Year of release: 2018
Label: Metal Star (this version)
Rating: 7,2 / 10
Today we are not talking about clowning, hypocrisy, barbershops, beer, artificial cocks, ridiculous social and political statements and other rubbish stuff usually associated with BEHEMOTH and its leader. We'll speak about music, because BEHEMOTH's music, whatever one may say, still deserves careful attention. “The Satanist” turned out to be a wonderful thing, and after 4 years it still sounds fresh and interesting. In support of the album, the Poles made several round-the-world trips, having simultaneously rested in a cell with shit on the walls, and then paused in order to recover and work on other music. Nergal managed to record a blues album with his other project, so it was natural that the new full-length from BEHEMOTH leaned somewhere in this direction. Unlike the full-metal “The Satanist”, the new album is strongly influenced by rock, which is felt not so much in the sound and mood as in the structures of the songs and overall performance. Guitars, but especially drums and bass - everything works contrary to traditional metal canons. Because of this, the album is initially perceived with difficulty, fragmentary. Only 3-4 listens, after which you memorize the main checkpoints, allow you to get a more or less correct picture. Not like it's changing everything, but after that the impression from “ILYAYD” is starts leaning in a positive direction. Interestingly, the best elements of the album are non-metallic. Short symphonic fragments scattered around the album skillfully, in the most necessary places, and melodious pieces and solos on electric and acoustic guitars (like the one that comes at the end of “God = Dog”) are sensitive and emotional. The acoustics are used to the fullest, and its sound surpasses all other instruments. The idea with the children's choir is also good. Unfortunately, this is not enough to make all songs suitable for repeated listening. After a good start, there is a huge dropdown Bartzabel” rides on a single, instantly boring, idea, and “If Crucifixion Was Not Enough ...” is good only in acoustic parts. And then, song by song, there are multiple short glimpses of great ideas against the background of average material. The attempt to make a grand finale also failed. The monumental “O Father, O Satan, O Sun” from the previous album cannot even be compared to “We Are the Next 1000 Years”. Using the synthesizer part is brave for modern BEHEMOTH, but someone like the Ukrainian SEVEROTH can immediately offer a dozen of better options.
The lyrical part of the album does not offer anything cardinally new - the usual cunning egoism atheism according to Crowley's precepts and criticism of Christianity given in the form of loud phrases based on quotations from the Bible. Nergal recently threw in a statement that this album is the most blasphemous thing in the world, and it seems to me that I was not the only one to laugh about that. But I think it's okay for "free-thinking" amethyst liberals. The best thing about the album is its physical edition . Of course, “ILYAYD” was released by a bunch of labels all over the world in all possible formats, except for floppy disks (hey Sergiy, why Floppy Noise is so slow?). For CIS countries, Metal Star offers a super elite digibook with an expanded booklet and CD holder in a form of thealtar . Such rare materials and technics were used to manufacture it, that even zionist chinese wisemen never heard about it. It seems that this is the most expensive and high-quality license release in the history of our countries. For the budget conscious, there is a Jewelcase version, but its circulation is twice lower than of digibook, so it remains to be seen what will cost more in a couple of years. Take a closer look on digibook on this and this videos. Like other Metal Star releases, it is distributed through Possession Productions. By the way, in the near future, Rockmark will also release a vinyl version of the album in CIS, and this will be something new in the history of boxed LP releases.
English (UK) 
Крыўская