Back in 2008, Finnish black metallers Behexen stood somewhat at a musical crossroads. Having released their 3rd record (and some might say “breakthrough” album) ‘My Soul For His Glory’, it was evident that the band had taken the blasting fury and crusty elements of their previous work about as far as it could go. Containing a mixture of primitive uptempo outbreaks with a more reasoned approach, it seemed that Behexen were well on their way to expanding their dark arts.
The release of ‘Nightside Emanations’ in 2012, cemented this feel. Still a blasting and furious record, but its maturity was undeniable, and earmarked the band as major players, releasing material of Satanic celebration and artistic integrity.
Fast forward another 4 years, and Behexen are back.
Along with mainstays Hoath Torog and drummer Horns, the ‘Nightside…’ line-up remains intact, and the band have just released ‘The Poisonous Path’ through Debemur Morti Productions.
Seeming at first like a sideways step, one thing is for sure, this record is gonna need several plays just to get the initial measure of it.
So dense is the sound, the bands previous releases seem almost “commercial” by comparison. Like a later Leviathan album, or ‘Ad Majorem…’ era Gorgoroth, ‘The Poisonous Path’ is relentless in its oppressive pummeling.
After a quick ominous intro, we set off full-pelt. The scathing guitars of Horna’s Shatraug and Celestial Bloodshed’s Wraath rip away with Torog’s deep rasp and the devastating drum blasts, with only a brief moment of spoken word to pacify.
There’s really no let up on the 1st few tracks until ‘A Sword Of Promethean Fire’ provides a slower grind, and ‘Umbra Luciferi’ devilishly delights with its arcane chants.
Although an album that operates on such an intense level is obviously gonna lack a bit of musical variety , there’s no denying that there are some killer tracks present here.
‘Pentagram Of The Black Earth’ is a rampaging beast, a Watain-y monster of riff and rapture that highlights Behexen’s true majesty, and ‘Gallows Of Inversion’ gallops off with your broken body helplessly flailing behind, seeking salvation in the albums last moments of skewed timings and apocalyptic outro.
While maybe not quite the progression that one might have expected from Behexen, their black sermons are delivered with brutality and without compromise, making ‘The Poisonous Path’ a worthy one to take.
(7.5/10 Stuart Carroll)
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