siLLy puPPy
BEHEMOTH began in Gdansk, Poland in 1991 with Nergal (guitar, vocals), Baal on drums and Desecrator on guitar. They soon released a series of four demos with ENDLESS DAMNATION being the first to emerge before they would finally release their first album in 95. This independently released demo was like many of the era. It was released on cassette and 12” vinyl only and is a short and lo-fi intro into the band’s early black metal and occult themes. All the members were in their teens and were inexperienced in just about every aspect of how to write, play and record music. While BEHEMOTH is regarded as a top notched blackened death metal band in the 21st century, one only has to step back a couple decades to hear just how bad they sounded in the beginning.
Yep, this one is as bad as everyone says. It really sounds like it was recorded on grandma’s cassette recorder. The band is about as sloppy as you can get and can hardly play together at all. The murky guitar and bass and indistinguishable and the vocals are so muddled and shrouded in fuzz that it’s often hard to tell that they are vocals at all. In short, this is a very, very bad sounding demo even by black metal standards.
The music seems to be trying to create the buzzsaw wall of sound of the Darkthrone type with a little atmospheric keyboards thrown in here and there and the only thing that really stands out as unique for black metal of the day would be Baal’s drum rollsand perhaps the fact that some guitar solos find their way into the mix. The black metal is mid-tempo and gently marches on sounding like it may want to become doom metal with Sabbath inspired riffs.
This one is only 22:05 and has never been rereleased and frankly never needs to be. No matter how much of a hardcore BEHEMOTH fan you may be, this one is perhaps one of the least essential requirements of any band ever. Yeah, the quality and album cover really make you think of a blood ceremony in the depths of hell, but unfortunately a very disappointing tour through Satan’s stomping grounds. Much better stuff to come. Check it out on YouTube if you must sate your curiosity but avoid if you expect anything even close to resembling their full length albums.
Indeed, ENDLESS DAMNATION would be hearing this again and again for all of eternity with the button set to replay and no way to make it stop. OMG :O Just the thought of it :@