Begerith
A.D.A.M.
(Minotauro Records)
It’s certainly fitting that the members of Begerith emigrated from Russia to Poland, as the group’s sound is very steeped in the Polish blackened death tradition. There are obvious echoes of Behemoth’s grandiose bombast, with shades of Hate and Vader as well. There are also bits of Nile’s rampant technical fury and Nightbringer’s sense of eerie melody and atmosphere, so it’s clearly misleading to label Begerith as merely a Behemoth clone. Though, let’s be clear here: A.D.A.M., the group’s second release, is too much damn fun and furious out of the gate to leave the listener any time to play Spot The Influence.
Despite starting off rather strong, once “A.D.A.M. IV” kicks in, that’s when A.D.A.M. really begins to set off into truly spectacular ways. Given its polish black/death ties, the record is certainly massive and ritualistic; however, there’s a wider color palate that Begerith pull from, and the number of unexpected turns and twists is quite a delight. Some unexpected 90s black metal keyboard melodies and a greater overall emphasis on melody than is normally expected result in an immensely listenable album; it’s dense and heavy, yet it’s a ritual that feels more warm and open than dark and all murder-y. Due to the anonymity of song titles (and the band names), there’s a wise sense that this record can be whatever you want it to be – as long as it’s occult and ridicules the Judeo-Christian God, per the band’s Bandcamp.
That’s probably what helps give Begerith a substantial leg up on the rest of the new crop of blackened death metal: there’s a playfulness and unexpected brightness to the music that doesn’t necessarily contradict the occult nature of the music. Instead, it all comes together to create a surprisingly addicting slab of punishing blackened death that feels like the Seven Trumpets signaling the arrival of an up and coming prince of the style. Begerith haven’t quite ascended above their influences just yet, but A.D.A.M. is hellaciously fun and signals the band as a ones to keep your Lucifer horns attuned to.
