EP REVIEW: A Forest – Behemoth

There’s a strong case for BEHEMOTH being one of the biggest extreme metal bands in the world. With stellar back catalogue exploring traditional black metal with a Polish twist, MORBID ANGEL worshipping death metal with blackened overtones and modern black metal esotericism, the Poles have carved out their name at the very top of the extreme metal echelons, and have no desire to rest on their laurels. Less than two years after their incredible I Loved You At Your Darkest, BEHEMOTH are back with a brand new EP – A Forest. 

No strangers to performing covers, and definitely no strangers to music outside of their extreme metal realm, A Forest exists largely as a vessel for BEHEMOTH‘s latest ode to idols of yesteryear. This time around, the Polish trio tackle THE CURE hit A Forest alongside SHINING‘s Niklas Kvarforth, both in the studio and as part of their set on the last date of their European tour with SLIPKNOT earlier this year in Helsinki. Though perhaps unlikely to appeal to many of THE CURE‘s original fanbase, the cover actually works remarkably well. On the studio version Kvarforth performs excellently, his tortured shrieks offering a lovely juxtaposition to Nergal‘s instantly recognisable blackened growls, while musically Orion and Inferno manage to excellently bring that classic BEHEMOTH twist to the Goth classic while still remaining true to the original. Haunted and deeply unsettling, A Forest could easily have been a BEHEMOTH deep cut if you didn’t know any better. The live version works excellently as well, showcasing a lovely charisma between Kvarforth and Nergal.

But while the THE CURE cover is undoubtedly the main focus of the EP, the final two tracks are the real gems of the release. B-sides from the I Loved You At Your Darkest sessions that didn’t quite fit into the initial release, both Shadows ov Ea Cast Upon Golgotha and Evoe bring the fury. Shadows ov Ea Cast Upon Golgotha is an utterly savage bridge between The Satanist and I Loved You At Your Darkest, bringing that emotionally charged, hate-filled brand of blackened death metal that Nergal and co. are known and loved for right into the fray. Cleanly sung backing vocals lift the atmosphere nicely, but for the most part this is just BEHEMOTH at their most aggressive. Closing track Evoe follows suit, leaning even heavier into the blackened elements of BEHEMOTH‘s sound, while brandishing some lovely big hooks and dissonant melodies for good measure.

A Forest isn’t a game-changer for BEHEMOTH by any stretch, but it is a lovely little bonus to tide us over til the trio come back with album 12. Their cover of THE CURE is masterfully handled, with Kvarforth‘s performance proving to be a very pleasant surprise, while I Loved You At Your Darkest B-sides Shadows ov Ea Cast Upon Golgotha and Evoe bring the blizzard of brutality BEHEMOTH do best, proving to be a sonic bridge between their last two records. Maybe not quite essential listening, but you’d be hard pressed to argue this isn’t 20 minutes well spent.

Rating: 8/10

A Forest is out now via New Aeon Musick. 

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