Zos Kia Cultus

ポーランド・デス・ブラック・メタル・シーンを代表するベテラン・ブラックメタル・アクト、BEHEMOTHの6枚目となる2002年作品がボーナス・ビデオ・トラック1曲入りでリイシュー！イギリスの魔術師Austin Osman Spareの生み出した魔術Zos Kia Cultusをタイトルとした本作は、オカルティズムを非常に強く打ち出した作風で、デスメタル・シーンにおける彼らの地位を不動のものにした名作！獰猛で複雑極まりないリフ、と緻密に構築された展開はMorbid Angelなどのファンにオススメ！

When Behemoth really gets going, it truly sounds like World War III. Some of the most menacingly heavy and jaw-droppingly fast metal to ever be committed to tape, Zos Kia Cultus carves a swath of sonic violence that pulverizes everything in its path. That said, the sheer volume and velocity are a bit overwhelming to absorb at times, but the execution is exhilarating, and if you want to explore the limits of heaviness, this one is definitely pushing the envelope. It doesn't hurt that the band knows how to throw an effective slow part into the mix once in a while to make the fast parts seem even faster, or to use the occasional dash of fleeting melody to offset the disharmonious atonality. One listen to "Horns of Baphomet," the album's staggering opener, provides a harrowing glimpse of the band's terrifying heaviness that is sure to either reel you in or send you screaming. [Peaceville/Snapper's 2007 reissue included a bonus video track.] ~ Andy Hinds|