Identisick

When I first looked up Benighted after I had bought "Identisick" and listened to a few tracks, I looked at their country of origin. Now, I don't consider myself prejudiced in any way, but when I saw they were French, I honestly laughed. French and death/grind aren't something you'd expect to find in the same sentence, but similar acts have come from even less likely countries in the past.

That being said, Benighted plays straightforward death/grind. The guitars play brutal riffs that are reminiscent of bands like Cephalic Carnage, Bolt Thrower, and during breakdown sections, Dying Fetus. However the guitars also show that they are perfectly capable of playing more melodic riffs as well. During the last portion of the opening track, "Nemesis," the guitars play a melodic, almost metalcore sounding riffs starting at 2:38. Also during the chorus on "The Twins," the guitars show off a more melodic side, and even play a small solo on the opening of the album's title track, which features melodic segments as well.

The drumming is excellent, and is very fast and very brutal and never once loses its aggression. My favorite part of the album however, is the vocalwork of Julien Truchan. The thing I like about him is the variety of styles he uses in a single album. At times, he uses guttural growls and snarls that are more animal like than human. He also uses high-pitched shrieks, and on "Sex Addicted," he uses a hardcore-esque shout.

After listening to this album, I'm definately going to have to purchase more of Benighted's work. It's certainly worth the money.

Though born from black bands like Osgiliath, Benighted have lost any black leftover. Indeed they had already passed to an American branded brutal death at the beginning of the millennium that, with the years passing by, has got enriched of grindcore scores more and more.

What Osmose reissues is the last but one album of the band, "Identisick", originally released in 2006 by Adipocere (that has gone down). We can say the reissue has been a lucky choice, since the album has got a high quality and back then enjoyed a very low advertisement. The sound of Benighted can be described as a high technique death metal that bets a lot on creating situations of absolute brutality, with little room left to some more melodic moody breaks.

The most fitting term of comparison is that with Dying Foetus/Misery Index, surely the most known death/grind bands at present, but we may also mention Cattle Decapitation. The main quality of the album is not only the perfect performance – also thanks to the drumming of Fred, that will leave the band subsequently – but also the freshness and variety of the tracks, that never limit themselves in the pure search for brutality, mincing with class and variety ("Sex Addicted" has got also something of Kataklysm). And also the cover of "Suffer The Children" (one of the best tracks in the worst album by Napalm Death) shows the great competence of a band that you must keep in sight.

http://www.silentscreamzine.com/Home.asp?Lang=ENG

This is an awesome death metal album. Each song is chaotically heavy, featuring plenty of well done mood changes, plenty of riffs, and unpredictable song structures.

The album opens with Nemesis, which starts off with a slow effect buildup, leading into a fucking INSANE riff featuring sweep picking. The song progresses quickly into a fucking awesome breakdown riff, before going back to the sweeping craziness, and then going back again into a chaotic and heavy fucking version of the same breakdown riff, changed by the drum patterns. Right after all this (which is essentially just the introduction), more riffs, more chaos, and more metal!

There's countless good riffs here! Every single song is a winner! There's no entire tracks devoted to introductions, every track is a song. No filler to be found here, just brutal fucking riffs, brutal fucking vocals, blast fucking beats, and one of the most chaotic and technical sounding albums you'll ever hear.

Mind you, don't get me wrong, this album isn't technical in a Necrophagist or Spastic Ink way. This album is technical through structure and playing brilliance, not through weird time signatures and musical wankery. This means that musicians and metal fans alike can say "fucking wow" when they hear this. Drummers will implode, guitarists will start downloading tabs, and vocalists will probably become females instantly.

This album is an amazingly fun listen, an amazingly well executed display of musical talent, and it's flat out fucking heavy. Some parts brutal and rhythmic, some parts melodic, some parts pure death, some parts incorporate other genres. Fucking buy this shit immediately, amazing album for fans of brutal music, or for fans of things that are good!

I've long awaited this release, ever since I first heard their last effort; Insane Cephalic Production, which was a pure and everlasting masterpiece - i still enjoy every track on that very album.
It's hard to describe what this band is about...Their music contains so many different elements. Yet mostly very brutal they still manage to influence some melody and even harmony right in center of pandemonium without losing momentum in this destructive force.

The riffs are all excellent and fits beautifully into the whole picture. Very versatile riffing, one riff always fades into another. It's a rare thing these days, that the guitar work is not monotonous. Aswell for the vocals that vary along with the riffage and contributes to a very satisfying symbiosis of sound. It's thick and indestructible.
Julian Truchan is a very sick man I tell you. He range from disturbing screechs to more ordinary growls and from time to time even pig like kind of growl. You know that really obscure guttural grunt. I hate it, I always hated it but here it suddenly makes sense. Because it fits so well into the music. Sick music needs sick vocals... You can't sing like fucking Bruce Dickinson in a brutal and obviously sick death metal band. It would just sound completely and utterly wrong.

And now for the drums, what can you say? It's not overly done in a technical matter, though Fred "Fight" Fayolle (pity he decided to depart) drumming is technical he puts more effort in different rythms that he constantly change along with the music.
Sure he can blast away your face from time to time but that's not important. Because this band is not focused on speed. This band is all about riffs, rythms, subtle melodies, obscure segments and sick sick breaks.
Every part of this band, even the base combines in a flawless way. Making this absolute and incredible sound...And the best thing is, it's completely original, I've heard infinite numbers of different bands but nothing sounds like this, nothing!

Compared to their last effort "Identisick" proves a more mature and definite sound. The music sounds more confident in every aspect. The madness starts out with "Nemesis" and this track is so characteristic for this band. It's fast, versatile and of course, sick as hell. It contains all elements that makes this band what it is.
And this massacre of fast, brutal sickness continues to the last second, it never ceases to break your bones. You will always beg for more because the album improves, it grows successively along with every track.
Just listen to the sample in the beginning of the second track "Collapse", it's so simple and out of the picture it gets irresistible.

Aswell as the last effort this album has no weakness. All tracks has something that makes them stand out. How many albums out there contains that balance?
This is definately one of the best albums I've heard, it's even better than it's predecessor and that concludes everything. So if you haven't heard this band I suggest (read; force) you to get your hands over this release along with their other efforts. If you're into sick brutal madness, that is. All I can say, you won't regret it - this music is completely rapturing.

//Zenith