BEHEMOTH Is Working On New Material, Preparing For 30th-Anniversary Celebrations

BEHEMOTH frontman Adam "Nergal" Darski has confirmed to Summa Inferno that he and his bandmates are working on material for the follow-up to 2018's "I Loved You At Your Darkest" album. "Things are happening, let's put it that way," he said (see video below). "We're working hard, but we're in no rush, because, for now, there's really no light [at the end of] the tunnel yet. And I don't wanna spoil anything, but I honestly don't think any touring is happening this year. I wish it would, but it's not. That's my guess. I hope I'm wrong. But if I'm right, expect new music in '22. Maybe [the new album from Nergal's folk side project] ME AND THAT MAN will be released later this year, which would make sense, and it's gonna be followed by the next BEHEMOTH album. But we've got some aces up our sleeves. And even if there's no new music, we're celebrating three decades — 30 years — anniversary with BEHEMOTH, and, obviously, we'll celebrating that with some awesome stuff. So, yeah, stay tuned."

The majority of Darski's interview with Summa Inferno focused on his recent conviction for offending religious feelings by a court in Warsaw. The charges stemmed from an image the Polish musician posted on social media showing a foot stamping on a picture of the Virgin Mary.

Darski was ordered to pay a fine of 15,000 złoty (approximately $4,000) and court costs of almost 3,500 zloty (approximately $942). However, since Darski has contested the judgement, the case will now go to trial.

Last month, BEHEMOTH extended and expanded its contract with Nuclear Blast, which will now distribute the group's music worldwide outside of its home country. The band originally signed with Nuclear Blast Europe prior to the release of 2009's "Evangelion", but their next album will be their first to be released by the label outside of the Old Continent.

Formed in 1991 by then-teenage Darski, BEHEMOTH shattered the glass ceiling of the European metal underground thanks to a combination of aggressive worldwide touring, fiery and theatrical live performances, visually captivating music videos and unwaveringly intense music. Albums such as Decibel magazine Hall Of Fame inductee "Demigod" (2005) and 2014's "The Satanist" — hailed by Metal Hammer as the greatest extreme metal album of the 21st Century, and one of two BEHEMOTH records to achieve gold-certified status in Poland — pushed blasphemous blackened death metal to heights previously thought unattainable. Those releases provided the group with no shortage of fierce ammunition to conquer all audiences in its path, whether in support of childhood heroes such as OZZY OSBOURNE, SLAYER and DANZIG; on some of metal's biggest festival stages around the globe; or more recently, in European arenas alongside fellow subversives SLIPKNOT.

"I Loved You At Your Darkest"'s "Wagnerian satanic metal" was praised as "glorious" in a four-star review by The Guardian.