Behemoth – Messe Noire: Live Satanist

In the four years since The Satanist, BEHEMOTH have been very busy. Constant touring, with appearances in every corner of the world, and nearly universal accolades for both the album and their live shows have kept them in the Heavy Metal conversation, that’s for sure. And now they have seen fit to grace us with Messe Noire: Live Satanist (out now, Metal Blade Records) a live DVD/CD that captures their 2016 stellar performances in Warsaw Poland, and Brutal Assault in Jaromer, Czech Republic. If you’ve ever been lucky enough to catch this band in concert (I have!) then you know that it’s more than just a show; it’s a ritual. They give everything they’ve got, and when it’s over, you know you were witness to some truly live magick.

What’s cool about this audio/video spectacular is that we get not one, but TWO full sets from the band. We’re talking 2.5 hours of music here, people. The Satanist is played in its entirety, which rules hard, especially since I saw them do it two years ago. Plus, we are treated to some older fare, like “Ov Fire and the Void”, “Conquer All”, and “Slaves Shall Serve.” Both shows close with “Chant For Ezkaton 2000” and obviously the crowd goes completely batshit during that one. Some of the favorites for me include “Ben Sahar”, “Ora Pro Nobis Lucifer”, “Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel”, and “O Father O Satan O Sun!”. That whole album is just fantastic, but the intensity level is through the roof on these particular performances.

All four members of the group, particularly bassist Orion are fired the fuck up, and drummer Inferno blasts your face off again and again. Frontman/guitarist Nergal delivers his vocals with fire and grit, giving all the songs an extra kick in the ass, while fellow axeman Seth not only plays some killer leads, he also lets loose a bit more than I’ve seen in the past. All told, this is an excellent live DVD. BEHEMOTH are without a doubt one of the best live bands you’ll ever see, and with Messe Noire they manage to capture what it was like to be there. This one is not to be missed, and if you’re not headbanging at home while you watch and listen, then there is clearly something wrong with you. You’re welcome.

STANDOUT TRACKS: ALL OF THEM

RATING: 10/10