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BENEDICTION "Ravage Of Empires"
BENEDICTION "Ravage Of Empires"
By Dr. Abner Mality
OOGH! If there's such a thing as a band where the vocalist pushes it to the next level, it would be BENEDICTION. I have had a soft spot for these British bruisers since the early 90's and they're one of the few bands I always pick up without even bothering to listen. "Ravage Of Empires" is their latest and as usual, it's the grim, guttural growls of Dave Ingram that elevate BENEDICTION's meat and potatoes sound to a higher plane.
This grizzled vet has such a great touch with even small non-verbal moments. His drawn out "HEEEYYYY"s surpass even Tom Warrior from CELTIC FROST and the little "OOGH!" and "HAH!" moments he peppers the songs with just add something special. When it comes to actual lyrics, Dave is very comprehensible while retaining that growling bear-like tone. It means you can understand BENEDICTION's lyrics, which on tracks like "Deviant Spine" and "Beyond The Veil Of The Grey Mare" tell some interesting stories.
As for the actual music, let's face it, there's nothing new going on there. The tunes are compact and easy to digest, combining the best elements of BOLT THROWER and NAPALM DEATH. Lots of burly chugging riffs, melodic guitar frills and an almost d-beat sense of simplicity. The songs are all in classic BENEDICTION template, but I thought "Crawling Over Corpses" and "Drought Of Mercy" are just utter neck-wreckers...great riffs that shift and change at just the right moment. And of course, those immaculate grizzly bear growls from Mr. Ingram.
Classic and comfortable death metal! Pick it up and go HEEEYYYYYY...OOGH!
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