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I was a latecomer to Behemoth, starting with their black/death era, so this "all black metal" debut was a bit of a surprise. This is one of many reissues Metal Blade Records have been releasing in the past year and it includes several live bonus tracks on the bonus disc (whether we're talking CD or vinyl).

Unsurprisingly, the album having been released in 1995, it sounds like the black metal of that time, especially influenced by the Scandinavian scene with Darkthrone coming to mind more often than not. This is raw-as-fuck, savage black metal that doesn't worry about sounding anywhere near accessible. They have an atmospheric thing going on here, but it definitely doesn't water down the music in any way. The album is mostly fast paced with piercing, screechy and raspy vocals that you just can't get out of your head. Unlike Behemoth post-2000-or-so sharp and precise output, this is quite raw and kind of all over the place, and it does have that charm that you find from bands just starting out. The live tracks are mostly very good and fit just right in and bring home the fact that this now relatively popular band started out in front of rather small crowds. If you missed the album the first time around, here's your chance to get a top-notch reissue.