Search - Behemoth :: Slaves Shall Serve

THE premier death metal band - the elitist among the elite

2C | Indiana | 02/28/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"In my opinion, Behemoth has become the best death metal act in the genre today, and maybe the most elite of all time. This is bold statement; however, Behemoth has demonstrated the four pillars which form the foundation of truly great bands: (a) excellent songwriting capabilities, (b) virtually unmatched proficiency on their respective instruments, (c) creativity, and (d) a solid work ethic which involves relentless touring to serenade crowds with their brutal greatness! Their most recent work, the "Slaves Shall Serve" EP is a must have for fans. This is a great work for a number of reasons:



First, as with "Demigod" the production is solid. It is no coincidence that "Slaves Shall Serve" contains material originally recorded during the time that "Demigod" was being produced. As a result, the sound of "Slaves Shall Serve" is exquisite.



Second, fans are treated to a song that the band was (I'm assuming) originally going to be included on "Demigod." This song ("Entering the Pylon ov Light") alone is worth the money one would pay for this EP. It contains similar elements of the brutal structure of the songs that were included on "Demigod." Though an outstanding song in its own right, after numerous listenings, I can understand why Behemoth decided not to include it on "Demigod," as it would be somewhat out of place. Though brutal and periodically fast, it is somewhat different from the other songs which graced the album. However, as mentioned earlier, it is an outstanding track.



Third, the listener is treated to an amazing cover of "Penetration" (the name of the band who wrote the song escapes me). Though I have never heard the original, Behemoth's interpretation of the song is so well thought out and executed that "Penetration" sounds as though they could have written it. Here again, this song alone is worth the money for "Slaves Shall Serve."



Fourth, the final two tracks on the EP are live versions of the songs "Demigod" and "Slaves Shall Serve." This is, without a doubt, the shining moment of the EP. For those who have never heard Behemoth live...get ready! These guys are a force to be reckoned with. The live tracks should silence all critics who accused the band of utilizing a drum machine on the recording of "Demigod." These live tracks prove one thing for certain...Behemoth really plays THAT fast! The live tracks are utterly amazing, as Behemoth has an outstanding live sound.



As with any recording, "Slaves Shall Serve" is not perfect and suffers from some flaws, two in particular. The first flaw that the listener will notice occurs on the second track ("Entering the Pylon ov Light") where the vocals blend into the background becoming fairly difficult to discern. This is truly a shame given Nergal's outstanding death growls. It becomes all the more disappointing given that all other aspects of the production of this EP are outstanding. The second flaw is a stylistic one. I wasn't particularly fond of the Behemoth's cover of "Until You Call on the Dark" from Danzig. Don't get me wrong, Behemoth put forth a decent effort in their cover of the song. However, a brilliant cover is one where the band makes the song their own. They take the original song structure, and mold it to fit their genre, creating an entity which retains enough elements of the original to make it recognizable as such, but enough stylist changes to conform it to the genre of the band covering the song. With their cover of "Until You Call on the Dark," I feel that Behemoth were unsuccessful in latter, as the song does not fit their styling.



All in all, if you are a fan of Behemoth then "Slaves Shall Serve" an EP worth owning. It is a shame that Behemoth will never get the recognition they so richly deserve, as I am convinced that they are truly the most elite death metal act.

"

Disgustingly heavy!

poopvayne | New Jersey | 02/10/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"awesome!behemoth's EP for Slaves Shall Serve is disgustingly heavy!!the bonus track's awesome and the 2 covers are really cool too but the live tracks really show that Behemoth are a live force to be reckoned with...hell yeah!!"

Great little EP

A. Stutheit | Denver, CO USA | 06/19/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Some people think releasing an EP like this one is just an easy way for the band to make more money. But other people, this reviewer included, think it isn't a cash-in on the band's recent popularity. Rather, C.D.'s like "Slaves Shall Serve" are a great way for a fan to get some good, previously unreleased material at a rather cheap price. And Behemoth probably aren't going to put out a full length b-sides compilation anytime soon, so an EP will have to suffice.



Following up 2005's excellent "Demigod", "Slaves Shall Serve" features that album's ninth track, as well as a b-side from those recording sessions, two previously unreleased covers, and two live songs.



This EP's title track is obviously a great song--one of the finest on "Demigod". It begins with a bout of evil, a capella, visceral barking by frontman Nergal, and then a brutal barrage of cast iron riffs, swift, pounding drums, and two mini solos is heaped upon the listener.



"Enter The Pylon Ov Lihg" is also a good song in its on right. Though it would have been kind of weird to include this song on "Demigod" (it doesn't really follow the flow of that album), "Enter..." is highlighted by strong, staccato riffs.



The first of two covers, "Penetration" (which was originally done by Fields Of The Nephilim), boasts heavy, punching, almost buzzsaw riffing. Track four, "Until You Call On The Dark," a curious Danzig cover, has a much slower, churning rhythm than any of the other songs. And, to his credit, Nergal attempts some real singing here, with less than stellar but decent enough results.



The last two tracks, the live cuts, were both recorded at the Sweden Rock Festival in 2004, and these songs both have great sound quality. And "Demigod", with its insane, rapid fire drums and careening guitars, and "Slaves Shall Serve" both sound scorching here. The ferocious energy and sheer heaviness of these songs is so superb, it's almost tangible. Might there be a Behemoth live album in the works sometime down the line?



Lastly, the enhanced video clip of "Slaves Shall Serve" is pretty cool and definitely worth watching.



"Slaves Shall Serve" has about everything you could ask for from a little EP. Like all EP's, it is quite short (only 21 minutes), but what's here is gold, and, as is, this disc serves as a great companion to "Demigod". If you're a Behemoth fan, picking up "Slaves Shall Serve" is money well spent, so if you can find it (it's a limited edition C.D.--only 5,000 copies were released), grab it. Also, buy this and Vader's "The Art Of War" for the best EP's in recent memory."