Behemoth /

Behemoth is a Polish blackened death metal band from Gdańsk, formed in 1991. They are considered to have played an important role in establishing the Polish extreme metal underground, alongside bands such as Vader, Decapitated, Vesania and Hate. Until the late 1990s, the band played a traditional black metal style with heathen lyrical content, but soon changed to that of occult and thelemic themes written by their lead vocalist Nergal and Krzysztof Azarewicz. 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 Inferno, multi-layered vocals and Middle-Eastern influences. Despite the fact that Behemoth has been labeled as death metal, black metal or thrash-influenced, Nergal has mentioned that he does not like the band to be labeled. Behemoth was formed in 1991 as a trio, with Nergal on guitar and vocals, Baal on the drums, and Desecrator on the guitar.