For well over a decade, Poland’s BEHEMOTH have been developing their own brand of extreme metal from the raw black metal roots of their Sventevith album, to the technical EMPEROR-influenced Pandemonic Incantations, up to the VADER-meets-MORBID ANGEL attack of recent works, Thelema .6 and Zos Kia Cultus. On Demigod, the prolific band shows no sign of letting up, creating their most complex, involved material to date. From the epic grandeur of album opener, “Sculpting the Throne Ov Seth,” to the blasting speed of tracks such as “Towards Babylon,” “Xul,” and “Slaves Shall Serve,” the album offers a little something for every extreme metal fanatic. Yet despite all of the over-the top high speed delivery of most of the album, the band isn’t afraid to slow things down as they execute brooding atmospherics on the monstrous closing epic, “The Reign Ov Shemsu-Hor.” Demigod also benefits from some of Nergal’s most melodic, intricate lead work, which is complemented nicely by session guitarist Seth’s contributions. Drummer Inferno as usual, delivers another stellar performance unleashing a series of seemingly inhuman blast beats and technical drumming, most notably on the title track, and well, pretty much the whole album. On Demigod, BEHEMOTH have unleashed their most accomplished work to date, with the band experimenting more in terms of time, tempo, and dynamic changes than ever before. So although the first listen might be a little overwhelming, repeated listens offer a method to the madness as well as something unique and interesting each time a listener is willing to take the plunge into chaos. (Olympic Recordings)