Although always on the move, Behemoth is taking the time to treat us to a new EP.
Coming just one year after the band’s last album, I, Scvlptor takes Nergal (guitar/vocals, Me And That Man), Inferno (drums, Azarath, Hellfuck, Terrestrial Hospice, Weedpecker…), Orion (bass, Black River, ex-Vesania), and Seth (guitar, ex-Nomad) to take us on a journey through different eras. The band is using this release to announce its partnership with a new label, Massacre Records.
We start with the band’s most recent period, featuring two new tracks. The first is the already well-known I, Scvlptor, which captures the band’s grandiose atmosphere while also showcasing vocal parts that are more expressive than ever, allowing Nergal to draw on his range across different registers to create a striking blend with the rhythm section. The track stays true to the spirit of the latest album, though it bursts with more old-school roots before giving way to the melodic Lord of the Horizons, which offers us a brief respite and even a few passages of mystical clean vocals before returning to the unhealthy distortion, followed by the impressive riffs we know by heart. The song alternates between intoxicating softness and distorted outbursts, making it a prime choice for rallying the crowd once again before launching into the break; then the musicians take a trip down memory lane with Rise of the Blackstorm of Evil, a re-recording of the track from the 1993 demo The Return of the Northern Moon, which has been given a major facelift, both in terms of the mix and the vocal parts, which have clearly evolved over time. It retains the dissonance, but also the mystical energy of the original track, just as on In Thy Pandemaeternum from the third album Pandemonic Incantations, which meets the same fate and quickly becomes one of the standout tracks on this EP thanks to its natural punch and furious riffs that don’t forget to include occult passages. The band returns to its recent influences on Begotten, a track composed during the creation of last year’s album The Shit ov God – it could easily have been included on that album given how similar the sounds are – and it’s a pleasure to rediscover that slightly ethereal yet catchy sound that wreaks havoc during live performances. The band is joined by Shagrath (Dimmu Borgir, Chrome Division) for In League with Satan, a cover of the legendary Venom track, to which the band effortlessly adds its own touch without distorting this unifying composition, sealing the alliance between the Poles and the Norwegians (and announcing the tour scheduled for this fall) before moving on to The Return of Darkness and Evil, the anthem of the Mystic Festival, featuring Greek musician Sakis Tolis (Rotting Christ). The track is a live recording made on February 8, 2026, at the Floyd in Athens, and you can feel all the power the five men pour into it, paying homage to its creator, Bathory. The final surprise is the Rough Mix of the track Lord of the Horizons, which, of course, remains faithful to the original song but will undoubtedly appeal to fans of a slightly more minimalist, almost intimate atmosphere.
Behemoth hasn’t been sitting idle, and despite a packed schedule of live shows, the band has managed to give us something to look forward to in anticipation of their next tour! I, Scvlptor fits perfectly into their universe, even offering a little preview to tide us over!
90/100
