Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel专辑介绍
Released on 12" gatefold vinyl by Behemoth/New Aeon Musick in Europe, with each copy hand numbered and signed by the band. Limited to 1000 white copies and 1000 black.
The A-side 'Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel' was also released digitally as a single song.
The 12'' vinyl version has been referred to both as an EP and as a single by official sources. However, it seems that "EP" likely refers to the vinyl format, not the release type itself, and that this is best viewed as a maxi-single for "The Satanist", consisting of an A-side, a B-side and a cover song.
It is a safe assumption that Behemoth knows how to launch a high-quality product (A thought which I apply to both their music and their physical merchandise). Not mentioning the ornate and artistic beauty of the gate-fold vinyl, the three tracks featured on this single offer insight as to what we may encounter when The Satanist unleashes itself upon the world.
Many of us will have already listened (or viewed the video for) the side-A of this vinyl, the album single "Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel", which is a monumental track in itself. By my reckoning, the song attempts to depict through its lyrics a kind of role-reversal scenario wherein the archangel Gabriel is beckoned to blow his trumpet for the coming, not of God, but of Satan, for whom the angel's allegiance has now been declared in the video. The lyrics are also, in my opinion, evidence of Behemoth's shift from their primarily thelemic themes to a more directly satanic set of lyrics, which started rearing its head in The Apostasy. However, the primary complaint that seems to be coming from others (though not from me) regarding this single is that the song is basically a snore-fest during its first half, up until the bass interlude which leads into the song's explosive second half. While I find nothing wrong with this first half of the song, I can come to understand some people who are used to a constant barrage of speed and fury—a la Demigod—, though I personally think that this is evidence of the dark and atmospheric touch that The Satanist will bring.
One other significant treat that comes from this single is the non-album track entitled "If I Were Cain". This track is a very strong show of force; heck, it may even come off for some as being a much stronger track than the side-A single itself (which speaks volumes when you take into account that this song won't appear in The Satanist). The lyrics[*] are also a formidable display of blasphemy and anger, being an obvious product of Nergal's near-death experience with leukemia. Here's an excerpt:
"Cast your stones,
Lapidate me,
Cursed be the Paraclete.
Pour salt into my wounds,
So doth Lord speaks through thy deeds.
I shall redeem my spirit,
Just grace my crux with sin.
If you give me the nails,
I'll hammer them in.
Illuminate!
Exploration ov darkness,
I raise the rusty dagger,
To pierce the eye ov JHWH."
Concerning what I heard from the song itself, "If I Were Cain" actually reminded me of the kind of material this band produced during the era that spans from Satanica to part of Zos Kia Cultus, which I attribute in part to the lead guitar and Nergal's yelling-type vocals. Also, the final section of this song appeared to invoke an atmosphere that reminds me of their early black metal songs with its excellent use of the synthesizer in harmony with the guitars. This is definitely a song that will experience abuse from the replay button for some time to come.
The final track from this single is a well-done cover of "Ludzie Wschodu", a song from a relatively obscure and short-lived polish punk band called Siekiera. Compared to the original version of this song, Behemoth's adaptation is definitely much more aggressive and powerful (duh). It is because of a cover like this that one can come to appreciate the knowledge shared by the members of this band and how they can often help in expanding the music tastes of their fans. (my love for a band like Master's Hammer was influenced by their Jáma pekel cover, for example.)
Overall, this three-track vinyl has greatly satisfied my expectations of what the new Behemoth will be like, even before any other track from the full-length album is yet to be released. While the mix quality of this single discouraged me at first—having an absolute love for the production in Evangelion, as opposed to the 'thinness' of these tracks—, the musicianship and artistic edge showcased by Behemoth in these songs reassures my expectations for what is to come. However, there is no certainty; therefore, I hope the hype-factor for the coming full-length is well-founded.
[*] - It was an annoying yet ultimately rewarding experience to have deciphered the lyrics for "If I Were Cain" from the lyric sheet which was painted by Denis Forkas in his characteristically surrealistic style.
The A-side 'Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel' was also released digitally as a single song.
The 12'' vinyl version has been referred to both as an EP and as a single by official sources. However, it seems that "EP" likely refers to the vinyl format, not the release type itself, and that this is best viewed as a maxi-single for "The Satanist", consisting of an A-side, a B-side and a cover song.
It is a safe assumption that Behemoth knows how to launch a high-quality product (A thought which I apply to both their music and their physical merchandise). Not mentioning the ornate and artistic beauty of the gate-fold vinyl, the three tracks featured on this single offer insight as to what we may encounter when The Satanist unleashes itself upon the world.
Many of us will have already listened (or viewed the video for) the side-A of this vinyl, the album single "Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel", which is a monumental track in itself. By my reckoning, the song attempts to depict through its lyrics a kind of role-reversal scenario wherein the archangel Gabriel is beckoned to blow his trumpet for the coming, not of God, but of Satan, for whom the angel's allegiance has now been declared in the video. The lyrics are also, in my opinion, evidence of Behemoth's shift from their primarily thelemic themes to a more directly satanic set of lyrics, which started rearing its head in The Apostasy. However, the primary complaint that seems to be coming from others (though not from me) regarding this single is that the song is basically a snore-fest during its first half, up until the bass interlude which leads into the song's explosive second half. While I find nothing wrong with this first half of the song, I can come to understand some people who are used to a constant barrage of speed and fury—a la Demigod—, though I personally think that this is evidence of the dark and atmospheric touch that The Satanist will bring.
One other significant treat that comes from this single is the non-album track entitled "If I Were Cain". This track is a very strong show of force; heck, it may even come off for some as being a much stronger track than the side-A single itself (which speaks volumes when you take into account that this song won't appear in The Satanist). The lyrics[*] are also a formidable display of blasphemy and anger, being an obvious product of Nergal's near-death experience with leukemia. Here's an excerpt:
"Cast your stones,
Lapidate me,
Cursed be the Paraclete.
Pour salt into my wounds,
So doth Lord speaks through thy deeds.
I shall redeem my spirit,
Just grace my crux with sin.
If you give me the nails,
I'll hammer them in.
Illuminate!
Exploration ov darkness,
I raise the rusty dagger,
To pierce the eye ov JHWH."
Concerning what I heard from the song itself, "If I Were Cain" actually reminded me of the kind of material this band produced during the era that spans from Satanica to part of Zos Kia Cultus, which I attribute in part to the lead guitar and Nergal's yelling-type vocals. Also, the final section of this song appeared to invoke an atmosphere that reminds me of their early black metal songs with its excellent use of the synthesizer in harmony with the guitars. This is definitely a song that will experience abuse from the replay button for some time to come.
The final track from this single is a well-done cover of "Ludzie Wschodu", a song from a relatively obscure and short-lived polish punk band called Siekiera. Compared to the original version of this song, Behemoth's adaptation is definitely much more aggressive and powerful (duh). It is because of a cover like this that one can come to appreciate the knowledge shared by the members of this band and how they can often help in expanding the music tastes of their fans. (my love for a band like Master's Hammer was influenced by their Jáma pekel cover, for example.)
Overall, this three-track vinyl has greatly satisfied my expectations of what the new Behemoth will be like, even before any other track from the full-length album is yet to be released. While the mix quality of this single discouraged me at first—having an absolute love for the production in Evangelion, as opposed to the 'thinness' of these tracks—, the musicianship and artistic edge showcased by Behemoth in these songs reassures my expectations for what is to come. However, there is no certainty; therefore, I hope the hype-factor for the coming full-length is well-founded.
[*] - It was an annoying yet ultimately rewarding experience to have deciphered the lyrics for "If I Were Cain" from the lyric sheet which was painted by Denis Forkas in his characteristically surrealistic style.
Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel专辑歌曲
- disc 1