Behemoth are ready to play live again, even if they can't exactly have fans in attendance physically. Behemoth will host In Absentia Dei, a live streamed event happening this Saturday, September 5th.
The show promises to emanate from a "secret church location" in Poland, and viewers will be able to choose from eight different angles live, or what a "director's cut" performance. But, if the band is performing in Poland, and Poland has strict blasphemy laws, is Behemoth getting ready to be arrested? That's a question brought up by The Pit's Chris Krovatin, and it's a question that should be asked:
The reason this would be a problem is Poland’s blasphemy laws. According to the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, the Polish law against blasphemy “prohibits insults to places or objects of any religion.” The Library of Congress, meanwhile, states, “Under article 196 of Poland’s Criminal Code, offending a person’s religious feelings through public defamation of an object or place of worship is a crime punishable by restriction of liberty or imprisonment for a term of up to two years.” In theory, these laws are beneficial to prevent, say, anti-Muslim hate crimes, but since Poland’s population is overwhelmingly Catholic, they’re are mostly enforced against anti-Christian artists. While Behemoth could ostensibly escape them by performing in a different country, the press release for ‘In Absentia Dei’ specifically states that the show will happen in Poland.
The Polish government has previously taken Nergal to court multiple times on blasphemy charges, so it's safe to assume they might not be cool with this.
The Pit also points out that the "secret church" could also end up being in the woods or some other location dressed as a church.
I guess there is one way to find out, and that's by watching this Saturday, at 8 p.m. CET / 7 p.m. UK / 2 p.m. EST / 11 a.m. PST. Tickets for the event are available for purchase. Imperial Triumphant will open the show with a set from The Slipper Room in New York. There will be a one hour "pre-show" before the event on the band's YouTube channel.
