Of course, we had our doubts. Because of the rather simple album title, better fitted for another tedious Deicide release than for BEHEMOTH.

Because of Adam Darski long struggle with leukemia that prevented him from writing any new tracks for some years. Because of all expectations that burdened ‘The Satanist’ prior to its release.

Because of the usual fan fears that after all its glorious years the band would finally slip into the habit of just releasing another album to satisfy the market demand or would probably try something lighter in order to win some Dimmu Borgir teenagers on its side.

Of course, we shouldn’t have doubted Adam Darski.

For this is not simply the return of BEHEMOTH but one of the best release of 2014. Probably – one of the best albums released in the last five years.

What’s most important when it comes to ‘The Satanist’ is its monumental nature. There’s nothing casual here, no cracks, no filler. Things just fir together – like smooth building blocks of a Mediaeval stronghold.

This goes for Russian occult painter Denis Forkas Kostromitin’s paintings (one for each release format, all three drawn using a portion of Adam Darski’s own blood), for the diabolically bleak photo session (closely connected to the video for ‘Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel’) as well as for the inclusion of saxophone and the usage of Witold Gombrowicz’s poetry.

The music itself is just what one would expect from BEHEMOTH. And yet – not quite.

‘The Satanist’ gets its high rating just because of that – this is undoubtedly and extreme black/death hybrid that blasts through in the most vicious fashion but then again, it possesses dynamics and layer upon layer of excellent musical themes that put the album head and shoulders above anything else right now.

And while ‘Amen’ and ‘Messe Noire’ are executed in a typical Marduk kind of straight-forward way, ‘In The Absence Ov Light’ and ‘Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel’ are radically different and quite epic but it is the album closer ‘O Father O Satan O Sun!’ that comes as the real surprise – a lengthy, pompous track consisting of one heave, orchestrated riff, choral vocals, classical instruments and ecstatic recitation.

By now you should be fairly convinced that this is a hard album to write about. And maybe writing anything is close to unnecessary for ‘The Satanist’ is simply a perfect piece of music that you have to listen to. Again and again. Now do it.