Confessions Of A Heretic: The Sacred And The Profane: Behemoth And Beyond

This autobiographical book (which takes the form of an interview) of Behemoth's lead singer, Adam Nergal Darski, was as interesting as I'd hoped, perhaps more. Coincidentally, as with several books I've read recently, it doesn't follow a strict chronology, instead moving deftly from topic to topic in an almost stream-of-consciousness way. I didn't really have any preconceptions about Nergal, but he came off very intelligent and pragmatic, qualities I admire a lot in others. You could almost say that he is a man after my own heart (or vice versa?). After many years of struggling to find a place for religion and faith in my life, I feel like I've found a kindred spirit in Nergal. As for the book itself, it was translated from Polish to English. I thought the English was overall very well done, with only a few grammatical oddities/errors. Highly recommended for Behemoth fans in particular, but also anyone who enjoys celebrity autobiographies.

Great! Granted, it's not a full on biography, but rather one long interview with Nergal, it's full of tidbits and very amusing stories that you won't find elsewhere. What made this most interesting was the brutal honesty of several episodes in his childhood, which would be embarrassing under any circumstance, but adds a very humble, human dimension to the man behind Behemoth. Overall, you get a very broad portrait of Nergal, and he turns out to be far more colourful than his music may lead you to believe.I wouldn't really recommend this to anyone who is not a hardcore Behemoth fan, but for those who are, it's a really nice compliment to their collection, and sheds light the events surrounding the creation of several of their albums.

Cool Q&A style format. Nergal comes across as very sincere. I wish he had spoken more about his philosophical beliefs/spirituality.

Awesome insight on one of metals best musicians. Nergal seems like a very interesting person. He has lived an extraordinary life. The book is written as an interview so be prepared for that. Being interested in the subject matter makes it ALOT better. Its a great read. If you're easily offended, you may not like the content. Nergal backs up his beliefs with facts. However, keep an open mind and this book keep you coming back for more.

Such interesting stories and thoughts from a very intelligent, observant man. Whether you are a fan of his music or not, you'll be intrigued by his process and viewpoints. Whether you are an atheist, christian, satanist, or something else all together, this gentleman well make you think. A great first endeavor for my attempts at surviving the COVID19 quarantine.

Nergal has always been somebody who's intrigued me. First the interest came out of a place of fear, but as I started exploring Behemoths music I wanted to know more about him. After reading this book, I can say he is by far one of the biggest role models in my life. I have found a massive amount of respect for him not only as a musician, but as a person. I have a Behemoth tattoo on my left arm, after reading this I wear it with even more pride! Thank you for sharing your story.

Nergal is an inspirational human being.Not only he came out of leukemia, but also he has work hard to be a better human being. Consistent with his beliefs, and he pushes very hard to whatever project he sets his mind to.To all people who judge and criticize non christians, he has a healthy spirituality, overcomes his problems and looks to grow as a person. I wish all of us learn from him, which is why I recommend his book.I love and deeply admire him.Hail S*tan <3

I'm a big Nergal fan but the book hasn't been my favorite. It might be the fact that is an interview and also the translation might be a factor. It has some interesting information on Nergal's points of view but it gets to a point where it gets kind of boring.

Perfect

This is a very entertaining book, for fans of the band Behemoth it's a must hace.

A biografia não é apenas a história de Adam, mas também sua visão de mundo e suas contribuições em relação ao combate à religião e as formas de opressão da sociedade contemporânea. Leitura leve e fácil.

Adam Darksi, besser bekannt unter seinem Pseudonym Nergal, ist sicherlich einer der interessantesten Köpfe der extremen Metal Szene.Mit seiner Band Behemoth hat sich Darski eine weltweite Fangemeinde erspielt, und nicht nur in seinem Heimatland Polen eckte er immer wieder heftig an. Im gesamten Verlauf seiner nun mehr als zwei Jahrzehnte umfassenden Karriere zeigte Nergal immer wieder, dass er ein cleverer, gebildeter, provokanter und vielseitiger Künstler ist.CONFESSIONS OF A HERETIC ist nun Nergals Biographie, in welcher er seinen kompletten Werdegang erläutert und einen Blick auf den Menschen Adam Darski zulässt. Interessant ist, dass diese Biographie letztlich wie ein sehr langes Interview in einer Art von Dialogform verfasst wurde – hierdurch macht es Nergal dem Leser leicht, seinen Erzählungen zu folgen, und das Buch liest sich wie ein sehr langes Gespräch. Man hat das Gefühl, auf diesem Weg Nergal direkt persönlich kennenzulernen, was ja auch irgendwo der Sinn einer Biographie ist.Nergal selbst entpuppt sich bei der Lektüre als häufig sehr witziger und augenzwinkernder Erzähler, der sich nicht scheut, auch peinliche Erlebnisse und durchgeknallte Ideen zu schildern. Es geht ihm offenkundig nicht darum, möglichst „finster“ zu wirken und die Anforderungen der Szene-Polizei zu erfüllen, und daher hat er auch keine Probleme, reichlich intime oder schräge Anekdoten auf den Tisch zu packen. Natürlich wendet sich CONFESSIONS OF A HERETIC oft genug auch ernsthaften Themen zu, und man erfährt viel über die Philosophie von Nergal, welche wiederrum sein musikalisches Schaffen entscheidend geprägt hat.Interessant finde ich, dass Nergal zwar einige der unvermeidlichen Tour-Stories auspackt (so etwas erwartet man ja auch bei einem derart aktivem Künstler wie ihm), CONFESSIONS OF A HERETIC allerdings für eine Rock / Metal Biographie auch viele Themen abseits der üblichen „Sex & Drugs & Rock N Roll“ Stories enthält.Keine Frage, ein Wort der Warnung muss angebracht werden: CONFESSIONS OF A HERETIC setzt ein durchaus solides Vorwissen voraus. Wem Nergal oder Behemoth nichts sagt oder nur vom Namen bekannt ist sollte CONFESSIONS OF A HERETIC vermutlich meiden, die Chance ist groß, dass man letzten Endes nichts versteht oder zumindest das Meiste kaum in den Kontext einordnen kann…. Dies liegt aber bei einer Biographie auch in der Natur der Sache und ist nichts, was ich CONFESSIONS OF A HERETIC zum Vorwurf mache.Insgesamt ist CONFESSIONS OF A HERETIC eine wirklich lesenswerte Biographie, welche einmal mehr zeigt, dass Adam Darski einer der interessantesten Künstler im extremen Metal ist.

Biografia del cantante dei polacchi Behemoth in lingua originale..Per collezione (a breve uscirà la versione in italiano) e per chi "macina" l'inglese come se fosse la sua lingua.