BESATT - Supreme and True at Night review

 

BESATT - Supreme and True at Night

Witching Hour Productions

So if you're into black metal, and frankly who isn't, than Poland's BESATT is a house hold name to you. They were for me years ago but unfortunately I kinda lost track of em. Still I consider their albums from most of the 2000's to be damm good. I'm talking about Hail Lucifer, Hellstorm, Sacrifice for Satan, Black Mass and Triumph of Antichrist. Just for the record I never did get a copy of their 1997 debut In Nomine Satanas. I know fuck me right?

After that is where I lost touch with the band until I got 2012's Tempus Apocalypsis which was pretty damm good as well. But I lost touch with em again until now. So here we have the eleventh full length from BESATT. Now remember people they do have all those short form releases, which I never bothered to collect. So for starters there's a couple of things going on here which I'll go into.

First off this is the new BESATT with Beldaroh (bass and vocals) as the only original member from back in the day. The other three band members have been around for the past ten years. The second thing which I think is important is that they really haven't changed at all. BESATT 2021 (or at least Beldaroh) are still carrying the torch for second wave black metal. I mean the band started out originally in 1991 so we're talking legacy here. 

But as far as this modern version goes I've gotta say Beldaroh still sounds like a blackened banshee with those screams of his. To me as a fan that was always the point which pulled me in. The second point is when he does those spoken word invocations as if he's a drunken priest. To me that adds so much beauty as well as interest to the vocals. 

Third and the real important point is how BESATT still come up with ways to make second wave black metal exciting. I mean what set them up in the first place was their way to invoke savage sounding tremolo ice covered riffs and rhythms. But then quickly switch to a melodic and atmospheric style. And on here those parts are played well with some tasty guitar solos which bring beauty to this hate filled beast.

This year has been interesting for any black metal fan. The newer acts, in my not so humble opinion, have not shown any depth other than copy and paste from the past. And yet you've got BM acts from the past putting out amazing music which will carry on for decades. This latest album by BESATT is obviously one of my favorite BM albums of this year. 

  

https://store.witchinghour.pl/

LISTEN HERE:

https://besatt666.bandcamp.com/album/supreme-and-true-at-night

BESATT - Supreme and True at Night review

 

BESATT - Supreme and True at Night

Witching Hour Productions

Well I must admit that it's been a while since I've listened to something new by Poland's BESATT. How long you ask? Well they were still on Undercover Records. So we're talking more than a decade ago. Oh yeah and Fulmineus was still on vocals. So yeah it's been a while.

Therefore instead of dwelling on their past efforts to the point of nostalgia and comparing. I just looked at this one from a modern perspective of an old band. Frankly if you're a past fan then you'll do the same since this is a damm good release. BESATT has taken a page from the playbooks of their peers (aka: old BM bands still around). Basically they kept some positives from their past and intertwined em into the modern era.

Sure the fierce riffage is here and their last original member Beldaroh (vocals / bass) has a great harsh singing style. But the band has a more melodic BM style than I remember. Another nod to the band's past yet is still here, the emphasis on unique songwriting. Each of the eight cuts on is a compact opus. The music never drags on to repetitive jaunts. I love how the guitar leads are weaved in. The spoken word parts, even Gregorian chants, add elements of doom to give breaks. 

All in all BESATT has been around for three decades. So for a band like that to create something this well crafted and late in their career is amazing. Right now my other BESATT CDs can stay on the shelf because this is probably the best thing I've heard by em. The band were obvious pioneers of the Polish black metal scene back in the early 90's. Why not show off that you've still got it.

https://store.witchinghour.pl/

LISTEN HERE:

https://besatt666.bandcamp.com/album/supreme-and-true-at-night