Behemoth will release their new album, I Loved You At Your Darkest, - on October 5th via Metal Blade Records (North America) / Nuclear Blast (Europe). Frontman Nergal was interviewed by Headbangers Lifestyle at this year's Alcatraz Hard Rock & Metal Festival in Kortrijk, Belgium. The chat can be seen below; an excerpt - dealing with the first single / video "God = Dog" - has been transcribed as follows:

"Well, it's a very complex process, because it started with us making this photo session that was very religious-inspired — like religious topics, classic paintings from Caravaggio, Memling and others. We are actors in this… Basically, the whole booklet looks like that — it's all paintings, but they are reinterpreted by us. Pretty literal, so if I'm a crucified Jesus, I'm a crucified Jesus; I'm not Jesus with a dick out. It's not obnoxious in any way — it's very literal, it's very direct. And I think it's beautiful; it's aesthetically really stunning. Then we brought elements of that to that video, and we made it what it is."

Nergal elaborated further: "'God = Dog' is… There's some controversy about the title, but what can I say? From simple… Just inverse 'god' and it gives you 'dog,' and that's the most simplest way to explain the title, but, obviously, it goes deeper than this. It refers to Aleister Crowley's philosophy, and there's a quote from Book Of The Law which goes like that: 'Is a God to live in a dog? No! But the highest are of us.' And that's a part of it — it's a section of the song. And then again, go into the lyrics, make up your mind and build your own world there, because I don't wanna fucking spoil it."

A crushing salvo of black metal majesty replete with hellish riffs, thundering drum cannonades and soaring liturgical choirs reminiscent of classic horror cinema, I Loved You At Your Darkest is the group's most dynamic record yet: extreme and radical on one hand, but also more rock-oriented than any other Behemoth release.

Produced by the band themselves, with drum co-production by Daniel Bergstrand (Meshuggah, In Flames), mixing by Matt Hyde (Slayer, Children Of Bodom) mastering by Tom Baker (Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson), and a 17-piece Polish orchestra arranged by Jan Stoklosa, I Loved You At Your Darkest can be pre-ordered here.

A video for the first single, "God = Dog" (directed by Grupa 13), can be found below.

The following formats are available in North America, along with an exclusive t-shirt:

- jewelcase CD
- digibook CD (hardcover digibook, 40 page booklet)
- baltic amber vinyl (limited to 600 copies)
- opaque white w/ gold splatter vinyl (Metal Blade Records exclusive - limited to 300 copies)
- black / gold split vinyl (Metal Blade Records exclusive - limited to 300 copies)
- clear w/ smoky black swirl (Nuclear Blast US exclusive - limited to 300 copies)
- clear w/ grey inside (Kings Road exclusive - limited to 500 copies)
- "God = Dog" 7" picture disc (Metal Blade Records exclusive - limited to 666 copies)

I Loved You At Your Darkest tracklisting:

"Solve"
"Wolves ov Siberia"
"God = Dog"
"Ecclesia Diabolica Catholica"
"Bartzabel"
"If Crucifixion Was Not Enough..."
"Angelvs XIII"
"Sabbath Mater"
"Havohej Pantocrator"
"Rom 5:8"
"We Are the Next 1000 Years"
"Coagvla"

"God = Dog" video:

This October/November, Behemoth will hit the road across North America to headline the Ecclesia Diabolica America 2018 e.v. tour, featuring special guests At The Gates and Wolves In The Throne Room. This must-see show will also make its way to Europe in January/February 2019, to follow-up the band's festival appearances this month.

Find the band's complete tour itinerary here.

Behemoth lineup:

Nergal - vocals & guitars
Orion - bass & vocals
Inferno - drums & percussion