Behemoth

A leading light in the Polish metal scene, Behemoth emerged in the early 1990s with a caustic cocktail of black and death metal that was made all the more punitive by a heavy dose of religious provocation. Both sonically and socially pugilistic -- they were criminally charged by the Polish government for tearing up a bible and emblazoning the country's coat of arms on a T-shirt -- the band released their first full-length recording, 1995's Sventevith, to favorable reviews. Subsequent albums like Demigod (2004), Billboard 200 Top 40 entry The Satanist (2014), and Opvs Contra Natvram (2022) displayed a wide musical vision that incorporated folk music, synthesizers, choirs, and orchestras, while still managing to retain their brutal, extreme metal sound.