BEHEMOTH, the high priests of extreme metal, have announced their 12th studio album, Opvs Contra Natvram, their most thought-provoking and arresting collection to date. The album is set for release on September 16 via Nuclear Blast. Pre-order or pre-save the album here: https://behemoth.bfan.link/opvs-contra-natvram
The video for Ov My Herculean Exile has been directed by Zuzanna Plisz. You can watch it here: https://youtu.be/092uOnSTnyI
The ten chapters of fury that make up Opvs Contra Natvram were written and recorded over the course of a very strange year for the globe — a situation which only heightened the level of craft seen in these 43 minutes and 15 seconds of searing wrath. As with previous studio outings, Opvs… was produced by BEHEMOTH, with mixing handled by acclaimed studio legend Joe Barresi (Nine Inch Nails, Tool, QOTSA, Alice in Chains).
Renowned for his meticulous attention to detail and absolute creative control of BEHEMOTH's world, frontman and band visionary, Adam "Nergal" Darski reveled in the depressurized environment afforded by the pandemic. It meant that for nearly the first time since the band's inception over 30 years ago, there was no deadline to observe, allowing for a nearly unprecedented level of attention to the process of writing and recording.
Beyond any confines of genre, BEHEMOTH have grown to become nothing less than the personification of rebellion, individuality, and unflinching self-expression informed by a literate worldview and worldliness that's resulted in a locking of horns with everything from the mainstream press to the Polish Catholic church — most notably manifesting in Nergal's trial for blasphemy in 2010 that only served to expose the deep-seated hypocrisies that his music seeks to challenge.
"The album title means going against the current," Nergal states. "It's the negative of the values and morals and ethics that I stand against. I've seriously been wrestling with destructive tendencies in pop culture — cancel culture, social media, and tools which I feel are very dangerous weapons in the hands of people who are not competent to judge others. That's something which I find very destructive and disturbing — and extremely limiting coming from an artists' perspective. This is my middle finger to that. There's a song on the record called 'Neo-Spartacvs.' Spartacus was one of the most iconic rebels in history who went against the most powerful empire of all time. In the end, it's me screaming, 'I Am Spartacus, and so are you!' I want to spark that flame of rebellion. If something seems wrong then stand up to it!"
The tracklist reads as follows:
Post-God Nirvana
Malaria Vvlgata
The Deathless Sun
Ov My Herculean Exile
Neo-Spartacvs
Disinheritance
Off To War!
Once Upon A Pale Horse
Thy Becoming Eternal
Versvs Christvs
BEHEMOTH EU Summer Festivals
24.06. DE Hockenheim – Hockenheimring - Download Germany
22.07. BU Plovdiv - Hills Of Rock
07.08. RO Rasnov - Rockstadt Extreme Fest
12.08. UK Walton on Trent – Bloodstock Open Air
13.08. BE Kortrijk - Alcatraz
21.08. FR Saint Nolff - Motorcultor
BEHEMOTH, ARCH ENEMY + CARCASS + UNTO OTHERS
The European Siege Tour
27.09. UK Dublin – 3Olympia Theatre
29.09. UK Glasgow – O2 Academy
30.09. UK Manchester – O2 Apollo
01.10. UK Birmingham – O2 Academy
02.10. UK London – O2 Academy Brixton
04.10. FR Paris – Zenith
05.10. FR Ramonville-st-agne, Le Bikini
07.10. PT Lisboa – Coliseu dos Recreios
08.10. ES Madrid – Palacio Vistalegre
09.10. ES Barcelona – Palau Sant Jordi
11.10. FR Caluire-et-cuire – Radiant-Bellevue
12.10. IT Milan – Alcatraz
14.10. DE Berlin – Columbiahalle
15.10 CZ Pardubice – Tipsport Arena
16.10. HU Budapest – Barba Negra
18.10. AT Wien – Gasometer
19.10. PL Katowice - Spodek
21.10. D Ludwigsburg – MHP Arena
22.10. NL ‘s-herogemnosch – Mainstage Brabanthallen
23.10. BE Brussels – Forest National
25.10. CH Zürich – Samsung Hall
26.10. DE Frankfurt am Main – Jahrhunderthalle
28.10. DE Munich – Zenith
29.10. DE Düsseldorf – Mitsubishi Electric Halle
30.10. DE Hamburg – edel-optics.de Arena
31.10. SE Partille – Partille Arena
02.11. FI Helsinki – Helsinki Ice Hall
04.11. SE Stockholm – Annexet
05.11. DK Frederiksberg – Forum Black Box
06.11. NO Oslo – Spetrum Scene
