BEHEMOTH's 'In Absentia Dei' Special: Heavy Metal Vs. The Church

BEHEMOTH frontman Adam "Nergal" Darski and Lucien Greaves from The Satanic Temple and Netflix's "Hail Satan" recently sat down and talked about what it is to be a Satanist in 2020. The discussion, which was moderated by ex-Metal Hammer editor and Twin V Ltd. founder Alexander Milas of World Metal Congress, can be seen below.

In a 2018 interview with Kerrang! magazine, Nergal, who grew up in Catholic Poland, looked back on how his relationship with religion turned.

"There are three sacraments growing up in the Catholic church," he said. "The first is baptism, just after you’re born. They put some holy water over your head and, all of a sudden, you're part of a church. The second is communion, age eight or nine. Coming up to the third [confirmation] aged 14 or 15, I'd already started questioning things. The inner voice was asking, 'Is this you?' and the answer was, 'No, it's not…' Metal was a catalyst to that rebellion. I was beginning to move towards the unknown…"

Asked which bands, specifically, sparked that rebellion in him, Nergal said: "BLASPHEMY, VENOM and BATHORY. SAMAEL's 'Into The Pentagram' was a huge song here in Poland. They were the bands where I could really understand the lyrics and imagery. I was a massive TIAMAT fan, too, and when Johan Edlund would sing, 'I turn to you and say, 'I worship Lucifer',' [on 'The Scapegoat'], his was the voice of enlightenment and the voice of truth. That was [28] years ago and it's never really changed."

Last year, Nergal told Loudwire that his connection to Satanism began with metal and the dark aesthetic used by his favorite bands. "From day one, when I started reading and exploring the Satanic concept, it just felt liberating to be discovering it for myself," he said. "I would just read interviews with other musicians, because it started with the music, obviously, not with my passion for philosophy. From that, I would develop my interest in philosophy. I would collect from different angles, but it started with the music, with the rebellious character of extreme metal or heavy metal in general, which Satan is one of the strongest archetypes for. From day one, he's been the animal spirit of any metal subgenre."

Last month, BEHEMOTH announced "In Absentia Dei", a groundbreaking immersive livestream spectacular which will broadcast on September 5 from a secret church location in Poland. The event will be streamed in high-definition 4K, with an immersive experience option, allowing viewers to choose from eight different camera angles in the multi-camera shoot or watch the "Director's Cut." Tickets for this theatrical extravaganza are available now at www.behemoth.live. Parts of the performance may offend, so the footage is only recommended for fans 18+. Special guests at the event will be mysterious black metal avant gardeists IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT, whose set will come from The Slipper Room in New York City.

"In Absentia Dei" will also feature an hour long pre-show (which can be viewed for free at youtube.com/behemothofficial) commencing at 7 p.m. CET / 6 p.m. UK / 1 p.m. EST / 10 a.m. PST, with the full two-hour show beginning at 8 p.m. CET / 7 p.m. UK / 2 p.m. EST / 11 a.m. PST, exclusively at www.behemoth.live.

Ticket holders can watch the event up to 72 hours after the initial broadcast time. There is a 20% Early Bird discount on ticket prices until midnight CET on August 28, and a run of limited-edition event merchandise will also be available until 72 hours post-event, or until stocks last. Ticket and merch bundles are also on sale.

BEHEMOTH's latest EP, "A Forest", was released in May via Metal Blade. The EP's title track is a cover of THE CURE classic, and it features a guest appearance by SHINING frontman Niklas Kvarforth. The "A Forest" EP also includes a live version of the title track as well as two songs from the "I Loved You At Your Darkest" sessions.

BEHEMOTH supported SLIPKNOT on an arena tour of Europe in January and February.