Behemoth heralds the release of its new album I, Scvlptor with a particularly symbolic collaboration: Shagrath, the vocalist of Dimmu Borgir, joins Nergal and the group on a cover of “In League With Satan,” one of Venom’s most iconic classics. The track now comes with a video clip directed by Dariusz Szermanowicz and produced by the Polish collective Grupa 13!
Released this Friday, September 4, I, Scvlptor isn’t a traditional new studio album for Behemoth, but a collection conceived as a bridge between different eras of the band’s career. The record gathers eight previously unreleased tracks, seven studio recordings and one live cut, as well as two new versions of compositions from the Polish outfit’s early days. In addition to these re-recordings, there are covers of Bathory’s “The Return Of Darkness And Evil,” featuring Sakis Tolis of Rotting Christ, and of “In League With Satan,” with Shagrath.
For Nergal, this latest collaboration is intimately tied to the tour that Behemoth will soon embark on with Dimmu Borgir and Dark Funeral. The frontman explains: “When we were looking for a name for our tour with Dimmu Borgir, I thought it would be great to use a timeless slogan and to name the gods of satanic rock n’roll. Venom and “In League With Satan” matched my vision perfectly. Honestly, I don’t recall which came first: the idea for the tour’s name or the idea of recording the track. What matters is that we recorded it with seven-string guitars and Shagrath of Dimmu as a guest singer. The track has gained a huge weight and a whole new dimension. We plan to perform it live, and I think our version has become something truly powerful.”
Behemoth preserves the earth-shaking power of the original piece, but translates its arrangement into a lower, darker register, notably thanks to seven-string guitars. The result lends this 1981 classic extra heft, while allowing the vocal confrontation between Nergal and Shagrath to amplify its menacing character. The clip accompanies this reimagining with a distinctly macabre visual universe, featuring fog, death masks, blood, and horned creatures.
With I, Scvlptor, Behemoth asserts both its heritage and its evolution: “We are fucking excited about the release of I, Scvlptor. Even though it isn’t a traditional studio album and it’s more of a compilation in nature, the mere fact that it contains tracks no one has heard yet makes it an important release for us,” explains Nergal. “We view I, Scvlptor as an important record, a connecting piece, a bridge between where we are today and what may come later.”
This alliance between Behemoth and Dimmu Borgir is evidently not meant to stay confined to the studio. The two bands will head out this fall on the In League With Satan tour, with Dark Funeral as a special guest. In France, the date is set for October 16 at the Zénith de Paris.
I, Scvlptor is available today in digital format via Nuclear Blast and in physical formats through Massacre Records.
