HYLI Vol. XI - Behemoth and Sonic Youth
Andy sends Patrick some Polish death metal and Patrick sends Andy one of the best bands of all-time's most underrated record.
You know what’s fucked up? Andy never writes these things (Andy: It’s true). He always just puts, in italics for some dipshit reason, something like “put the intro here you dumb motherfucker.” (Andy: Also true.) It hurts my feelings every single time. Why do I write these with him? I am just a kind editor boy who corrects all of his batshit punctuation choices. What is friendship really at the end of the day? Anyways, I can hear again. I have emerged from the other side as a Defeater of COVID 19. Thank you and enjoy.
Behemoth - The Satanist
Andy: Behemoth is just one of those bands you need to know if you’re trying to get your metalhead merit badge. Starting as a (good imo) black metal band in the ‘90s and transitioning to the most prominent and successful blackened death metal band (if we are forced to put a genre) around today (Patrick: no one has ever forced you to do anything, you’re your own man). It is uncommon for a band’s 10th record to be widely considered their “best” but that is what Behemoth did with their 2014 album, The Satanist.
Being a snob (Patrick: go on), sometimes Behemoth hits that “everything is a bit too polished and clean and marketable” (Patrick: LOL) but, in reality, they are a great mainstream shepherd for extreme metal. Great riffs, strong vocals, very “on brand” imagery for their anti-Christian “fuck god lol” vibe. They’re at their best when the drumming is allowed to just go off the rails - everything is improved with blast beats (Patrick: I’m truly really constantly hearing this).
I’m a tad more partial to 2009’s Evangelion but The Satanist is widely considered their best work, and is also very good, so it’s an easy pick. Plus the album art rules. Band is good. Hope You Like It.
Patrick: Usually the lamestream media’s whole “metal music will turn your kid into a devil worshipping sinner” thing sucks shit and is weird but, with Behemoth, you can really just tell they Do Not Fuck With G*d. It honestly kinda rules. I am not a fan of Beelzebub, personally, but I respect their worldview. If loving Satan leads to music like this, though, I would personally be cool with it if more metal bands were like the stereotype Tipper Gore thinks them to be (Andy: you think Tipper has ever spun a Behemoth track? I’d like to think so). This shit rocks.
My personal favorite track here is the album closer, “O Father O Satan O Sun!” (Andy: Also my favorite track). Lol these boys are crazy. I am told by the information webpage Wikipedia that Adam “Nergal” Darski is the brains behind this operation. He has pretty solid, what I would describe as traditional, metal vocals for the majority of this album. But on the closing track, he slips into almost like a spoken word type of metal singing that is kind of unlike most anything I’ve heard before. It entranced me. I was under this little devil dork’s spell. It rules. Even if you aren’t a metal person, I highly recommend peeping this track about the Fallen One. I Liked This A Lot Maybe The Most.
Sonic Youth - Murray Street
Patrick: Sonic Youth rocks. Who the fuck still needs to be told this almost 40 years into them being a band? (Andy: Me.) Andy, apparently. While a lot of their most well-known songs and albums lean into the alt-rock tag, probably in no small part due to Kurt Cobain repping them, I have always preferred them leaning into the noise-rock side of their sound. Weird guitar tunings that make no sense and drums just doing what the fuck ever. Let’s go. Murray Street is their last great album and, in many ways, them kind of returning to their roots and not trying for radio singles (Andy: Radio Singles aka the bane of my existence), back in a time where a band could be on the radio while looking like a live-action Hey Arnold human (Andy: tf.) and making their guitars quack. I really do Hope You Like It.
Andy: You ever been sick and miserable and grumpy and your dumb-ass friend is like “hey listen to this nice ‘alternative rock’ record!” (Patrick: ok.) and all you want to do is listen to violent beatdown cause you feel like shit? But you listen anyway cause you’re a good friend? And it’s actually good but like god damn I just need yelling and angry music and this just ain’t it my guy (Patrick: real ‘has this ever happened to you’ ITYSL vibes from Andrew).
When I decide to put my big boy pants on this record absolutely slaps. Is this the best thing he’s recommended on this newsletter? Let me check. I guess I’d tie it with Engine Down but this is good even though it wasn’t violent and I needed violent music (Patrick: I am constantly so worried about you). The record is very very good. Not a ton of straightforward alternative rock tracks on here - seems like almost every song has some sort of interesting edge that makes it a worthwhile listen.
Is “Plastic Sun” the best song on this album? I think it might be. I don’t love the vocals on some of these songs but vibe with some of the others. I pulled up the Wikipedia for this band and was immediately overwhelmed and closed it. These are a bunch of old people who started in the 80s? I assumed it was a bunch of 20-year-old British dudes (Patrick: that’s because there are a bunch of 20-year-old Brits who owe Thurston and Kim and Lee like twelve dollars). Who knew. I didn’t. I’m an idiot so it’s okay (Patrick: hey you be nice to my friend Andy!).
Anyway, the album Murray Street by the band Sonic Youth is very good. I Liked It.