Behemoth is a Polish blackened death metal band from Gdańsk. They are considered to have played an important role in establishing the Polish extreme metal underground, alongside bands such as Vader, Decapitated, Vesania and Hate. Over the years Behemoth has moved from traditional black metal into blackened death metal and then into modern death metal with each consecutive release. Until the late 1990s, the band played a traditional black metal style with heathen lyrical content, but soon changed to that of occult and thelemic themes written by their lead vocalist Nergal and Krzysztof Azarewicz. With the 1999 release of Satanica, the band demonstrated their presence in the death metal scene, while retaining their own signature style characterized by the drum work of Inferno, multi-layered vocals and Middle-Eastern influences.
Bill Laswell has worked closely with many of the greatest names in Reggae: Sly and Robbie, Lee Scratch Perry and many others. A Dub Master Supreme, he turns his fabulous creativity to the classic Tzadik release Feast of the Passover. Featuring some of the greatest Passover seder songs, it is perhaps David Solid Gould’s most varied and spiritually inspired project. Connecting the Rasta and Jewish traditions through the miracle of music, Laswell’s imaginative dubs are the perfect background to anyone's 21st century seder. Moody, atmospheric and essential!
The King’s Consort, with many of our new, second-generation period instrumentalists, exhibits all the benefits of authentic timbre and texture – there is no need nowadays to make allowances for uneven tone or bad intonation. The New College Choir are spot-on, poignant in mourning, exultant in victory. The whole ensemble is recorded over a wide stereo spectrum which leaves every detail clearly audible. Emma Kirkby’s ‘Israelitish Woman’ enlivens even the most pedestrian numbers. Catherine Denley contrasts but blends in their five duets, and has great facility over an impressive range. Bowman is superb in ‘Father of Heav’n’. Jamie MacDougall rises to the virtuoso challenge of the warlike hero, and Michael George focuses with no less clarity as Simon. Any weaknesses in this, the first ever complete recording, are Handel’s.