Abyssus Abyssum Invocat: Deluxe Edition

This two-CD set gathers a pair of out of print EPs by Polish death metal band Behemoth -- 2004's Conjuration, originally issued on Regain Records, and 2006's Slaves Shall Serve, originally released by the now-shuttered Century Media sublabel Olympic -- and adds three bonus tracks to the former and two to the latter, all live. The EPs were basically CD maxi-singles, offering the title track plus a bunch of covers and live material. The covers are quite interesting; the first disc (originally Conjuration) includes versions of Nine Inch Nails' "Wish" and Venom's "Welcome to Hell," while the second (originally Slaves Shall Serve) offers Behemoth's takes on Fields of the Nephilim's "Penetration" and Danzig's "Until You Call on the Dark." These aren't even the most unexpected covers the band has ever done, of course; 2001's Antichristian Phenomenon EP included a take on David Bowie's "Hello Spaceboy"! Sometimes these songs are death metal-ized, but not always; the Danzig song is a slow crawl that preserves the original's bluesy swagger, and even finds vocalist Nergal singing in a relatively clean voice on the chorus. This is a surprise, because Nergal is highly regarded in death metal for his unique voice, which sounds like a cross between a human being and a blast furnace. The live tracks are excellent, well recorded, and powerful, and they demonstrate Behemoth's ability to write crushing death metal songs that retain basic melodic structure and a surprising amount of dynamics. The band shifts from headlong blasting to a slow, powerful chug like a bulldozer trying to climb out of a sand pit. This set will definitely make fans happy, and might even serve as a decent introduction to Behemoth, driving listeners to their more recent albums. ~ Phil Freeman|