Behemoth23

Behemoth is a Polish death metal band. They are considered to have played an important role in establishing the Polish http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extreme_metal">extreme metal underground, alongside bands such as Vader, Decapitated, Vesania and Hate. Until the late 1990s, the band played traditional http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_metal">black metal with heathen lyrical content, but soon changed to that of occult and thelemic themes written by their lead vocalist http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Darski">Nergal and Krzysztof Azarewicz. The band has favoured pagan lyrics in the two latest albums, Demigod and The Apostasy. With the 1999 release of Satanica, the band showed their presence in the blackened death metal scene, while retaining their own signature style characterized by the drum work of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zbigniew_Robert_Promi%C5%84ski">Inferno, multi-layered vocals and Nile-style Middle-Eastern influences. Even though Behemoth has been labeled as death metal, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_metal">black metal or thrash influenced, Nergal has mentioned that he doesn't like the band to be labeled. Behemoth may at some point become banned from playing in their native country, Poland. In July 2007 the All-Polish Committee for Defense Against Sects distributed a list of bands that allegedly promote Satanism and murder to many Polish officials. Critics of this policy primarily see this as a violation of free speech, with the most scathing criticism generally eminating from within the metal community. As of present, the list has not gone into effect, and Behemoth is still allowed to play in Poland freely, but the band provoked further controversy in February 2008 when an official complaint had been registered by the committee, which cited a bible-tearing incident on behalf of frontman Nergal at a concert in September 2007. Current members http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Darski">Adam "Nergal" Darski - vocals, lead/rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, synthesizer, programming (1991 - present) Tomasz "Orion" Wróblewski - bass guitar, backing vocals (2004 - present) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zbigniew_Robert_Promi%C5%84ski">Zbigniew Robert "Inferno" Promiński - drums (1997 - present) Patryk "Seth" Sztyber - lead/rhythm guitar, backing vocals (session/live) Former members Guitar Leszek "L.Kaos" Dziegielewski (1995-1996, 1998-1999) Adam "Desecrator" Malinowski (1991-1992) Mateusz "Havok" Smierzchalski (2000-2004) Bass Rafał "Frost / Browar" Brauer (1992-1993) Mefisto (1997-1998) Orcus (1993) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcin_Nowak">Marcin "Novy" Nowak (2000-2003) Drums Adam "Baal Ravenlock Session Keyboard Piotr Weltrowski Maciej Niedzielski Guests Warrel Dane - Vocals on The Apostasy Leszek Mozdzer - Piano on The Apostasy Rob Darken - Keyboards Studio Albums http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sventevith_%28Storming_Near_the_Baltic%29">Sventevith (Storming Near the Baltic) (1995) Grom (1996) Pandemonic Incantations (1998) Satanica (1999) Thelema.6 (2000) Zos Kia Cultus (Here and Beyond) (2002) Demigod (2004) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Apostasy">The Apostasy (2007)