Behemoth - Opvs Contra Natvram (2022)

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After being catapulted to ‘wide-spread’ success in the Metal scene with “The Satanist” in 2014, Poland’s Behemoth has leveled audiences around the world with their vicious Blackened Death Metal and their commanding stage presence. Fast-forward eight years, the band unleashes “Opvs Contra Natvram” which has an even more refined sound than their previous effort “I Loved You at Your Darkest”. Staying in their comfort zone, this release continues Behemoth’s aural aggression with ten solid tracks.

Opening with the atmospheric and ritualistic “Post-God Nirvana”, the band sets a mysterious aura around this album that explodes wide opening with the pummeling “Malaria Vvlgata”. Perfectly intertwining furious riffing and crafty tempo changes, this track shows the band’s ability to crush skulls while keeping a tense atmosphere. Featuring some awesome vocal arrangements, “The Deathless Sun” is one of those tracks that crawls under your skin delivering eerie moody passages and blistering guitar leads.

By the time we reach “Ov My Herculean Exile” and “Neo-Spartacvs”, the band has fully immersed the listener into their own dark and decadent world. Perfectly lurking in the back, crafty percussions nicely accompany Nergal and Seth’s incisive guitars, while creepy throat singing adds an extra dimension to the music. There is certainly no time to relax in this album as pieces like “Off To War!”, “Once Upon A Pale Horse”, and “Thy Becoming Eternal” keep things heavy while alternating between hypnotic and moody passages with all-out destruction.

Closing with the ritualistic “Versvs Christvs”, shows the band’s more theatrical side that has been nicely getting more front and center in their music, giving them an eerie edge and an excellent tool for their live shows. Overall, “Opvs Contra Natvram” continues the band’s evolution into darker and more visceral territories, where senseless aggression and rawness is not needed when you can be effectively creepy with swift brutality and atmospheric elements.

Band: Behemoth Album: Opvs Contra Natvram

Label: Nuclear Blast Records

Release: September 16th, 2022

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Genre: Blackened Death Metal

Country: Poland

Rating: 95/100

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