BEHEMOTH frontman Adam “Nergal” Darski has once again addressed the provocative title of the band’s latest album, The S**t Ov God, insisting that it is far more thoughtful and philosophical than some listeners initially assume.
Speaking in a new interview with Australia’s Heavy, Nergal was asked whether it has become easier or harder to create something fresh and compelling with each new BEHEMOTH release. He acknowledged that the challenge only grows over time, pointing to legendary bands as proof that longevity comes with pressure (as transcribed by Blabbermouth): “Obviously, it’s more and more demanding, more challenging. But then who we are to say that. Just take [JUDAS] PRIEST or METALLICA, how much of a task it is for those bands to come up with something that’s gonna be… I mean, [METALLICA‘s] James Hetfield, he openly talks about it now. [METALLICA‘s] Black Album was that, and then ever since it’s a struggle. And ‘I’ve never been entirely’ — that’s what he said — ‘I’ve never been entirely happy with what we do.’ And he said that. So, trust me, it’s not an easy task. And just take, for instance, JUDAS PRIEST. But JUDAS PRIEST, last record is f**king amazing. The one before, Firepower, was f**king amazing. So I look up to those bands and I’m, like, ‘You know what? They still can do it. If they can do it, I can do it.’ But it’s not easy. It’s far from that. That’s why sometimes I have to zero myself.”
Turning his attention to The S**t Ov God, Nergal explained that the album title was never meant to be a cheap provocation, despite reactions suggesting otherwise: “Some people get it, some people didn’t get that. When I gave our latest record that title, they were, like, ‘Uh, Nergal, you can do better than this.’ No, I can’t do better. This is the best I can give you. This is the best I can give you. And if you don’t wanna look into that and just see it’s not just a primitive slogan or simple or whatever, it’s something way more than just provocative title. It’s something way more than that. And you just need to dig into that. It’s not a stupid title.
“Just get the record, read the lyrics,” he continued. “It’s not a stupid title. And it makes sense. You just need to make an effort as a fan to digest that, to process that and eventually understand that. But it’s up to you. I did my work. Now it’s up to you. And I know it’s a challenging title and it’s a challenging record, and it’s not some Satanic chitchats. There’s never been. It’s a very challenging, very demanding album with the title that you may think, ‘Oh, there’s something wrong with those dudes. They didn’t come up with something complex and philosophical.’ And it’s more philosophical than you think it is.”
Nergal went on to describe the album title as a deliberate creative reset, especially when viewed alongside BEHEMOTH’s recent discography: “But with [The S**t Ov God] album title, I kind of zeroed myself, because I remember thinking, ‘F**king hell.’ I stole this Opvs Contra Natvram title from [psychiatrist Carl] Jung, but who knows who Jung is? And then I stole I Loved You At Your Darkest from the Bible… It’s inspired by the Bible. And I thought it’s a beautiful title, yet people were bitching about it. But I thought there’s so much depth there, and let me explain you. But they’re, like, ‘You can’t top The Satanist.’ The Satanist, that kind of title is one in the world, one in a lifetime. And there’s one Evangelion and one The Apostasy. I mean, trying to top that, you’ll fail. You must do something completely opposite that’s gonna just get people off the guard, like, boom. And they’re, like, ‘What the f**k is that?’ And that’s what The S**t Ov God is. So now when I zeroed myself, if you know what I’m trying to explain, now I can again build something way more sophisticated and complex, just to build the dynamics. If you analyze BEHEMOTH‘s album titles — The Satanist, then I Loved You At Your Darkest — something completely different, the dynamics. It goes somewhere else. And then the Latin title that I stole from Jung, Opvs Contra Natvram. And then The S**t Ov God. It’s, like, you have four album titles that are completely different. And that’s what makes it cool, at least for me. Every one [of them] is different, and I’m not doing those to make you like them. I’m doing those to f**king confuse you. That is my main goal — to confuse the f**k out of people. And I succeeded.”
BEHEMOTH released The S**t Ov God on May 9, 2025, via Nuclear Blast Records.
Nergal previously said about the album: “I have reached a point in the journey of BEHEMOTH and my own creativity where words and explanations have less and less meaning. The true essence of who we are and what we stand for lies in our music, our art, our visuals, our sound, our performances and in the way we connect with you. I deeply believe that Behemoth embodies transcendent, timeless art. The number thirteen – so magical and meaningful. If this is our last album, I could walk away with pride. Without a doubt, this is the purest and clearest representation of BEHEMOTH. No filler, no superfluity – just the best we have to offer, for you. Hail Satan”
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