In 2026, “Sventevith (Storming Near The Baltic)” — the seminal debut album by Polish extreme metallers BEHEMOTH — will rise again in a series of exclusive festival appearances across Europe, including Beyond The Gates in Bergen, Norway. Marking the 30th anniversary of its original release, BEHEMOTH frontman Adam “Nergal” Darski will revisit the dark origins of his musical legacy, performing “Sventevith (Storming Near The Baltic)” in its entirety.

This extraordinary series will see Nergal joined by Icelandic black metal visionaries MISÞYRMING, whose raw energy and uncompromising intensity have reshaped the modern black metal landscape. Together, they will summon the primal spirit of the 1995 release — an album that laid the foundation for BEHEMOTH’s evolution from underground obscurity to global extremity.

Performed live for the first time as a full conceptual work, “Sventevith” will return as both a tribute and a transformation: a rare convergence of heritage and renewal, honoring BEHEMOTH’s roots while embracing the ferocity of a new generation.

On July 29 – August 1, 2026, Beyond The Gates will be held for the 14th time, showcasing why the festival has grown into the international metal gathering it has become. Attracting visitors from 50 different countries around the world, the extreme metal festival has become a global phenomenon. The festival takes place the city center of Bergen, using several venues spread across town, including the legendary Grieghallen and USF Verftet. Gold passes for the festival are running low.

BEHEMOTH’s latest album, “The Shit Ov God”, came out in May via Nuclear Blast Records.

BEHEMOTH have always been known for not shying away from controversy, and they most certainly remain true to this approach with their 13th full-length. Here’s a band that, 34 years in, is releasing its most inflammatory and extreme record to date. Eight songs that go into the fathoms of humanity, divinity, and what defiance means in an age where individuality is prized but everyone is clinging to their saviors — musically, politically, or otherwise. The title of the album is in line with those sensibilities.

“It’s like me at the age of 15, when I turned the cross upside-down,” Nergal explained to Kerrang! magazine earlier this year. “It’s the simplest, most fucking atavistic reaction of disagreement, of rebellion. It’s primitive, it’s primal, it’s vulgar. You invert the cross, so I used the same semantic tool here. I took this acronym that is probably the most sacred for all the Christians, but I just turned it upside-down. And there’s some existential philosophy there, too. If there is a God, then we are the excrement. But being the lesser being is not a reason to mourn or to be depressed. We’re gonna wear it as a badge of honor.”

Nergal added of the album title: “Some people said it’s too simple. But then we did ‘The Satanist’, everyone said that was as well. They said it was not creative. Well, it came over 30 years into extreme metal history, and nobody had used it yet. I think that’s pretty brilliant of me, actually.”

BEHEMOTH meticulously chose the audiovisual artists involved on the album. Production on the album was helmed by the inimitable Jens Bogren of Fascination Street Studios (EMPEROR, ENSLAVED, KREATOR, ROTTING CHRIST et al.). Working closely with the band, Bogren’s deft hand underscored the band’s natural sound while sacrificing none of the mayhem and ferocity which permeates the band’s essence. As is always the case with BEHEMOTH, the visuals were as carefully constructed as the sound. The band tapped long-time collaborator and partner in crime Bartek Rogalewicz (BLACK.LODGE.IS.NOW) as well as Dark Sigil Workshop to make the beautifully ominous and unique cover art.