BEGERITH
Russian witches reach for a portal to the beyond
Spawned in the woods, rivers and mountains of Russian port town Vladivostok, Begerith’s aura is one of chilling isolation and mysticism, something that stems from vocalist Wiedzmin.
“It’s not a secret that I am hereditary witch,” he says. “I saw the prophet dream, in which the creature that lives in every of us was born. His name is Begerith.” Feeling like the air is often filled with magic, Wiedzmin says his lyrics are “guides to the other worlds” that exist on the edge of our reality.
Since the band’s formation, Begerith have relocated to Poland, which is apt, since their sound is so reminiscent of blackened death titans Behemoth, although Wiedzmin says he wants to be “successors” to the Polish metal tradition. Also similar to Nergal and co, spiritualism and the occult play a large part in the band’s dark musical palette.
“I wouldn’t say that we have a direct religious concept in our lyrics,” he says about new album A.D.A.M. “A mystical path of the soul rests in our lyrics, from birth ’til death, including the struggle and its transformation in the other worlds. We speak of metamorphoses, possession, demons and passion – things each of us face during life, not even realising that our souls are on the battlefield of existence.
“We are against all religions,” he continues, “because they are the true evil. We see and feel through the prism of humanity’s legacy, choosing different angles of how we look on the multifaceted diamond of our world.”
With songs simply numbered from I to X, A.D.A.M. is a series of movements, one cohesive pitch black hole belching forth a putrid stench of unholy death metal. Inspired by the concepts of possession, fury, love and hate, Wiedzmin says all these are added to Begerith’s cauldron of murky venom.
“This all is a nuclear fuel to find courage to look into the darkest corners of the human soul and the world around it. Music is the main key in our journey.”