In Thy Pandamaeternum (Pandemonic Incantation +..... - Behemoth)

Member Name: Frankingsteins

Product:	Pandemonic Incantation +..... - Behemoth
Date:	19/02/08 (22 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Incorporates interesting death metal elements.

Disadvantages: Production is disappointingly non-weak.

Behemoth's third album marks the Polish band's turnover point between the textbook second-wave black metal of their earlier releases and the devastating death metal influence of their later works, and combines the two styles to great effect. With recruitment of new drummer Inferno, the music is fiercer and more engaging than previous album 'Grom,' enhanced by the higher production values, but the prominent keyboards and vocal style, often reverting to spoken word incantation, keeps the sound grounded in a black metal sensibility.

Nergal's stream of great guitar riffs drives the whole thing along as ever, and the entire album performance flows together from track to track in the manner of a single long song, though with more than enough variety to keep each track interesting and distinctive. As a roughly conceptual work, this makes for a strong album with a nicely epic atmosphere in places, only getting lost in its own pomposity in the penultimate spoken word track before returning to form for the great finale. The improved production values detract a little from the album's tombic authenticity, but it helps to flesh out the grander sound while also drawing attention to the new death metal tendencies of Nergal's riffs and lead work, though his occasional solos as seen in 'Driven By the Five-Winged Star' are still pleasant and melodic rather than aimlessly squealed.

It would have been interesting to hear pieces like 'The Past is a Funeral' and the slower 'In Thy Pandamaeturnum' in the older, rawer style, but more aggressive and pounding tracks like 'With Spell of Inferno' would sound significantly weaker. Of course, then 'Satanica' came along and made this whole thing sound like Chopin.

1. Diablena
2. The Thousand Plagues I Witness
3. Satan's Sword (I Have Become)
4. In Thy Pandamaeternum
5. Driven By the Five-Winged Star
6. The Past is Like a Funeral
7. The Entrance to the Spheres of Mars
8. Chwala Mordercom Wojciecha
9. With Spell of Inferno

Summary: Behemoth's third album (1998).