Album Review: Behemoth - I, Scvlptor (Nuclear Blast Records, 2026)
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Written: 26th August 2026
It has only been a little over a year since Behemoth released The Shit Ov God (review here), a solid release which I thought was a good if not great album. Therefore, it was with some surprise that the band announced I Scvlptor back in June of this year. However, I Scvlptor is not a new studio album in the strictest sense but a deliberately designed stepping stone. Nergal comments, “We’re fucking excited about the release of I, Scvlptor. Even though it’s not a regular studio album and is, in fact, more of a compilation, the mere fact that it contains songs nobody has ever heard before makes it a significant release for us. What’s more, some of these tracks are likely a little different from what we offered on our last album, The Shit Ov God. That’s why we see I,Scvlptor as an important record - a connecting piece, a bridge.”
The album opens with the title track - a five-minute, mid-tempo composition that is built around grandly constructed riffs and a prominent bass line from Orion. Nergal states, “song rooted in the tradition of monumental tracks like 'O Father O Satan O Sun!', 'Lucifer' or 'Nieboga Czarny Xiądz', while at the same time opening a new chapter. It carries that epic weight but also takes an unexpected turn that makes it feel fresh and different from the previous pieces.” There is certainly a sense of scale to I, Svlptor that is reminiscent of the tracks he mentions. It conjures an unsettling atmosphere and feels like a combination of the darker edge of older material and the direction of more recent releases. Nergal gives an excellent, haunting performance as he delivers the lyrics in typically compelling fashion which he describes as, “A metaphor for the endless process of shaping oneself - an uneven struggle with matter and personal limitations. The paradox is that from the moment we are born we are already destined to die, so perhaps it is not about victory itself, but about the constant act of sculpting who we are.” As a song, I, Svlptor – the accompanying video for which is excellent - is compelling enough to stand on its own merits but it also serves as a wonderful gateway into this intriguing collection.
Lord Ov The Horizons – in part - adopts a completely different approach beginning with clean, melodic vocals and slow guitar before metamorphosising into something twisted and demonic. Alternating between these two auras as the track progresses, it shows that Behemoth are still quite prepared to experiment with conflicting sounds. The band have stated that the track was held back for an occasion such as this and placing it on an album of this nature proves to be a wise choice. Demanding to be played loud, the song’s epic conclusion finds Nergal inhabiting a completely different personality to that which uttered the first words. Lyrically, the song revisits Behemoth's long-standing Luciferian themes. Following a fall from grace, a son is cast out by his father and left with nothing, forced either to rebuild himself or face oblivion.
Two re-recordings follow and are filtered through the lens of modern Behemoth. Rise of The Blackstorm of Evil is one of the oldest Behemoth tracks, written in 1992 as a nod to influences such as Samael, Celtic Frost and Hellhammer. The new version retains the structure of the original but the guitars have been reworked into two interlocking layers and the lyrics have been slightly revised. Unsurprisingly, it is a much tighter and sharpened version from that which appeared on the demo album The Return of the Northern Moon. The second re-recording – In Thy Pandemaeternum – originally featured on 1998's Pandemonic Incantations. While the arrangement remains largely familiar, the modern production brings a level of clarity that significantly alters the listening experience. Elements that once fought for space within the dense mix now emerge with far greater definition, giving the song a noticeably different character despite its obvious roots. Whether listeners prefer this approach will depend largely upon their feelings towards Behemoth's contemporary sound. The new version is undoubtedly cleaner and more powerful, but there was also something about the thick atmosphere of the original recording that gave it a distinct identity.
Written during the The Shit Ov God sessions, Begotten was left off the album because the band felt it did not fit comfortably alongside the other material. Having first appeared on the Metal Hammer exclusive release Vnholy Psalms, its inclusion here allows it to reach a much wider audience. The decision to omit it from The Shit Ov God was probably a sensible one. While unmistakably containing Behemoth DNA, the song possesses a more overtly gothic character than much of the material that made the final album and consequently creates a noticeably different atmosphere. In some respects, that makes it the most interesting inclusion here. Not everyone will agree, however, and I suspect some listeners will dismiss it entirely. Personally, I enjoyed it but I can also understand why it was set aside. On The Shit Ov God it may have disrupted the album's flow, whereas within a release that revisits different periods of the band's history and presents material from a broader perspective, it feels far more at home.
A studio version of Venom's In League With Satan and a live recording of Bathory's The Return of Darkness and Evil add yet another dimension to I, Scvlptor. Both tracks benefit from the presence of guest vocalists, with Shagrath (Dimmu Borgir) lending additional weight to In League With Satan and Sakis Tolis (Rotting Christ) joining Behemoth for the latter, recorded live in Athens. Together, they serve as a reminder of the immense influence that both Venom and Bathory have had upon the development of extreme metal. Interestingly, the accompanying notes suggest that In League With Satan was developed with live performance in mind, raising the possibility that it may find a place in Behemoth's setlist during future tours.
I, Scvlptor ends with Lord Ov The Horizons (Studio Rough Mix), which offers a small glimpse into the refinement process that takes place between recording and release. While it lacks some of the clarity and balance of the final version, this is far from a radically different interpretation or a primitive demo recording. Many of the song's key elements are already firmly in place and, for some listeners, the differences may not be substantial enough to fully justify its inclusion. Nevertheless, as a closing track it provides an interesting insight into the band's creative process.
I, Scvlptor is a thoughtfully assembled release that succeeds in bringing together several different strands of Behemoth's career without ever feeling unfocused. Not every inclusion carries the same weight and some listeners may find themselves returning to certain tracks more often than others. Nevertheless, the balance between new material, re-recordings, cover versions and a live recording is well judged. It will also be interesting to see whether any of these songs find their way into Behemoth's forthcoming live sets and the title track certainly feels like a strong candidate. More importantly, I, Scvlptor succeeds in offering a broader perspective on where the band have been and where they stand today.
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