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Behemoth > Sventevith (Storming Near the Baltic) > Reviews
Behemoth - Sventevith (Storming Near the Baltic)

The children of Svantevith hate the cross-god... - 90%

Slater922, March 1st, 2023
Written based on this version: 1995, CD, Pagan Records

Before the release of Behemoth's magnum opus Grom, the band had released their debut album a year prior titled "Sventevith (Storming Near the Baltic)". This is more or less a bridge between the early demos and Grom, but the sound within this album is vastly different from early releases, and even to this day, no other Behemoth release has come close to what Sventevith did.

Compared to the more abrasive and extreme nature of Grom, Sventevith is more raw and primitive, as shown right from the first track "Chant of the Eastern Lands". The guitars sound very raw, and play some cold and desolate riffs that evoke an eerie and terrifying atmosphere. The drumming is also just as primitive, with a more tinny sound and rough style of the beat patterns, only furthering the chaotic tone of the track. The bass is also not very audible, and the bass play in of itself doesn't do much in the overall track. Nevertheless, the raw and melancholic tone within the track is very unique and is a bit reminiscent of early Immortal and Graveland. My favorite metal tracks on here besides the first track also include "From the Pagan Vastlands", "Hidden in a Fog", and "Forgotten Cult of Aldaron", as they not only continue the raw style, but tracks like Hidden in a Fog and Forgotten Cult of Aldaron contain some nice melodic riffs mixed in with some folk elements. I should also mention the instrumental interludes like "The Touch of Nya" and "Ancient", which serve as nice, cold folk/ambient breaks from the chaotic metal tracks, though "Hell Dwells in Ice" remains my favorite of the three with a beautiful piano playing a chilling dark classical tune. Compared to the rest of their albums, the instrumentals are very raw and emotional, and contain some heavy riffs that not many of their other album have done.

Then there's the vocals. Nergal's vocals in Grom were good, but here, they're a bit standard. The vocal delivery mainly consists of high-pitched shrieks, which are good, but not necessarily groundbreaking in its sound, a good example of this being "Entering the Faustian Soul". As good as that track is, I did kind of wished Nergal did a bit more than the typical shrieks, though we did saw a bit of that with a sprinkle of maniacal laughs that added a sinister personality in him. However, the vocals are a bit better on "Transylvanian Forest", as Nergal goes for a more bestial-type shriek that seems more fitting. The vocals are fine overall, but I do kind of wished more was done with them.

And as for the lyrics, they're also really good. The lyrics on this album dwell more in fantasies with some pagan influences, but I still think the songwriting is good. Take this part from "Wolves Guard My Coffin" for instance:

When the fullmoon lights cemetery’s valley
Winds of frost strike my tomb
When I am in eternal sleep
When wild storms dwell
Wind blows through the Baltic
Instincts unleash the war inside
And strike the sky with holocausthunder


There is a bit of a gothic edge in the story, given the dark atmosphere in the story. The lyrics are not only great at setting the atmosphere, but later on when out protagonist is summoning evil, the details that go into attacking the disciples are very morbid and hateful, almost as if the protagonist hates them. Furthermore, the verse is very fitting to the track, as the raw riffs and crazed shrieks only further fuel the morbid tone of the story. The songwriting might be a bit weaker compared to Grom, but the lyrics are still good nonetheless.

After being out for almost 28 years, Sventevith remains one of the most chilling albums in Behemoth's discography. The instrumentals are great at its execution of black metal with some folk and ambient elements, and the lyrics are also just as dark, though I do wish more was done with the vocals. While I personally prefer Grom, I would still highly suggest giving Sventevith a spin sometime soon.

Sventevith (Storming Near the Baltic) - 90%

Heimir, January 23rd, 2022
Written based on this version: 1995, CD, Pagan Records

Fuck the naysayers and revisionists. Before their slew of mind-numbingly bland death metal discs and before their turn to little more than quasi-Satanic lifestyle brand, Behemoth crafted some inspiringly dark and masterful pagan black metal. I would go so far as to say Sventevith is precisely what a black metal album should be - it’s got all the rawness and intensity one expects of extreme metal, but balances it out with a romanticism that pervades the somewhat-folky guitar melodies and the especially memorable instrumental interludes, which easily evoke images of fur-clad medieval Europeans huddled around a fire in the Pomeranian forests.

This imagery pervades the record, with each grandiose chord progression and high-pitched shriek seemingly pulled from a forgotten, barbarous age. Even the sloppy guitar solos help to sell the subject matter, their untrained charm reminiscent of the rough imperfections of a warrior tribe's art. All this doesn't even even consider the monumental riffing - it drives ever forward while looking ever backward with a reverent, folk-styled sonority. Indeed, even the more straightforward tracks ("Wolves Guard My Coffin" comes to mind) are bolstered by this sound in small, subtle ways, and the best tracks (like "From the Pagan Vastlands") incorporate it fully.

If the album has a noticeable flaw, it's pacing. The interludes, though lovely, are many. Pieces like these are best employed to break up a long stretch of raw, intense metal tracks; the first one on Sventevith is the second track. The last of these interludes could've made an excellent outro, but instead the record ends suddenly and inauspiciously with one of its weakest, most uninspired metal riffs. Still, weird pacing and a less-than-stellar ending is hardly enough to mar an album of this quality - truly a must-have for devotees of the 90s Euro sound.

A pleasant surprise - 89%

Forever Underground, March 15th, 2021

I haven't heard so much to Behemoth, of all their works the one I was most familiar with was “The Satanist” and I haven't even listened to it completely, only a couple of songs. In my mind they were established as a blackened death metal band with satanic/anti-christian themes and lyrics. I was aware of their past as a black metal band, but since it was such a short era (ignoring the 4 demos and 2 EPs) I decided to pass over it.

I didn't know what I was missing

This album has been a surprise for me, probably because I didn't have any high expectations due to two reasons. Firstly, I had read the comments of people about how Behemoth in their “black” era was nothing more than an average band, and secondly I didn't expect this early Behemoth to have this sound. From someone who has only listened to Behemoth's most recent songs I really didn't expect compositions that rely so heavily on acoustic guitar and keyboards. Those instruments create a strong folk sounding compositions that are increased thanks to the instrumental segments such as “Ancient” and especially thanks to the song “Hell Dwells in Ice” which is undoubtedly one of the strongest points of the work.

Behemoth's first record has a strong romantic aura, the elements connect with each other throughout the album except for the song “Transylvanian Forest” due to this track was not originally recorded for this album (which was originally going to be a demo).

Nevertheless, there are some negative points to this album, but I don't find them very important, the production is weak and although in some occasions it eclipses for moments the guitar and drums, but it doesn't influence the music too much to making it a negative experience. Another common complaint about this album are the instrumentals. This is not going to be the album where I talk about the short instrumental and fillers, but I think that in many occasions this kind of tracks is hated for merely existing when sometimes they do fulfill their function, which in most cases it's atmospheric and with the objective to work as a bridge between tracks or as intros or outros.“Ancient” fulfills his function, and perhaps it is “The Touch of Nya” who ends up being irrelevant to the final work.

The last negative comment would be about the song “Transylvanian Forest” which as already mentioned is not part of the original work and ruins what would have been an ideal closing for the album. Personally, it bothers me that it had to be like this because it's not even a bad song, in fact, it's quite good., it's just not part of the same universe as the others, and this dissonance makes it come off badly. If there is one song on the album that I could consider weak that one would be “Forgotten Cult of Aldaron” because it doesn't match up the quality the rest of the album gives.

Otherwise, the album is completely memorable, with a style of their own the compositions manage to not be repetitive, it reaches and makes a unique and mature sound. Songs like “Hidden in a Fog, ” “Entering the Faustian Soul” or the already mentioned “Hell Dwells in Ice” are undoubtedly the highlights of the album but without taking merit away from the rest of the songs. Behemoth manages to be melodic, heavy and atmospheric at different parts in the same composition, and they achieve this with the use of very few resources since they use the same ones throughout the whole album without it getting boring or repetitive. At the end, that’s one of the things I value the most since it's something that only a few geniuses can do.

Even a stopped clock - 80%

we hope you die, July 14th, 2020

What's remarkable about this artist in particular is the lasting popularity they went on to achieve regardless of their lack of quality output. It just goes to show that with an effective marketing campaign and a willingness to tweak your sound based on the latest focus group findings you can achieve anything. But as with so many albums with more cultural significance than the minds that birthed them, the crucible of youth burns a fire hot enough to melt away unnecessary fat, and leave only the grains of creative beauty behind. As was the case in the mid-1990s for Poland's Behemoth.

Their tale is not so much one of a young artist enthralled by black metal only to side step into death metal later, so much as it is an artist keen to imitate their betters. Once that failed, they moved on to a stylised form of tech-death that could easily be monetised regardless of quality. But much like Satyricon who took a similar path, there was value and potential in these pre-commercial early efforts, which so often start out as imitation in the first place. After the respectable ‘…from the Pagan Vastlands’ came their debut LP ‘Sventevith (Storming Near the Baltic)’ in 1995. Taken in context it’s a fine entry to the lexicon of mid-90s black metal, one that was leaning in the symphonic direction in the wake of Emperor, along with the likes of Satyricon, Dimmu Borgir, and early Graveland. And much like Graveland of this time, it was able to channel the twin requirements of rawness with a unique and cold atmosphere that really can’t be captured by more polished production jobs.

Mellow and elegantly simple guitar work ponderously bounces along at marching tempos, offset by the occasional galloping rhythm that conjures up imagery of open and cold landscapes in the mind of the listener. Frequent but not excessive keyboards are then able to compliment this harmonic foundation, occasionally offering twinkling, cyclical melodies which give this music a mournful, cathartic quality. Vocals are very much in the black metal range, and are supressed and distant in the mix, of course with plenty of reverb applied, so that they contribute to the sense of size that this album has. Despite frequently delving into frantic passages of blast-beats and busier chord progressions, ‘Sventevith (Storming Neat the Baltic)’ has an undeniably mellow quality to it. The aim here is atmosphere and mood over riff-based ear pummelling; the latter qualities already present in Behemoth of this era, notably on the ‘…And the Forest Dreams Eternally’ EP released later in 1995.

Drums, although for the most part unremarkable, are sometimes brought way up in the mix with a lot of reverb and delay applied; at these points it completely dominates the sound and calls to mind a thunderclap across a valley, again this is reminiscent of ‘For all Tid’ which used a similar technique. It’s a good example of getting more from less. A particularly important quality if ambience and size are your aims on a relatively shoestring budget, both financially and in terms of knowhow. And that’s the real story behind this album. A halfway descent rendering of black metal as it was in the mid-90s, maybe a little late to the party in terms of the sound that it is conjuring, but still way ahead of many at the time, or since that time for that matter. When it comes to artists like Behemoth, whose style went on to wildly diverge from their earlier ethos, I always like to imagine an alternative reality where they took a different path. But in this case, given everything we now know of Nergal as a shrewd businessman disguising himself as an artistic visionary, I’m glad he stuck to impotently polishing the turd of tech-death as opposed to joining the chorus of artists in the early 2000s hell bent on gutting what was left of black metal at the time.

Behemoth’s debut is a pleasing piece of relaxing black metal with some genuinely well crafted moments, but it does not do enough to stand apart from the pack. One must also consider that quality output before and after from this artist was lacking, and hence one would be entitled to conclude that Behemoth had little interest in furthering this style beyond imitation, before gradually moulding their project into a successful business venture.

Originally published at Hate Meditations

Nervously Shaking Off the Ice - 80%

WhenTheHypeDies, March 20th, 2019

With Behemoth today being one of the most successful black/death acts on the face of the planet, it is interesting to see the very uncertain roots from which this band sprang. Certainly, the frost-encased forests of Norway are a logical realm for the blasphemy-adoring Polish teenage Nergal to turn his eye to, but relistening to this album in 2019, one is shocked at just how bloody different Behemoth sounds on this record from what they are at present. Sure, one can hear, even on this early, early release, the penchant for relatively straightforward guitar parts layered with other instrumentation; the tendency for grandiose individualism in the lyrics; the sheer ambitiousness of the release at such a young age predicts the unfettered drive of later years. However, the black metal sensibilities betray no interest in death metal whatsoever; the lyrics on the whole are focused on fairly predictable forest-venturing and pagan-worshipping themes that presage no interest in Thelema; the album itself is following much more than it is leading. In short, there is no way that “Sventevith,” on its own merits, could give someone an indication of what the band that made it would become: it is, at this point in Behemoth’s history, an artifact. And this interesting piece “from the dark past” is just that: an artifact, that could not be more antiquated when considered relative to the leagues across which Behemoth have traversed musically in subsequent decades.

On first impression, the album’s atmosphere is properly bewitching, and holds its own against the other excellent black metal acts coming out at this period (there are shades of Satyricon’s “The Shadowthrone,” or Ancient’s “Svartalvheim” on this release). “Chant of the Eastern Lands” is anchored by energetic, sweeping clean-guitar, blast beats and impassioned screams – a fitting opening to the album that progresses quite well into a more mournful middle section before returning to furious blast beats to end the track. Obvious stand-outs on the album are “From the Pagan Vastlands” and “Wolves Guard My Coffin” – songs that are irregularly played up to the present. Certainly not every song is so excellent, and the experiment of layering acoustic/clean guitar over furious blasts and tremolo-picked buzzsaw riffs doesn’t always work – while “From the Pagan Vastlands” is a great track, the acoustic guitars layered on this recording are more often distracting than not. This effect is put to much better use in songs like “Hidden in Fog,” where the tone of the song is much more meditative in the first place.

And while “Sventevith’s” atmosphere is easy to get immersed in – aided by some excellent instrumental tracks, fairly regular blankets of synth, and a few different sound effects (crows, wind, etc.) – it is not necessarily anything that is distinctive. The sound that this album evokes is a return to familiar, wintry territory for anyone who is a fan of Norweigan black metal, and is most enjoyable in that specific sense. And this strength, the effectiveness with which the soundscape is crafted, is also what “Sventevith” perhaps suffers from most - it is ultimately a fairly generic release. Nergal’s vocals are functional and unremarkable, and the overall tone of the “Sventevith’s” sound – from the production to the instrumentals – is similarly functional and unremarkable. The soundscape is done with precision, and some of the songs are, on their own merits, excellent compositions; but this is, ultimately, running with the pack, an evocation of the Norweigan sound. It is an above average black metal album from the 1990s that is competently written and performed, and where experimentation is present its success is mixed. Like some other bands that abandoned their early sound (Pink Floyd abandoning its ‘60’s psychedelic roots comes to mind), the best thing Behemoth ever did was evolve away from their initial style. “Sventevith” is an album well-worth revisiting, and once one gets over the initial shock of who composed it, is well-worth enjoying as a solid sequence of black metal conjurations.


80%

A work of art in atmospheric black metal - 90%

Retro Death Reviews, March 13th, 2018
Written based on this version: 1995, CD, Pagan Records

You have to admit, Behemoth has come a long way as a band. They went from pure black metal to blackened death metal.This is their debut album, their very first of the two black metal ones they released, before changing their sound entirely.

I have to admit, it's damn impressive to even hear the fact that Nergal was only 16 when this released. That's just ridiculous. All of the instrumentation is great. The drums are very well varied and placed. The guitars (if you can actually manage to hear it) have some pretty great riffs throughout the album. Most of the songs also have acoustic guitars thrown in to add to the atmosphere, and they fit EXTREMELY well. This album feels very pagan in nature and much more than any of their other albums. The lyrics are also great and fit seamlessly into the atmosphere.

Aside from the shoddy production that prevents you from hearing the guitars clearly, the vocals were probably my biggest complaint about the album. They are not bad at all. (Still very impressive for the fact that the dude is only 16 years old.) But my problem is that they are way too generic here. I don't like comparing future albums from bands to their older work and usually look at the album itself as a whole. But I am pretty glad that after this and Grom, Nergal found a unique vocal style that he can say is his own. When you listen to Behemoth, you just know it's them when you hear Nergal's vocals. Though, the album is easy to listen to since the vocals aren't bad and are a slightly better than typical black metal vocals. Here and there, you will hear some choruses in the background, most likely an effect from keyboards, (Take Hidden In A Fog for example), and I absolutely love when it comes on. Adds even more to the already perfect ambiance that the album brings. I also think the version of "From The Pagan Vastlands" from this album has a MUCH better and stronger atmosphere than the re-recorded one.

"The Touch Of Nya" and "He Dwells In Ice" are the soft tracks of the album. The Touch Of Nya has two BEAUTIFUL acoustic guitars playing a very simple melody. It's very relaxing to hear and is definitely one of my all-time favorite classical style acoustic pieces. The problem with it is that it's way too short. Only 50 seconds long. He Dwells In Ice has a clean guitar (or acoustic?) with some simple keyboards in the back. Nothing amazing, but a pretty good listen regardless.

Despite having generic vocals, and barely distinguishable guitars due to the poor production, the atmosphere on this album alone makes a journey on your ears from start to finish. This is an essential album to any black metal fan, and should not be skipped by anyone. If you can, go to a forest or a park in the middle of the night with this on, and this album will do its magic on you.

Standout tracks: "From The Pagan Vastlands", "Hidden In A Fog", "Entering The Fantasian Soul", and "Wolves Guard My Coffin". The Touch of Nya is an amazing piece of art, but that song is only 50 seconds long. I can't express enough how beautiful it is to me. Definitely give these a listen when you get the chance to.

An Atmospheric black metal band called Behemoth - 83%

christhjian, March 31st, 2015

Wait, what?!

That's probably no news for extreme metal fans that Behemoth started off as a black metal act and then evolved into a blackened death metal band, which they are mostly known for. But since their blackened death metal sound made them famous, it may be surprising how their debut actually sounds, especially for the relatively new fans, including myself.

In fact Behemoth's later stuff doesn't sound anything like their early years. At the first listen, one may think that the band who put out "The Satanist" can't be the same which wrote "Sventevith". This one is nowhere near death metal's sound and it also has an incredibly soft, atmospheric touch throughout most tracks, as well as the melancholic mood. This proved to be the biggest surprise for me. Behemoth was really keen on the acoustic tunes, which can be heard on most of the tracks. Generally all the tracks are raw in nature, but there are really lots of melodic parts. Some of them are executed on the electric guitar as well. Traditional tremolo picking guides the listener through the majority of this album and the guitarists occasionally throw some really fearsome old school black metal riffs in there. Drumming is decent, but nothing outstanding.

As different as "Sventevith" musically is from the later era of the band, it also differs a lot when it comes to the vocals and lyrics. Vocal difference shouldn't be much of a surprise though, since this clearly is nothing other than black metal. Nergal's vocals aren't bad, but neither are these anything unique - just typical black metal screeching. But they definitely fit in the picture. Lyrics feature pagan beliefs and also describe surrounding nature. These are probably more suitable for those not interested in the later satanic themes.

Production is not modern like Dimmu Borgir. It's raw and dirty, but it doesn't ruin the album. Still, at times, riffing could sound somewhat clearer and the vocals tend to be a little uneven, but this is probably expected by anyone who tries out some older black metal. However, it arguably helps to make the atmosphere even more magical and this is one of the main strong points of this release. The epic feel and melancholic atmosphere work is really tranquilizing. The album art helps to get the thoughts moving, alongside the music. Pictures of sailing on the dark sea, wandering around in the twilight or something similar are bound to come by. These thoughts peak at the penultimate, fully acoustic track "Hell Dwells in Ice", after which we are awakened by the last vicious track.

Behemoth's first full length release has its flaws and some of the Norwegian influence can be heard, but the incredible feel the band managed to create back then makes this one of the standout releases in their career. This could even have a wider audience than Behemoth's later material, but in fact it is very underrated. I don't know if an average black/death Behemoth fan would include this in their collection, but it is a must for anyone looking some interesting pagan themed, or simply (somewhat) atmospheric black metal. I would also put this one easily in front of the following "Grom" as well, which is an above average BM release but no where near the glory of "Sventevith" . If this review got you interested, then check this one out because this album deserves more recognition for sure.

83/100

Stormy Forecast - 79%

marktheviktor, August 3rd, 2009

Admittedly, I do enjoy some of the death metal output that this band has done more recently, but Sventevith is an album by the once little Behemoth that could-and did-is far superior and preferable to what they play now. The interesting thing is, I don't even think Sventevith is Behemoth's best. The better album by them is actually an EP: And The Forests Dream Eternally. It was rawer and had more of an old school sound to it that I found even more appealing. This LP is no slouch though. It has a harried pace of hateful aggression while having the know how to stop and take in some melodic inspiration. Despite having a surprisingly polished sound, it's still successful in sounding old and musky the way a lot of black metal should.

The best thing going for this album is its scope and energy conjuring up great black metal influences but still being unique of Polish metal. This all sounds adventurous with a two tone color of sound being in black and white. The guitar tone is consistent with the very best representation of how it should be done in black metal. The drumming while nothing special is full and hostility and it nicely cohabits in distortion with Nergal’s guitar and on Wolves Guard My Coffin they give the song all it’s power. Much of this album reminds me of old Carpathian Forest but there are other exaltations too such as early Satyricon. Some of the sweetest sounding black metal is anything that can sound like Immortal which is why I found Forgotten Cult of Aladaron to be one of the best songs on here. Go listen to that transition at 2:09 to see what I mean. The biting iciness of the blasts that go along with those riffs will stifle you like a brain freeze from Blashyrkh. From the Pagan Vastlands also has some qualities that touch on that great Immortal sound.

Hidden in a Fog is a standout track though the version found in the subsequent EP puts it to shame. Great lyrics and it almost has a sing along quality to it. It’s about pagan vampires. Behemoth still uses that type acoustical guitar underlay in some of their songs of today. Here, it is found at the beginning giving it a rustic and archaic decoration of folk. Nergal’s vocals are the same in this song as they are in most of the others but they don’t really fit into this arrangement very well. It came off is a bit forced to me. And don’t you hate it when a really good song kills its own momentum at the end? I think that is also what plagues Hidden. It just winds down with a languid and rambling piano dominated dirge. The song does put excellent use to synth choral chants and organ backing. Along with the other songs, Nergal impresses here with tremolo picked guitars below the richness. The good thing about the ending is the long bass tone that fades down gradually to make way for the ambient following track.

Ancient is very similar to Burzum’s Han Som Reiste from Det Som Engang Var but actually superior to that song. It’s a solemn little melodic interlude that shouldn’t be overlooked. Every time I hear it, there is a proscenium visual of an old condemned church in the middle of the Silesian woods where specters of an ancient coronation for a Justinian tyrant haunt. A dark storybook feel to the black metal is never a bad thing. Hell Dwells on Ice is the other melodic song but it’s at the end of the album and has beautifully apocalyptic lyrics. Yes this soft enchanting piece is sung in English but you wouldn’t know it unless you looked at a lyric sheet because of the pronunciations. Hell Dwells On Ice sounds like an early Katatonia song.

Sventeveth is a very good and rock solid album from Behemoth. It’s always had just the sound of black metal that I crave and it finds the right moments to establish black metal scenery other than derived repetition. Lyrics are a strength and so is the overall riff design. Behemoth decided to move forward into death metal with an interest in Sumerian gods and demons. The genre has changed but you can spot the fascination in war and evil here too and the ambition is very apparent. But personally, I prefer being bludgeoned by Baltic hailstones than Babylonian firestorms.

Now We’re Scratching The Ass Of Behemoth - 86%

OzzyApu, May 28th, 2009

Quick notes – At the time of writing this review, a statement on this album page exclaims that “Tracks 1-9 originally recorded 1993 for the “Sventevith” demo.”

…you must be kidding me…

Yeah, those demos were quite something, but here’s where we really see Behemoth in their black metal glory. Sure, there later materials have a real kick to them, but you can’t replace the atmosphere and allure of these early albums. This particularly one sounds the most occult and I’ve often associated a kind of supernatural tone with this album and also with their sophomore, Grom.There are lots of choir and synth effects in the background of most songs on here, but the biggest difference compared to their last demo is the fact that the production is… get this… worse. It’s not utterly destroyed, but you’ll notice this scrape of white noise also in the very back of every song – it’s like a never-ending fuzz and it really is annoying at first. No doubt by the third track that frequency of noise will be so embedded in your head it’ll just blend in.

The rest of the instruments are colder and thinner than …From The Pagan Vastlands, but think Gorgoroth’s Pentagram at a slightly lower volume and we’re on the same level of understanding. Guitars are more folk / thrash inspired this time around, but not so hateful as you’d expect. They have a melodic touch that isn’t so obvious, yet they’re more energetic and frantic than before. Bass is harder since the production literally drowns it under so much noise, but I highly doubt it’d do anything more than just follow the rhythm. Even on the last track (which doesn’t have the production qualities of the previous nine) it is near impossible to hear any bass.

I’d kill to be the drummer on this album, since whoever Ravenlock had complete liberty to mess up the drum kit as he saw fit. This guy has a thrash style of drumming that’s like an unstoppable charge – can’t stop once he starts. Blast beats are more prominent than before, but the double bass isn’t so noticeable. Even the toms, snares, and cymbals sound like they’re far away – oddly enough, this fits the production scheme well though and sounds as if they were out in the chilly open. The songs themselves are beginning to become more memorable, so Behemoth looks to be focusing on all fronts this time around.

I’d now like to give a special mention to the ninth track, “Hell Dwells In Ice,” for being the track that no one ever mentions, even Behemoth (not even half the reviewers for this bring it up). Out of all their obscure black metal recordings and the brutality of their death metal material, would you ever guess the band attempted a gothic/atmospheric rock track? No joke, the somber atmosphere on this song is amazing behind the clean guitar passage and the nostalgically depressing keyboard tune. Nergal speaks in a baroque tone, which is a complete departure from the tormented shrieks he pulls off on the rest of the album. Those vocals are so icy and hateful, but on this one song its so enchanting, magical, and somewhat out of place that it literally is the best part of the album.

What’s always interested me on the outside was the spine-chilling cover art. I can’t help but feel as if I was stranded along the Polish coastline, wandered into some wooded area, and had to bear witness to this bizarre ritual above some whirlpool / quarry. It unnerves me to look at it considering how cryptic it must seem, but the music therein does enough justice.

Do you want to check out early Behemoth now? Has this review sparked your interest enough to venture away from the death metal area for a little stroll in the black metal sector? If so, then my job ends and your journey begins – go forth!

The First is Still the Best - 100%

Bezerko, January 15th, 2009

Who would’ve thought it, the band that nowadays produces flat sounding Nile worship (AKA The Apostasy) made an album of black metal perfection at the start of their careers. Okay, so it’s pretty common knowledge that Behemoth changed styles (some say sold out, I maintain that they “sold out” on The Apostasy) from black metal to their current death metal stylings, but it doesn’t make this album any less amazingly different to their current material.

In all honesty, “Sventevith (Storming near the Baltic)” was one of the very first black metal albums I ever heard, courtesy of Metal Mind’s excellent “Historica” box set. It’d be stupid to say it didn’t profoundly affect my taste in black metal, indeed, hearing this album opened up many, many more albums to me through its raw production and beautiful melodies. It may come as a surprise then when I say that I don’t particularly like the demos that preceded this album, despite the fact that they share a couple of similar songs. That’s less to do with the demos and more to do with this album’s amazing use of keyboards and acoustic guitars, not just in interludes, these elements are intertwined throughout every song on the album to amazing effect and make up much of this album’s uniqueness and character.

Far from Nergal’s current Steve Tucker love roars (listen to Morbid Angel’s Gateways to Annihilation and you’ll see what I mean), the vocals on this album consist of shrill shrieks, equally as thin as the production. Perhaps it’s less Behemoth’s change in style that’s shocking, but Nergal’s vocal changes because if you didn’t know that it was Nergal at the microphone of both eras of Behemoth, you wouldn’t think for one second that it was the same Pole there. The vocals however are fantastic here, they complement the rest of the album (as I said, the vocals equal the album’s thin, raw sound) perfectly, never once getting in the way of the instrumental beauty on display yet maintaining a sense of purpose throughout the album, the vocals are just as important as any instrument here, but never higher in the “Sventevith” Sound Hierarchy.

Perhaps the greatest thing about “Sventevith” aside from the keyboards and acoustic guitars is the way the electric guitar(s) sound. At times there’s a significant degree of difficulty in determining what the guitars are actually playing due to the extremely thin sound and accompanying “noise,” similar to the guitar noise on Emperor’s “In the Nightside Eclipse.” This is one of those things though that, uniquely in black metal, creates a stronger atmosphere than any amount of keyboards could ever do and just like “In the Nightside Eclipse,” the combination of keyboards, production, acoustic guitars and of course excellent song writing lend “Sventevith” the most amount of atmosphere I’ve ever heard in not just a black metal album, but any album of all time. The atmosphere by the way is one of gnarled trees in a misty forest, perhaps the quintessential black metal aesthetic.

Songs like “From the Pagan Vastlands” and “Hidden in the Fog” sound better than their previous demo versions and much, much better than the currently abortion worthy death metal charade versions currently played by the band, testament to the excellence and atmosphere of this album. These songs, and the rest of the album for that matter, were truly written for this album, to appear in these exact forms of black metal perfection. Every single second of every single song sounds amazing to the point where this album is sacred to me. I don’t want to hear other versions of these songs because they’ll never rival that which appears on this album. In my mind, every other Behemoth recording of the “Sventevith” songs, no matter how good they are (and to be fair, there are some excellent versions of these songs out there, namely the version of “Hidden in the Fog” on the “Bewitching the Pomerania” EP), they will never hold a torch to this album, it’s simply that damn good.

Never once does the album let up musically, nor lyrically (and for that matter, visually as well, the cover is great). The lyrics on “Sventevith” set the standard for all “pagan black metal” albums to follow with the mysterious, haunting and ultimately excellent lyrics. Even the occasional spurt of Engrish doesn’t detract from lyrics that do nothing but add to the already brilliant atmosphere. Take “The Chant of the Eastern Lands” as an example:

“This battle is a rebellion, rebirth of old traditions
Mythical hell is the paradise to the true warriors
There they attain eternity and sit high on the thrones
Pagan nations became united
Mighty bards received their long awaited silence
Slavs returned to their villages and woods
Pagan frights of heavenly hell dispelled”

All the talk of Pagan lands, Slavs, villages and woods fits so perfectly with the music on the album I could almost cry, and that is the trend of all the elements on “Sventevith,” one of musical unity and atmospheric wonder. Perhaps newer fans of the band might shun this album because of it’s raw sound and “wimpy” acoustics, because as we all know, the current crop of metal fans appreciate nothing but mindless brutality and only accept “acoustic shit” when it’s randomly placed next to shitty “brutal/heavy/shit” riffs, because then it’s PROGRESSION. Progression my arse, this album is progression, the subtle incorporation of new elements into a pre-existing mold is what makes Sventevith come together and is why this album is better than the demos that came before it. This album set the precedent for pagan black metal, particularly that which comes from Eastern Europe, it progressed black metal however subtly and the genre is now better for it. This album my friends, is black metal at its peak.

On a side note: I consider Transylvanian Forest as not part of this album and as more of a bonus track in the way that Manowar’s “Die for Metal” is on the “Gods of War” album. It’s an excellent song in its own right, one of Behemoth’s hands down best in fact, but as far as I’m concerned, it doesn’t make up this album. Besides, the version on the (excellent) “And the Forests Dream Eternally” is better anyway.

sventevith/ storming near the baltic - 85%

Eternal_Winter_, January 2nd, 2009

It can be hard to believe that Behemoth, one of the most prolific black/death metal bands around today sprung from such humble necropounding black metal beginnings.

In essence, this sounds like a pretty typical second wave black metal album, complete with Norwegian influences and acoustic and folk attributes. While this may sound positive, which it is, the album also suffers from several weak spots. After a pretty good opening in "Chant of the Eastern Lands" (it wasn’t great, wasn’t terrible), the album introduces The Touch of Nya, a rather mediocre and forgettable acoustic segment. The album resumes black metal on the tracks From the Pagan Wastelands and Hidden in the Fog, but again falls into a rut of mediocre and out of place acoustic segments- this time called Ancient. My only guess would be is Behemoth is making some attempt at establishing atmosphere, but fails at doing so. However, the acoustic track Hell Dwells in Ice resurrects the band's attempt at furthering their atmosphere. The track is very moody with Nergal speaking in the background, and is overall a satisfying song. Lastly comes Transylvanian Forest, probably my favorite song off the album, a song that is raw to the core, with punk sounding drums and catchy guitar.

It is very obvious that this is not the Behemoth of today, who have dropped nearly all attributes found on this album, but have nonetheless gone on to create very powerful albums. Not a necessary buy, but nice to listen to every now and then. If you're a strong black metal advocate, consider buying this.

If it wasn't for Hell Dwells in Ice... - 59%

CannibalCorpse, January 29th, 2007

..this would have gotten an even lower score. Why? Keep reading.

I really like nowadays Behemoth, as they are a quite original and strong force in Death Metal, but many latter-day fans seem to neglect their Black metal past. I knew a few songs of their old times before, but since my interest in Black metal has rapidly increased over the last two years, I decided to check out a complete full-length.

"Sventevith" is definitely a Black metal album. It has its fair share of Norwegian influences, but I don't see it as being "too unoriginal" (as Nergal recently said). Behemoth rely on their Norwegian counterparts, but they also managed to set themselves apart far enough (at least for me).

I don't want to defend this album, though. The songwriting is not up to par with later Behemoth (a problem that was common in their music 'till Pandemonic Incantations) and some of the songs simply plod along and the listener’s attention starts to fade.

We also have two "interludes" often described as "Ancient Polish Folk" but that's just an excuse for two bland (especially "The Touch of Nya" ) acoustic/synth tracks with lousy production and shoddy performance.

The release itself is just pretty mediocre, but "Hell Dwells in Ice" just somewhat saves the album. It is another folkish clean guitar song but this time with great spoken passages and simple, yet effective picking. Very moody, atmospheric and memorable. Wish they'd have more songs like that on here.

"Transylvanian Forest" closes the album, a track supposedly written quite some time after the others, but has a rather punkish attitude (drumming) with an early Graveland-esque two-step beat mixed in for good measure. It has few good riffs, but somehow doesn't fit too well to the rest. Well, at least it also stands out.

In conclusion, "Sventevith (Storming Near the Baltic) is a rather lacklustre Black metal release, with a few moments showing a band that is capable of so much more.

I recommend it if you enjoy Black metal, but this is far from essential.

Early Behemoth; Norwegian influenced - 90%

namelessheretic, January 13th, 2006

Production value is acceptable, with all instruments at equal levels for a balanced feel, but not overproduced in any way, keeping the now famous "black metal atmosphere" present throughout the recordings.

The album's first track starts out with a melody that is similar to, but not copying, Emperor's opening track on 'In the Nightside Eclipse". Herein lies the beauty of this album; a keen appreciation and understanding of the aesthetic in early 90's Norwegian black metal, and being able to create an artistic piece that uses that influence without being a rip off copy. Negral is under the belief these days that this strong Norwegian influence on Behemoth's early works is, in fact, too present; a contributing factor to the change in direction he later took to better express himself in an "original" way and not in the way of others.

There can be some truth to such statements, but Behemoth had an uncanny skill in creating something genuine that adds to the genre. The songs here are put together too well for there to not be a true understanding of the art form. The melodies, played with distorted riffs, burn brightly over the pounding hypnosis of drumming fury, all the while the bass clearly connects the two, playing the role of intermediary. Vocals screech in established black metal form, giving the listener a feeling of familiarity now expected within these kind of song structures.

Surprises include "Ancient", which is a piece that is what it claims to be; a nod to older, traditional, folk songs (of what origin I cannot say; Polish?).

A well done album, and recommended by this reviewer to all.

Behemoth's Black Past - 80%

Jaxel, January 8th, 2005

It is hard to imagine and believe, that one of the most prolific and well known DM band of this decade, started out as a necro black metal outfit...but sometimes along comes a band with such terrifying songwriting that its impossible to deny. Such is the case of this mighty Polonian band. This album represents the starts of what will become in my opinion the road towards becoming the owners of the throne of death/black (title that used to belong to Dissection). The humble begginings of Behemoth are nothing compared to what they are now. Here we have an almost mediocre album, if we dont take into account the folk influences that actually makes this album worth buying. I will say this sounds like all thoses demos from black metal bands from mid 90s. aside from the aforementioned folkish atmosphere. As far as the evolution process is concerned, no trace of this album can be found on what Behemoth is today. I am just glad they still embrace songs from this album ("From the Pagan Vastlands"). Simply putted this album is worth looking, if you are after all a fan of the band. Black metal fans, i think can actually skip this...as it shows nothing new to the scene, but bear in my mind, that the songwriting of Behemoth are still present here, so this is by no means a piece of shit. For Behemoth and curious fans only...

Behemoth (Pol) - Sventevith - 90%

deathkvlt, September 9th, 2004

Behemoth have always been a great band, some people prefer the new Extreme Death Metal they play, others prefer the Black Metal band they were before. Honestly I prefer the Black Metal they did back then.

So stop the crap and write the review you may be thinking so here I go: Is it a good album? Hell yeah it is. The album was recorded in 1994 and honestly it's sounds like something really fresh even nowadays.

The first thing you'll notice is the use of a lot of acoustic guitars, I really like how they use them in the songs: they play fast and agressive black metal in the back but upfront you can hear some beautiful melodies played by acoustic guitars (The Chant from the Eastern Lands, Entering the Faustian Soul), something that's quite original honestly, also you can hear some nice keyboards that in the case of most songs they do more of an atmospheric arrangement than complicated keyboard runs and stuff although they carry the melody on some parts. As for the voice Nergal uses a kind of shriek that fits the music quite well. The drums in the record are OK ; nothing special there, not bad, not excellent, just some average drumming throughout the record, although I must say Baal Ravenlock does some nice fills and patterns in songs like The Chant from the Eastern Lands (which is one of my songs in the album).

The record is quite stable as all songs are OK and I don't feel there are any fillers on it, also it's worth mentioning that there are some tracks that are only interludes like The Touch of Nya which is two acoustic guitar piece that sounds really mystical, it has a kind ov Mediterranean feel that sounds really cool and also Ancient which is a synth piece that sounds really mystical too; this interludes are great because they help to keep the record varied and different.

All in all a very original and tight Black Metal album, if you like the new Behemoth don't expect the same band here, if you like Black Metal don't hesitate. Solid release from these guys ov Poland.