Without Sin, There's No Whoredom (Thelema 6 - Behemoth)

Member Name: Frankingsteins

Product:	Thelema 6 - Behemoth
Date:	19/02/08 (40 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Even more ferocious and intelligent than its predecessor.

Disadvantages: Alienates those who aren't into the general sound.

Although I wasn't too fond of the direction change on 'Satanica,' Behemoth really surprised me with its furtherance in 'Thelema.6,' their first album of the new millennium and one of the most devastating death metal albums it's ever been my misfortune to enjoy. This is an improvement over 'Satanica' due to the greater technicality of Nergal's guitars, which run through varied riffs and leads in songs like 'The Act of Rebellion' while making plenty of time for the headbanging crowd brave enough to attend their live shows. With only minimal pauses between tracks offering respite from the skull-splintering torment, this isn't for the faint hearted unless you really want to go out with a bang.

Although this is more or less pure death metal now, Behemoth retains a black metal mentality, both in inferno's incredible drum work and most explicitly in the anti-Christian lyrics and statements, which go so far as to be laughable at times ('Christians to the Lions' for example). While this will put off as many listeners as it attracts, this is some of the most divisive music in existence, with almost everyone on the planet likely to consider it unbearable noise, and the small minority of fans embracing its unbearability.

Nergal's scream meets somewhere in the middle of a black metal screech and a death metal growl and suits the music perfectly, and there are even minimal clean vocals in tracks four and five to add a little diversity to an album that's already unpredictable and far from repetitive, even provided the listener is able to endure right to the end. If I was as passionate about death metal as I am about other stupid genres, this would probably be one of my favourite albums of all time. Unfortunately, I guess I'm a bit of a wuss after all, but this is Behemoth's strongest and most creative release up to this point.

1. Antichristian Phenomenon
2. The Act of Rebellion
3. Inflamed With Rage
4. Pan Satyros
5. Natural Born Philosopher
6. Christians to the Lions
7. Inauguration of Scorpio Dome
8. In the Garden of Dispersion
9. The Universe Illumination (Say "Hello" to My Demons)
10. Vinvm Sabbati
11. 23 (The Youth Manifesto)
12. The End

Summary: Behemoth's fifth album (2000).