Synthwave Sunday: GosT, Behemoth

For more info on Synthwave Sunday and why we’re doing this, click here. 

GosT’s synthwave slammer Behemoth, which came out this past April, was a big inspiration for the creation of this Synthwave Sunday series. I was jamming the fuck out of the album when the band’s publicist pointed out that other metalheads would probably dig it, too, and that it might be worth a shot on MetalSucks. He was 100% on the money.

Behemoth goes hard as fuck, but if you can’t convince yourself that music with electronic beats, analogue synths and horror film-inspired sound effects has any tie-ins to metal, check its song titles: “Bathory Bitch,” “Reign in Hell,” “Sacrament” and the title track are un-subtle references to metal bands we all hold dear. It’s no coincidence that synthwave resonates with the metal community so deeply; so many of its top artists are huge metalheads.

GosT sits on the heavier edge of the synthwave spectrum with hard-charging beats, pummeling bass and distorted synths that slice and dice with the power of a 5150. GosT is less song-focused than other synthwave artists (such as Blood Music labelmate and former Synthwave Sunday featuree Dan Terminus, who is the king of songs), and more about individual moments. The melodies are fairly simple (sometimes overly so), but it’s the ebbs and flows, dramatic builds and the tones (especially the horror sound effects!) that make this album a winner. Behemoth ends up feeling more like a dance or house record than anything, but it’s also undeniably incredible metal. It’s quite the juxtaposition.

Stream Behemoth below via Bandcamp. More GosT here.