![Behexen – Beyond the Four Gates [Compilation] behexen – beyond the four gates [compilation]](https://www.vm-underground.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Behexen-–-Beyond-the-Four-Gates-Compilation-cover.jpg)
Info
- Band(s): Behexen
- Label(s): Werewolf Records
- Release Format(s): CD, Compilation
- Release Year: 2025
- Review Date: January 24, 2025
- Author(s): VincentP
2016. It’s nearly nine years ago that Behexen released the sledgehammer called ‘The Poisonous Path’, the last release of the band. Never the most productive band, it is by far the longest period of drought between releases. To quench our thirst for more, we now have ‘Beyond the Four Gates’ to dive into. This time under the banner of Werewolf Records, we are served not with the bands latest effort, but instead, their very oldest.
The compilation starts with the earliest material, from when the band was still called Lords of the Left Hand. Formed by Hoath Torog, Reaper and Horns, it features the lineup that also recorded the early Behexen demos. As a matter of fact, Hoath Torog and Horns remain the beating heart of the band to this very day. But that part of history aside, ‘Reality Is in Evil…’ was the only demo released as Lords of the Left Hand and saw its release in 1995. The music here is clearly quite crude, and could be described as an amalgam of Venom, Motörhead and Danzig mixed with early Impaled Nazarene and Barathrum. There isn’t any distortion on the guitar, as the studio had never recorded Metal and the band was new to the recording process as well. Despite that the sound is rather different from what we’re used to of the band, the demo does already make clear that the band had a knack for catchy riffs from the very first beginnings. Not much of that earliest sound made it into Behexen, but as early footsteps, this compilation gives an interesting view into a distant past of the band.
The same can be said for ‘Eternal Realm’, the 1997 released debut demo of Behexen. On it, the band had developed a rather symphonic and Heavy Metal infused Black Metal sound with a distinctly epic and medieval tone. Influences from the Hellenic scene and in particular Rotting Christ cannot be denied here. Indeed, despite the more distorted guitar sound and occasional bouts of violence, the music is rather more melodious. It places the band as a more medieval version of Alghazanth, who at the time were still in the demo phase as well. Yet this demo also harbors some glimpses of the future. In a song like ‘Derision for Jesus’, a prequel to the violent metamorphosis the band would undertake on their later material can clearly be heard.
That shift into what could be called the early Behexen sound beomes obvious on the subsequent songs from the ‘Blessed Be the Darkness’ demo from 1998. With a chunkier guitar sound and the snarling high-pitched through of Hoath Torog, this demo is a much closer of what was ultimately presented on ‘Rituale Satanum’. With all songs ending up on that debut, the main difference lies in the darker guitar production on the demo compared to the sharper ring to the guitars on the album. ‘Blessed Be the Darkness’ is clearly where Behexen found their sound, and with the the harsher production the songs sound even better than on the debut. It is not hard to understand why this demo made such an impact on the at that time developing Finnish Black Metal scene.
The final tracks of the compilation are from a release dubbed as ‘Promo ‘99’ and contains six tracks, of which five ended up on ‘Rituale Satanum’. With a rawer guitar sound, these song once again are more crude and intense than on the debut. These recordings also include the song ‘Black Storm of Satan’s Glory’, which in the end got replaced by the track ‘Rituale Satanum’ on the album. Why this track never made it to the record is unclear, as it would have fit in perfectly in terms of style and quality.
‘Beyond the Four Gates ‘ is an interesting retrospective into the early days of Behexen. Not only do we hear the first steps and pathfinding towards the sound that marked the early albums, it also presents rawer versions of the material that ended up on ‘Rituale Satanum’. While that album is clearly a classic in the Finnish Black Metal scene, one cannot help but think that these grimmer-sounding demo recordings actually do the material and the evil contained within more justice. All in all a very interesting compilation that hopefully will be followed by a much anticipated new album.