After arguably too much experimentation on the divisive I Loved You at Your Darkest in 2018 and then arguably not enough on the boringly stale Opvs Contra Natvram in 2022, the Polish juggernaut that is Behemoth seem to have attempted a middle way on this, their thirteenth full-length since forming all the way back in 1991. Even for Nergal - whose creative tank seems to have been running on near-empty after the career high that was surviving leukaemia and 2014's The Satanist - The Shit ov God is a cringeworthy, trying-far-too-hard title, directly aimed at those who follow him on social media for his blasphemous tiktok bursts. It can't help but colour your reaction to the music on this album, which is nowhere near as inspired and leftfield as some of the material on I Loved You at Your Darkest but generally manages to be at least more interesting than Opvs Contra Natvram...

And although fated never to match the levels of past glories that helped make the Behemothic name one to be feared and admired, The Shit ov God is adequate enough an argument for the continuation of the project, at least. It helps that it's a relatively lean album at under 40 minutes, the band's shortest since 1999's Satanica, and that songs generally barrel along without wasting time. Opener The Shadow Elite gallops along with plenty of blackened drama and enough groove to make things infectious for newer ears, whilst the stop-start technical battering of Sowing Salt stands out well. Nomen Barbarvm simply seethes with anger and has some of the old Zos Kia Cultus magic to its instrumental whiplashing, contrasting well with the following O Venvs, Come! which is the doomiest and most grandiose piece here.

As ever, the flowers must go to Inferno first and foremost for always providing a blast-happy drum performance that more than fits the music but also keeps it firmly in the metallic underground with sturm und drang. Other members such as bassist Orion and guitarist Seth more than hold up the instrumental end, ensuring that even though the focus may be on Nergal, the band's music is still worth hearing. And of course, speaking of the frontman, his performance here is solid, his typical dry snarl infused with emotion, directing affairs with suitable aplomb. Even on the title track and first single, an oddly industrial-feeling and overly-repetitive version of the usual epic-stomper formula which received quite a lot of derision online when debuted, it's impossible to deny the heartfelt vocal performance however ridiculous the lyrics.

The same goes for other silly vocal lines elsewhere in the album - you can always tell Nergal believes in this stuff and believes in himself, which makes up for some otherwise average material. Lvciferaeon is a little too aimless despite some solid soloing and a poor chorus ("If I am God/Everyone is/If I am not/None exists" - checkmate, Christians!) and although To Drown the Svn In Wine has furious energy it's very much Behemoth-by-numbers even with the guest Greek ranting from Chaostar's Androniki Skoula. Perhaps overall Behemoth played it a little safe here when to go further would have made for better results, yet the fire and fury that burns in their heart has won the day here. They'll seemingly never produce another Demigod or Satanist but Behemoth still have enough lead in their pencils for their brand of epic blackened death metal to be worthy of your ears.