Album Review: Behemoth - The Shit Ov God (2025, Nuclear Blast Records)

Written: 3rd May 2025

For over three decades, Poland’s Behemoth have been both a defining force in extreme metal and a lightning rod for controversy. From their raw black metal origins in the 1990s to their full-throttle blackened death metal era in the 2000s—culminating in 2014’s critically acclaimed The Satanist—the band has demonstrated a remarkable ability to evolve, if not always gracefully. Helmed by the ever-present Adam “Nergal” Darski, Behemoth’s trajectory has taken them from underground stalwarts to mainstage festival juggernauts. They recently played their biggest-ever headline show, but with success has come scrutiny, and the band’s post-The Satanist output has divided fans. For what it’s worth, I enjoy I Loved You at Your Darkest but found Opvs Contra Natvram less memorable as an overall experience.

Thus, we arrive at Behemoth’s thirteenth album: The Shit Ov God. Let’s deal with the title straight away. It is as subtle as a sledgehammer, and reactions to it have been understandably mixed. Some see it as juvenile and comically crass; others interpret it as a bold rejection of sacred norms. I fall on the side of the former. However, as easy as it might be to judge the album by its name, music does not stand or fall by song titles alone. Nergal himself says of the title, “We chose this provocative title deliberately, rejecting subtlety in favour of a direct, polarizing statement. It’s a defiant plunge into the depths, daring to seek the absolute even in the gutter.”

Musically, The Shit Ov God is unmistakably Behemoth. It pulls from the sonic palette of various phases of the band’s output. While cinematic touches remain, they’re less pronounced than on I Loved You at Your Darkest. In places, there are ideas reminiscent of those that appeared on the two or three albums preceding The Satanist - work that represents some of the band’s finest moments. This results in a rawer intensity, shedding some of the layers of nuance for a more unrelenting, aggressive approach.

Opener The Shadow Elite sets up the album well, leaning into a more anthemic approach with one of the more memorable choruses: We are the shadow elite! / Blackening holy land / We are ruin, we are locusts / Fatum ov the universe. Second track Sowing Salt opens with pummelling drums from Inferno and alternates between slower, groove-laden riffs and segments of blistering fire. Guitar lines spiral - ghostly and ablaze - before the finale collapses in an avalanche of howling vocals, bone-crushing rhythms, and shrill, metallic agony. One of the strongest tracks on the album.

The band played the title track on their recent tour (see my review of their London gig here), and a sold-out Brixton Academy gave the song a raucous reception. A solid, if not completely spectacular, blackened death metal track, Nergal - who continues to develop as both a guitarist and a vocalist - is on form, vehement and bitter in his delivery. Not everything here is feverish and attacking; some of the backing vocals add a wider scope during different moments. Lvciferaeon brings forth some grandiosity, with a chorus - in contrast to the more frantic verses - that rings out like a mantra: If I am God / Everyone is / If I am God / If I am not / None exists.

O Venus Come allows time for the introduction to build more steadily, and its mid-paced tempo means the track brings something different to the album. Despite some of these subtleties, The Shit Ov God as a whole does not feel as varied as some of their more recent work, but there are enough distinct moments to maintain interest for the most part. Part of the reason for this is the album’s taut running time. Nergal envisioned it as a sub-forty-minute album with eight tracks - four for ‘each side’ - lending it a trimmer, classic vinyl-era structure that suits the band’s roots.

While Nergal has so often been the focus for Behemoth, the album’s production - thunderous, sharp, and precise - deserves its own praise, as do the other members. Inferno’s drumming is a masterclass in percussive precision, shifting effortlessly from blistering blast beats to tribal grooves with equal intensity. His contribution holds the album together, especially in the moments where interest occasionally wanes. Seth shines through with some tight, scorching solos that provide texture and distinction to compositions that might otherwise, on occasion, come across as a little familiar.

Nomen Barbarvm delivers a crushing groove and chants that feel potent in their simplicity. Here, Behemoth tap into the regal and ritualistic fervour that defined their best work. Similarly, To Drown the Svn in Wine finds balance in its theatricality - opening with a precision-crafted riff before giving way to a chant-heavy refrain that is as anthemic as it is dark. Concluding with an anguished and tortured spoken word section, it manages to capture the band’s flair for drama without completely stumbling into overblown theatrics.

Photo credit: Sylwia Makris and Christian Martin Weiss

Final track Avgr (The Dread Vvlture) aims to ramp up the epic feel with haunting, operatic background vocals. Inferno delivers some of the most intense drumming to be found across the entire album, well supported by Orion’s pounding basslines. As an ending track, it is well-structured, and the malevolent atmosphere seeps from the speakers—despite a segment shortly after the halfway mark that feels like it treads water for a time.

The Shit Ov God might not be Behemoth’s greatest album, but it is a good one. There is still enough craft, enough intensity, and enough anger to keep most fans satisfied. It is not a career-defining statement or a genre-bending moment in time, but it does not tarnish the band’s legacy either. In some ways, it is a step sideways - but sometimes that is enough, especially for a band that has been gouging its name into the black metal pantheon for as long as they have. It may not carve new paths, yet it resonates with the undeniable essence of Behemoth - each sacrilegious scream echoing with defiance.

The Shit Ov God is released on 9th May 2025.