Behemoth

A leading light in the Polish metal scene, Behemoth first emerged in the early 1990s with a caustic cocktail of black and death metal that was made all the more punitive by a heavy dose of religious provocation. Both sonically and socially pugilistic -- they were criminally charged by the Polish government for tearing up a bible and emblazoning the country's coat of arms on a T-shirt -- the band released their first full-length recording, 1995's Sventevith, to favorable reviews. Subsequent albums like Demigod (2004), Billboard 200 Top 40 entry The Satanist (2014), and Opvs Contra Natvram (2022) displayed a wide musical vision that incorporated folk music, synthesizers, choirs, and orchestras, while still managing to retain their brutal, extreme metal sound. Behemoth issued their 13th album, the punishing The Shit Ov God, in 2025.