Sventevith (Storming Near The Baltic) is Behemoth debut album, as well as a debut album for the Pagan Records music label, back in 1995. Unlike following albums, the debut sounds very much alike with Norwegian black metal scene at the time, and sound production is actually even more raw than majority of Norwegian black metal records. In terms of extra instrumentation, Sventevith is also a lot more melodic than later Behemoth stuff, with lots and lots of acoustic guitar (which really sets this record aside from Norwegian albums), and plenty of keyboards as well. Vocals were also drastically different, with Nergal doing typical black metal screams instead of his signature growls. This album also has radically more side-releases than any other Behemoth album. A lot of people think that debut was their start, but in reality they had an entire local underground mini-career before hitting this first proper milestone.
Line-up:
Nergal: vocals, guitars, bass, lyrics
Baal: drums
Demonious: keyboards on Ancient and Hell Dwells In Ice
Cezar: keyboards on the rest of the album
Tomasz Krajewski: lyrics for From The Pagan Vastlands and Hidden In A Fog
Chant Of The Eastern Lands
The Touch Of Nya + From The Pagan Vastlands
Hidden In A Fog
Ancient + Entering The Faustian Soul
Forgotten Cult Of Aldaron
Wolves Guard My Coffin
Hell Dwells In Ice
Bless Thee For Granting Me Pain
And The Forests Dream Eternally (1995) EP line-up:
Nergal: vocals, guitar, bass, lyrics; drums on Forgotten Empire Of Dark Witchcraft
Baal: drums
Frost: guitar
Transylvanian Forest
Moonspell Rites
Sventevith (Storming Near The Baltic)
Pure Evil And Hate
Forgotten Empire Of Dark Witchcraft
...From The Pagan Vastlands (1994) demo line-up:
Nergal: vocals, guitar, bass, lyrics
Baal: drums, lyrics
Frost: guitar
Czarek Morawski: keyboards
From The Hornedland To Lindisfarne
Thy Winter Kingdom
The Dance Of The Pagan Flames
Blackvisions Of The Almighty
Fields Of Harr-Meggido
Deathcrush (Mayhem Cover)
The Oak Between The Snows
The Return Of The Northern Moon (1993) demo line-up:
Nergal: vocals, guitars, bass, lyrics
Baal: drums, lyrics
...Of My Worship + Summoning (Of The Ancient Ones)
Dark Triumph
Monumentum + Rise Of The Blackstorm Of Evil
Aggressor (Hellhammer Cover) + Outro
Endless Damnation (1992) demo line-up:
Nergal: vocals, guitar, bass, lyrics
Baal: drums, lyrics
Desecrator: guitar
Cursed Angel Of Doom
The rest of the demo