicz 5:00
Special edition DVD (Live Barbarossa – Behemoth September 26, 2012, Ekaterinburg, Russia)
No.TitleLyricsLength
1."Intro" (instrumental) 2:44
2."Ov Fire and the Void"Nergal4:38
3."Demigod"Nergal4:11
4."Moonspell Rites"Nergal7:20
5."Conquer All"Nergal4:09
6."Christians to the Lions"Nergal5:05
7."The Seed ov I"
  • Nergal
  • Krzysztof Azarewicz
5:40
8."Alas, Lord is Upon Me"Nergal3:59
9."Decade ov Therion"Azarewicz3:46
10."At the Left Hand ov God"
  • Nergal
  • Azarewicz
5:11
11."Slaves Shall Serve"Azarewicz3:37
12."Chant for Ezkaton 2000 E.V."Azarewicz6:50
13."23 (The Youth Manifesto)"Nergal4:33
14."Lucifer"Tadeusz Miciński9:34
15."The Satanist: Oblivion" (documentary) 25:04

Personnel

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

Behemoth
Production
  • Wojciech Wiesławski – producer, engineering
  • Sławomir Wiesławski – producer, engineering
  • Daniel Bergstrand – producer
  • Matt Hyde – mixing
  • Ted Jensen – mastering
  • Urban Näsvall – drum technician
  • Denis "Forkas" Kostromitin (Денис "Форкас" Костромитин) – cover art
  • Metastazis (Jean-Emmanuel "Valnoir" Simoulin) – additional design
  • Zbigniew Bielak – additional design
  • Arkadiusz "Malta" Malczewski – mixing, mastering (DVD)
  • Grupa 13 – producer (DVD; Documentary)
  • Aga Krysiuk – filmmaker (DVD; Documentary)
  • Iwo Ledwozyw – filmmaker (DVD; Documentary)
Additional musicians
  • Patryk Dominik "Seth" Sztyber – guitars
  • Michał Łapaj (Riverside) – keyboards, hammond organ on "O Father O Satan O Sun!" and "The Satanist"
  • Krzysztof "Siegmar" Oloś (Vesania) – samples
  • Krzysztof Azarewicz – lyrics
  • Jan "Dziablas" Galbas (Octopussy) – backing vocals on "O Father O Satan O Sun!"
  • Artur Jurek (Sanacja) – orchestrations
  • Marcin Janek (Durys Band) – saxophone on "In the Absence ov Light"
  • Grażyna Michalec (Polish Chamber Orchestra Sopot) – cello
  • Magda Miotke-Bajerska (Polish Chamber Orchestra Sopot) – cello
  • Alicja Leoniuk-Kit (Polish Chamber Orchestra Sopot) – cello
  • Pawel Hulisz (Hevelius Brass quintet) – flugelhorn, trumpet
  • Michał Szczerba (Hevelius Brass quintet) – French horn
  • Łukasz Lacny (Hevelius Brass quintet) – French horn
  • Bogdan Kwiatek (Hevelius Brass quintet) – trombone
  • Adam Sierżęga – percussion (uncredited, track 10; DVD)
Note
  • Recorded at Hertz Studio in Białystok, Poland, Feb–June 2013
  • Additional recording at Dug-Out, Radio Gdańsk, Soundsgreat Studio
  • Mixed at Hydeaway Studio, Los Angeles, Aug–Sept 2013
  • Mastered at Sterling Sound, New York City, Sept–Oct 2013
  • 'Live Barbarossa' was filmed during Phoenix Rising tour in Ekaterinburg, Russia, Sept 2012

Release history
Region Date Label
Europe February 3, 2014 Nuclear Blast
United States February 4, 2014 Metal Blade
Poland Mystic
Japan February 5, 2014 JVC Kenwood Victor
Australia February 7, 2014 EVP
CIS February 18, 2014[32] New Aeon Musick/Фоно/Metal Star

Charts
Chart (2014) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[33] 78
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[34] 24
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[35] 88
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[36] 74
Canadian Albums Chart[37] 46
Czech Albums (ČNS IFPI)[38] 14
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[39] 34
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[40] 70
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[41] 7
French Albums (SNEP)[42] 52
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[43] 11
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[44] 86
Polish Albums (ZPAV)[45] 1
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[46] 45
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[47] 33
UK Albums (OCC)[48] 57
UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC)[49] 4
US Billboard 200[50] 34
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[51] 6
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[52] 9
US Top Hard Rock Albums (Billboard)[53] 4
US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard)[54] 3

References
  1. "BEHEMOTH Unveil The Incredible Artwork To The Satanist". January 6, 2014.
  2. "THE BEST METAL ALBUMS FROM 40 SUBGENRES". Loudwire. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  3. "BEHEMOTH "Ora Pro Nobis Lucifer" Music Video".
  4. "BEHEMOTH: 'Messe Noire' Video Released". April 8, 2015.
  5. "Behemoth Announce New Album 'The Satanist'". www.metalhammer.co.uk. May 31, 2013. Retrieved February 3, 2014.
  6. "BEHEMOTH's NERGAL: 'The Satanist' Is 'More Human Than Any Other Record We've Made'". www.blabbermouth.net. Retrieved February 3, 2014.
  7. "Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel – Single – Behemoth". itunes.apple.com. Retrieved February 3, 2014.
  8. "BEHEMOTH: Third 'Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel' Teaser Posted Online". www.blabbermouth.net. Retrieved February 3, 2014.
  9. Heaney, Gregory (February 4, 2014). "Behemoth "The Satanist" review". Allmusic. Retrieved February 4, 2014.
  10. "Behemoth: 'The Satanist' Cover Painting To Include NERGAL's Blood". 2014-02-05. www.blabbermouth.net.
  11. "BEHEMOTH: 'Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel' Video Released". www.blabbermouth.net. Retrieved February 3, 2014.
  12. "Behemoth: First 'The Satanist' Trailer". www.blabbermouth.net. Retrieved February 3, 2014.
  13. "Behemoth: Third 'The Satanist' Trailer". www.blabbermouth.net. Retrieved February 3, 2014.
  14. "Behemoth: Fourth 'The Satanist' Trailer". www.blabbermouth.net. Retrieved February 3, 2014.
  15. "Behemoth: 'Ora Pro Nobis Lucifer' Lyric Video Released". www.blabbermouth.net. Retrieved February 3, 2014.
  16. For original quote in Polish: Behemoth, The Satanist, Nuclear Blast, Catalogue No. 27361 31040, NB 3104-0, Europe, 2014
    For translation: Shallcross, Bożena (2002). Framing the Polish home: postwar cultural constructions of hearth, nation, and self. Ohio University Press. p. 71, ISBN 9780821414361
  17. "Behemoth "The Satanist" review". www.metacritic.com. Retrieved March 28, 2014.
  18. Kitteringham, Sarah (January 31, 2014). "Behemoth "The Satanist" review". Exclaim!. Retrieved February 3, 2014.
  19. Lawson, Dom (January 30, 2014). "Behemoth "The Satanist" review". Retrieved February 3, 2014.
  20. DiVita, John (February 4, 2014). "Behemoth, The Satanist Album Review". Retrieved February 7, 2014.
  21. Currin, Grayson (February 26, 2014). "Behemoth The Satanist Album Reviews Pitchfork". Retrieved February 26, 2014.
  22. Brown, Dean (February 4, 2014). "Behemoth "The Satanist" review". PopMatters. Retrieved February 4, 2014.
  23. Stewart-Panko, Kevin (January 26, 2014). "Behemoth "The Satanist" review". Retrieved February 3, 2014.
  24. Kelly, Kim (February 5, 2014). "Behemoth, The Satanist Review". Retrieved February 7, 2014.
  25. Babula, Jordan. "Behemoth "The Satanist" review". Teraz Rock (in Polish). Retrieved February 3, 2014.
  26. Dare, Tom (February 4, 2014). "Behemoth The Satanist Stream and Album Review Terrorizer". Retrieved February 7, 2014.
  27. "20 Best Metal Albums of 2014". Loudwire.
  28. Evil Dr. Smith. "The Lords Of Metal Top 30 – 2014". Lords of Metal. Retrieved January 1, 2015.
  29. Vera. "Behemoth – 'The Satanist' review". Lords of Metal. Retrieved March 1, 2014.
  30. https://loudwire.com/best-metal-albums-decade-2010-2019/
  31. https://consequenceofsound.net/2019/11/top-metal-albums-of-the-2010s/4/
  32. "Behemoth – The Satanist". folkcd.ru (in Russian). Retrieved March 7, 2014.
  33. "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 17 February 2014" (PDF) (1251). Australian Recording Industry Association. Pandora Archive. February 17, 2014. Retrieved August 17, 2016. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  34. "Austriancharts.at – Behemoth – The Satanist" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
  35. "Ultratop.be – Behemoth – The Satanist" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 14, 2014.
  36. "Ultratop.be – Behemoth – The Satanist" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 14, 2014.
  37. "BEHEMOTH's "The Satanist" debuts at #34 on the Billboard Top 200". www.metalblade.com. Retrieved February 16, 2014.
  38. "Czech Albums – Top 100". ČNS IFPI. Note: On the chart page, select 201407 on the field besides the word "Zobrazit", and then click over the word to retrieve the correct chart data. Retrieved March 1, 2014.
  39. "Danishcharts.dk – Behemoth – The Satanist". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
  40. "Dutchcharts.nl – Behemoth – The Satanist" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 14, 2014.
  41. "Behemoth: The Satanist" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved February 14, 2014.
  42. "Lescharts.com – Behemoth – The Satanist". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
  43. "Longplay-Chartverfolgung at Musicline" (in German). Musicline.de. Phononet GmbH. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
  44. "Oricon: Behemoth" (in Japanese). www.oricon.co.jp. Retrieved February 5, 2014.
  45. "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved February 14, 2014.
  46. "Swedishcharts.com – Behemoth – The Satanist". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 14, 2014.
  47. "Swisscharts.com – Behemoth – The Satanist". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
  48. "Behemoth | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved February 14, 2014.
  49. "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company.
  50. "Behemoth Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
  51. "Behemoth Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard.
  52. "Behemoth Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard.
  53. "Behemoth Chart History (Top Hard Rock Albums)". Billboard.
  54. "Behemoth Chart History (Top Tastemaker Albums)". Billboard.
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