Behemoth’s video for the song “Lucifer” from the Evangelion album debuted yesterday, in both censored and uncensored versions, and it’s a beautifully made, visually striking piece of work. The song itself is dramatic, potent, massive, and the imagery of the video suits the music.
As far as I can tell, the lyrics to “Lucifer” are the lines from a poem by Tadeusz Micinski. The poem is in Polish, but I found a literary (ie, not entirely literal) translation — which tells me that the imagery in the video has very little to do with the lyrics. And the imagery itself, though highly symbolic, is open to interpretation.
It seems to depict a hospitalized girl in the last minutes of a fatal illness or injury, with a priest in the room calling for divine intercession and a red-eyed black unicorn (perhaps symbolizing death) making his steady approach. And from there, I lose the thread of the visuals. They’re arresting to see, but what they are intended to mean I’m unsure, though I’m still thinking about it. I suppose the fact that I’m still thinking about it is a sign that it’s waaaay above average, as metal videos go.
After the jump is the uncensored version of the video (female nudity, of course) plus the translation of the lyrics to “Lucifer”. If you’ve got ideas about what the video means, or at least how you choose to interpret it, please leave us a Comment.
“LUCIFER”: LYRICS
I – among the gales, the dark flame of God’s might,
Like the hollow bell of the north, wailing, I fly afar
In the darkness of mountains the red dawn I light
With spark of my suffering and my inertial star.I – comets’ king – yet swirls my soul’s fume
As desert’s dusts into a pyramid surreal.
I – storms’ thunder – yet quieter than a tomb,
My pits’ deathly morbidity I conceal.I – spectrum’s abyss – yet I’d weep over my pains
As the cold winds over withered reeds torn.
I – volcanic gleam – yet on muddy plains
I go, like a funeral, with dullness and mourn.Seas play the harps, Heaven’s blazes soaring
And sun, my enemy – sun! rises, in God’s adoring
Behemoth “Lucifer” (OFFICIAL VIDEO | Uncensored) from Metal Blade Records on Vimeo.
24 Responses to “BEHEMOTH: THE “LUCIFER” VIDEO”
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I have absolutely no idea what the fuck it means, but this is definitely a visually stunning and thought provoking video. Too bad more bands don’t have the budget to do what Behemoth does.
The budget and the creativity. As we all know from the movies, having lots of money to spend doesn’t mean quality.
Very cool.
That Unicorn reminds me of the one in Blade Runner final cut, and I imagine has a similar symbology to that unicorn–a real individual, separate from society, is so rare as to be near-mythical.
I think the exploitation of women’s bodies can be excessive with Behemoth, but a few times hear it feels like some sort of symbolic thing. Sort of a strangling of masculine energies (it seems like the men in Nergal’s inner psyche are all holy men–jesus, priests) and a celebration of “satanic” feminine ones.
Interesting! Cool to see the Obzen-slave a second time as well 😉
Damn, i missed the resemblance to the Obzen slave. Nice catch. You’ve also reminded me that i STILL need to see the Blade Runner final cut.
One more thing–a definite sociopolitical undertone. The woman, who is in a bed, dying (of cancer? Nergal, you big softie!) is dressed in white, while the priest is dressed in black finery, smokes a cigar, and holds the key to her life in his hands.
CLEARLY at least some of the video is about how the so-called religious leaders in Poland are callous men interfering with the lives of the innocent, manipulating life and death, and mocking the existence of real problems like disease–I mean he smokes a cigar around a sick woman. Meanwhile the machines that exist to keep the girl alive are mirrored by those burning gears–torture devices–and the headgear worn by the women and nergal’s crown, which seem to be harnesses, medical devices, and torture implements at once. To behemoth the accoutrement of modernity is just an array of control devices.
Just my interpretation.
I thought the cigar-smoking man with the slick black hair was Lucifer — not the same man in the hospital room, who is clearly a priest. And I was thinking of the girl’s elevated body as a representation of suspension between heaven and hell as Lucifer decides what to do. Except I don’t think Nergal believes in heaven or hell.
93 93/93
Nice thoughts, but way off.
For the dancing women, see the lyrics: “Soiled in miasma ov the bleakest hemisphere”.
The man playing Lucifer (Nergal is not Lucifer, he is a man “journeying”), is not the priest. Notice the mask Nergal shows? Notice how the man that is playing Lucifer is NOT wearing a costume? These clearly express the band’s view of the “devil”. 😉
I think, Nergal evoked lucifer with the dark poetry to salvage the bed ridden girl from the ultimate death. All other stuff were parts of the ritual to summon lucifer
Death metal + naked women cures cancer.
It’s not really that complicated.
well said
Brilliant. Mystery solved.
You think too much.
I’ve rarely been accused of that.
Wonder how long it took Miss Tits to clean all that chocolate syrup off… 😛
Pretty strange but still cool video!
93 93/93
Firstly, the Unicorn is a mythical creature that in the “bible” represents “Jesus”; but that is when the Unicorn is white. When the Unicorn is black, well 😉
As far as the other beatific visions, that you would have to do some SERIOUS homework. Behemoth are indeed “The Very Voice of the Very Silence”!
For the Woman, please see the lyrics for “Alas, Lord is Upon Me”.
It is in all actuality, that the girl is being saved FROM the “priest”. A member of the faith of the “black” god.
In the past it has been written, that when one sees the true face of “God”, that they bleed from the eyes. So, in bearing witness, mortal eyes cannot stand the sight and blood runs down their faces.
One can get an accurate view of this video if you study the lyrics of all of “Evangelion”. However, even those will not make sense, unless one is…well…I can’t give everything away 😉
How nice! Someone, unlike my own lazy self, who actually spent some time doing research and thinking about the video. Apparently, things aren’t as simple as Andy suggested. 🙂 Thanks for these insights.
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
🙂 No problem.
It’s been two years, and I was being intentionally vague, but now see it might be time to clear some things up.
I would like to personally state that I am not speaking for the band directly, merely helping to “Bring the Light” upon this video.
Since they have scattered pieces of what they are around their albums, I do not feel as if I’m exposing them by stating proudly that they, and I, are Thelemites. This will help fill in the blanks with a lot of their lyrics, artwork, and videos.
I scattered pieces as well in my first post. For “beatific visions” see any inspired work by Aleister Crowley (specifically “The Vision and the Voice”).
For the dancers: I can merely say that to us who are “different” and “against the grain” we love our lives and find no fault in what we do. However, to those who see us as opposition, will see us as monstrous, Satanic, evil, horrific, etc. This should help greatly with the video (Notice how Lucifer doesn’t look like the archetypal image of the Greek God Pan?)
The little girl: She’s suffering by the mother being enslaved by the “Blind God” (Jesus/God). The mother is chanting over her and believes she is doing the best for her, but is being fooled by the priest (as they are want to do). Then she is saved and redeemed by Lucifer (this is also told in the “Making Of…” video when Nergal speaks to the adorable little actress).
Nergal: He’s experiencing all the emotions. He’s smiling one minute, then appears to be shamed, crying, then hiding, then violently angry. The feeling of raw nerves exposed and how we as humans react to them. We are a slave to them. Nergal is viewed as the Devil by the conservative Polish culture (notice the Mask of the Great God Pan?: Please see the works of Aleister Crowley).
The Woman: She is nude, like Kali Ma, as clothing is an “illusion”. Clothing is not who YOU are. The Goddess Babalon wears the Vulture feathers, as the Vulture was a symbol in Egypt of the Goddess Maut. Now, Maut then became as Isis and Isis is the symbol of “Nature Perfected”. She is completely Pure and Perfect. She is bestowing upon Nergal’s (now devoid of the whirlwind of emotions and in meditation) brow. This is an homage to “Alas, Lord is Upon Me”: “Lord of Hosts! Whore of Salvation! Tear the skies, as You spread Your legs! Vomit forth upon my head all afflictions and abominations known to Man!” He is asking for everything negative, so that it can help him grow and Become. For how do we know who are are, unless we are challenged, tried, and tested? The crown of thorns in today’s society is that cross in which the Christians brow beat and damn everyone not likened unto them. It takes great courage to stand up against tyranny like that. So he proudly wears his crown of thorns against society. He has become the figurehead against Christianity.
The Graal: Please see the work of Aleister Crowley.
Lucifer: An intense study of the TARO should prove sufficient to aid in the understanding of this.
One must keep in mind that the lyrics were written by a poet, and do not fit with the video. So when someone translates this over to English, the video and the poem will clash.
The end of the video is the rejection and destruction of Christianity. In 1904, we left the Age of Osiris, the Aeon of the Dying God (meaning, the common belief was that you had to place your salvation in an external deity who “defied” death), and entered the Age of Horus, the Aeon of the Child(!). No Aeon immediately switches over to the New, the Old Aeon fights for control, but dies a few hundred years into the New. This is the rejection of the old ways, and purging for the New.
However, in order for something New to overthrow the Old, there must be a Baptism of Blood and Fire.
I feel this should be satisfactory enough. The little odds and ends can be filled in with study. The TARO cannot be pointed at enough for understanding. I recommend “The Book of Thoth” by To Mega Therion, specifically concerning the Major Arcana (the first 22 cards), and the nature of the Ace and Princess.
Hope this helps elucidate the video and put things into the Light.
Lux et Tenebris.
Love is the law, love under will.
Random fact: the video is actually about Nergal’s love of the film “Legend”, starring Tom Cruise, several unicorns, and Tim Curry as the devil.
Fact.
It’s been downhill for Tom Cruise ever since.
Not to overuse the term, but: Fact.
does anyone have an opinion or an idea of what the lyrics mean?
Wish people would stop “interpreting” these videos, if you really want to know, ask the artist!!!!
Now fuck off…..and simply just enjoy the music (and the video)
Grats for such a beautiful advice you troll.:) Nergal usually says something, but far from whole point. Everyone has to search in it deep. Good artist always create things, which are harder to get what is going on and what symbols mean. This keep people interested in stuff. I believe that Nergal also like the fact, everyone of us should think for himself than listen to one particular dogma… Religion anyone?
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