20.05.2025 Behemoth

Graspop Metal Meeting

Dessel (Belgium)

After the reverent sounds in the Marquee tent, the day’s finale took me back outside to the North Stage. This was where Poland’s biggest export in the realm of black and death metal was about to hold their mass. Just like Opeth, they are true regulars at Graspop, as this would be their incredible ninth appearance on the Belgian field. And the parallels didn’t end there: they were also founded back in 1991 and have released 13 albums to date.
But enough with the numbers. Since their latest album "The Shit Ov God" had only just been released shortly before Graspop, it was no surprise that some of it made it into the set. “The Shadow Elite” opened the dark ceremony with plenty of fire, fog, and ominous lighting. Overall, the setlist was evenly spread across their entire body of work, with no single album dominating. The band’s large, serpent‑like microphone stands, an unmistakable trademark of Polish death metal, looked dark and intimidating. The musicians around frontman Adam Michał “Nergal” Darski constantly changed positions on stage. Vocally, he was supported by his two fellow string wielders Patryk Dominik “Seth” Sztyber and Tomasz “Orion” Wróblewski. Zbigniew Robert “Inferno” Promiński underscored everything with the thunderous rumble of his drums.
The band truly got to show everything they had, and the opulent stage design, complete with striking visuals on the massive screen behind them, further amplified the accusatory tone of their songs. The fact that Behemoth have long become a genuine headliner was highlighted by a dramatic moment mid‑show: the band suddenly left the stage, each member carrying a torch, and walked down the center aisle toward the skydeck above the front‑of‑house area. There, an oversized lion’s cage had been set up, inside which they performed the next songs. The distinctive camera shots broadcast onto the giant screens made this especially impressive. Afterwards, the set continued back on the main stage, where “Nergal,” dressed as a priest with a bishop’s mitre, delivered “Christians To The Lions” from their 2000 album "Thelema.6". To the sound of “Chant for Eschaton 2000” from the even older 1999 album Satanica, the band left the stage, only to return shortly after, to my great surprise, wearing masks and cloaks. With the raw force of “O Father O Satan O Sun!”, the mass came to an end, and the crowd worshipped the gods of black metal.
I had already seen Behemoth once before, at Wacken Open Air in 2018, though back then it was early evening and still daylight. But I have to say, the gigantic show in complete darkness created an entirely different atmosphere. It was goosebumps from start to finish, something I honestly hadn’t expected. They were impressive in 2018, but on this night they proved that they can truly be outstanding headliners (they even exceeded their slot, playing almost 90 minutes instead of the scheduled 75). Public attention always tends to revolve around the band’s figurehead “Nergal,” but in my opinion his bandmates certainly don’t need to hide in his shadow. The entire show was incredibly well thought out and visually lavish, making it worth catching them at a festival even if their music isn’t entirely your thing, especially if they’re playing after nightfall.