BEHEMOTH's NERGAL: How I Ended Up Singing 'Evil Has No Boundaries' With SLAYER

BEHEMOTH frontman Adam "Nergal" Darski has revealed how he ended up joining SLAYER on stage during the latter band's concert this past June at Arena Gliwice in Gliwice, Poland to sing the SLAYER classic "Evil Has No Boundaries". Speaking during Zippo Encore's "Dudes Talking S#*t In A Truck" segment that was filmed several days later at the U.K.'s Download festival, Nergal recalled (see video below): "It really started with Baby Nergal back in — I don't know — 30 years ago or something, when I was listening to that song. Basically, my whole [love for] SLAYER started with that song, and I loved it from the very start. As everyone, maybe you get the same — [people] ask you, 'What's your favorite SLAYER moment?' The first is your sentimental trip. It's not, like, automatically you say 'Reign In Blood'. Is it? So it started with 'Evil Has No Boundaries' with me, when I was this little kid just rocking to that song in front of the mirror. And then I brought it up when we were touring in the U.S. [with SLAYER]. We were just having our Jäger meeting after the show with Kerry [King, SLAYER guitarist] and Gary [Holt, SLAYER guitarist]. I was, like, 'Yeah, I love that song.' I love most of their catalog, but this one just does the trick to me. And every day, they would do this official soundcheck for, like, 20-30 people, VIPs. And I think I just gave them the idea that maybe they should do it. And Kerry was, like, 'Yeah. Let's do it.' He's a very straight-up guy. He said, 'Yeah, we're gonna do it.' Which I took as just courtesy [response]. So, [I didn't think it was] happening. But at least my heart was, like, 'Oh, cool.' And then, two weeks later, they were, like, 'So, when are we doing it?' And I was, like, 'Oh, shit. They were real about it.' And Gary said, 'I know the song.' And Kerry was, like, far away, 'I know it too.' And I'm, like, 'Tomorrow?' 'Tomorrow it shall be.'"

He continued: "So, I went out. It was just a soundcheck — official soundcheck — with the band jamming and 20 people in the crowd. I [had] more stage fright and [was more] paralyzed and just so excited than for the whole tour, with all our shows together — if you just sum it up together. It was, like, 'Wow!' Then we repeated it again during some other soundcheck later, so we did it twice. Nd then I remember, when we got that Polish show [with SLAYER], I approached Kerry in Australia. I was, like, 'Why don't we do it within a SLAYER set?' And he goes, like, 'Oh, shit. I have to learn it again.' But then he goes… Because he really loved my anti-Pope hate, he goes, like, 'We'll do it if you'll be wearing that.' And then I immediately answered, 'Of course.' But, of course, I wouldn't, because it wouldn't work for SLAYER. But I really wanted to do it, so I just promised, 'Yeah, of course. Anything you want, we'll do it.' So we just [stuck] to that. And then they started their tour, and I checked the setlist, and 'Evil Has No Boundaries' is in the setlist."

Last year, Nergal said that he was thrilled to support SLAYER during the band's farewell tour.

"It makes me sad to see SLAYER go," he said. "It was a huge honor to be part of it. It was amazing on one hand; on the other, it was pretty sad. I just can't imagine a world without SLAYER. I can imagine a world without God, but I can't imagine a world without SLAYER."

He continued: "Things change. People come and people go and we better get used to the idea that BLACK SABBATH is no more, that IRON MAIDEN are counting down their days as well. All the big bands we look up to will go sooner or later — probably sooner, because they're all in their 50s or 60s.

"I've just seen THE ROLLING STONES. Mick Jagger is over 70 and he's amazing, but we're just human, we are very fragile and shit happens.

He added: "I just want to see as much of my favorite music as I can before it's gone."

BEHEMOTH is continuing to tour in support of its latest album, "I Loved You At Your Darkest", which was released in October 2018 via Metal Blade Records in North America and Nuclear Blast in Europe.