eύaggέlion [ı´vændзəlion] - the reward of good tidings, given to the messengers (from eύ, well; άγγελíα, tidings, from άγγελοs, a messenger, angel) Hypostatic Union: Management US: Paul Conroy & Chuck Andrews for Channel Zero Nergal – lux Business Manager: Ed Gold for Gold Business Management Inferno – sol Legal representation: Jeff Cohen for Millen, White, Zelano & Branigan Merchandise US: www.jsrdirect.com Orion – ignis Merchandise Europe: www.plastichead.com Concelebrated The Revelation: Booking US: Nick Storch for www.theagencygroup.com Booking Europe: Guenther Beer for www.rockthenation.at Seth – abyssus Booking Eastern Europe: Vadim Khomich for www.theflamingarts.org Schism Congregation: www.behemoth.pl Maciej Malenczuk – vocals on „Lucifer” www.myspace.com/behemoth http://www.facebook.com/pages/BEHEMOTH/7174402871 Tomasz Osiecki – sitar on “Shemhamforash” Guitar service by Inferno, Orion, Seth, Manticore, Hatefrost, http://www.youtube.com/user/Behemothofficial Amplifiers service by Tomasz Wójkowski and Mark-L Arkadiusz Malczewski – backing vocals on “Daimonos” Siegmar – all samples and synths Behemoth is exclusively tattooed by Tat Studio and Blackstar Studio Pawel Hulisz - trumpet Piotr Kowalkowski – trumpet Michal Szczerba – horn Bonus DVD: The Making Ov Evangelion Bogdan Kwiatek – trombone Directed and edited by Kuba Mankowski Lukasz Gruba - tuba Studio footage by Kuba Mankowski and Nergal Interview shot by Michal Brach and Marcin Giorew All music by Nergal Photo session footage shot and edited by Grupa 13 All lyrics by Nergal and Krzysztof Azarewicz Menu design by Xaay Arrangements by Behemoth Samples arranged by Siegmar and Orion Statements by Krzysztof Azarewicz and Nergal Translations by Krzysztof Azarewicz Grammatical consultations with Sharon E. Wennekers and Katarzyna Slawska All songs published by Sony/ATV Music Publishing Produced by Nergal and Behemoth Co-produced by Daniel Bergstrand, Slavomir and Woytek Wieslawscy, Colin Richardson Recorded at RG Studios January 2009 e.v.- May 2009 e.v. Engineered by Arkadiusz Malczewski, Janusz Bryt, Kuba Mankowski Assistant engineer: Marcin Malinowski Mixed by Colin Richardson at Musikbox, Miloco Studios, London, May 2009 e.v. Mix engineer: Scott Atkins Assistant engineer: Matt Wiggins Mastered by Ted Jensen in Sterling Studio, New York, May 2009 e.v. Cover concept by Nergal and Tomasz Danilowicz Cover design and artwork by Tomasz Danilowicz, www.g-r-a-a-l.com Band photography by Maciej Boryna and Grupa13 Costumes designed and made by Kasjopea Michorowska www.rustydusty.net Make up by Behemoth Mask designed by Tomasz Danilowicz Mask made by Gellaturo Also visit us online at: www.metalblade.com | 3984-14745-2 | C 2009 Metal Blade Records Inc. honour me ! DAIMONOS Chaldean priests (music and lyrics by Nergal) bow to me, in adoration evangelize prophets ov the boundless joy sanctify the sin ov indulgence we worship the sun we worship the moon spreading like rats exalted above the stars ov god all hail slain and risen god ! all hail Dionysus ! “Come, blessed Dionysius, various nam’d, bull-fac’d Begot from Thunder, Bacchus fam’d Bassarian God, of universal might Whom swords, and blood, and sacred rage delight” war be sustained ! my godless phoenix rise ne’er to lifeless shall I submit offering solely the sword not peace mercy and cowardice extinct within we worship the sun we worship the moon spreading like rats exalted above the stars ov god all hail slain and risen god ! all hail Dionysus ! lead: Seth lead: Nergal “We must never be afraid to go too far, for truth lies beyond.” must never be afraid to go too far, “We Proust Marcel The word daimon is used herein in the classical or, more precisely, Platonian context and means higher self or genius. It is very easy to see that the percep- tion of certain subjects is the result of indoctrination. In one culture a given concept may be considered sacred, whereas in another it becomes bastardized. Information can be manipulated in order to serve our own purposes, and the history of well-established mainstream religions is full of such misuses. The concept of demon became evil because it was able to bring one to the realization of Self, which for worshipers of death-god was identical with the original sin. On the surface it is difficult to see a connection between a daimon and Chaldean priests, however Chaldean mythology provides many references to shedu, also known as lammasu, storm-demons represented as winged bulls. They acted not only as protective entities, but also keepers of the gates of dawn or illumina- tion. The Birth of Tragedy by F. Nietzsche was another very important source for these lyrics. The text focuses mainly on exploration of Dionysian aspects of Apollo/Dionysus dichotomy: chaos, intoxication, celebration of nature, excess and glorification of the wholeness of existence. To make this message more powerful, we used excerpts from The 44th Orphic Hymn dedicated to Dionysus. SHEMHAMFORASH The Shemhamforasch is an epithet for a 216-letter name of God discovered by medieval kabbalists, who read the consumed by tongues ov fire (music and lyrics by Nergal) letters of three verses of the book of Exodus in a specific order. The name is composed of 72 groups of three letters, burning like Phlegethon and each of these triplets was considered the name of an angel or higher intelligence. According to the magical tra- holy gardens reduced to ash dition, King Solomon evoked 72 demons, confined them in a bronze vessel sealed by magical symbols, and obliged extinguishing light ov hope them to work for him. These demons are catalogued in various magical grimoires, most notably in Lemegeton, which bringing the end ov the days describes their powers, appearance and manner, as well as instructions for controlling them. These demons are the shadows of the 72 angels of Shemhamforasch. Using their names and sigils, we are able to call on various demons for various favours. Regardless of our opinions on subjectivity or objectivity of such a phenom- words ov my gospel scattered enon and despite our interpretative model of their existence, be it ontological (magicko-religious) or epistemological sacrilegious scorn spat in pale creeds (magicko-scientific), certain things do happen. Demons and angels enable us to categorize life experiences and to thin is the line between pure being and pure nothing face them more consciously. Our life and art is not about developing ideologies and different „isms”. It is a battlefield my sole companion of opposite forces, and pangs of childbirth whose name will be Perfection. woe to Thee ! at my command! let the blood ov the infants flood the streets ov Bethelehem ! O ye ov little faith with ethics rotten in a moral cage dead meat thrown down to the worms to feed religious tumor corrupting marrow ov repugnant swirl at my command! let the blood ov the infants flood the streets ov Bethelehem! at my command ! let the heads ov Samaritans pave my ways ! lead: Nergal lead: Seth Shemhamforash ! Again, on one level of interpretation, these OV FIRE AND THE VOID TRANSMIGRATING BEYOND lyrics deal with the concept of a dead soul (music and lyrics by Nergal) REALMS OV AMENTI and its inevitable fate. This term was coined I the Sun ov man (music by Nergal; lyrics by Krzysztof Azarewicz) by Aleister Crowley and denotes human beings who live like automatons, consumed Max Stirner Max the offspring ov the stellar race by their desires and mammalian imprints. my halo fallen and crushed upon the earth there is a flame untamed deep in my heart Amenti or Duat in Egyptian mythology de- that I may bring balance to this world noted the Underworld, the abode of souls unyielding, pure Ain Soph after death. Like the sun-god Ra, we de- I son ov perdition ‘tis measureless scent into our own hells to face all aspects from sheer nothingness transgressed our right divine: of life, to revitalize ourselves and to steal unto the highest self – to utmost freedom fire not only from heaven but also from the to explore the starry nature ov my rage aspire to all horizons cauldrons of the deepest pits. There is no to seek nature ov things god but man. There is no devil I pulse ov existence retreat within yourself but god. Verses of this song to find the primal breath conceal the keys which the law ov nature undenied can guide us beyond I hold the torch ov Heraclites slaves ov the dead gods the state of worm-like so I can shake the earth and move the suns life, to transmigrate martyrs ov the falsehood beyond the reality I divine iconoclast your life is death now of dead souls. injecting chaos into my veins engulfed by the wake ov a million years with life accepted welcome to Amenti with pain resurrected is the embrace ov god in man profound to perceive means to know to possess means to deny the joy ov a dawn in the catacombs ov life the ecstasy ov dusk concealed within deaths vaults nourished have I this karmic flow pure vibration lies where great above meets great below nitya-samsarins let it be written ! travel to the house ov empty words let it be done ! Am-Heh! devour their hearts ! scattered I walk towards the fractured light slaves ov the dead gods lead: Seth martyrs ov the falsehood your life is death now Whilst listening to the first demo versions of this track I had an over- engulfed by the wake ov a million years whelming impression that every single tone is filled with the omni- welcome to Amenti present spirit of Dionysus, the god of ecstatic chaos and source of pure joy, reaching far beyond false boundaries between good lead: Nergal and evil, life and death, love and hate.