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I start by apologizing for my absence, which no one will have missed and for which no one is likely to demand apologies; but don't forget that I am a Brutal guy, so I do Brutal things, and it's very Brutal to apologize to someone who doesn't need excuses for an absence he didn't even notice.
The story of Benediction begins many years ago, around the early fertile nineties (actually, it begins at the end of the eighties, but their first official records only start circulating in '90) and continues to this day. The story of Benediction starts in Birmingham (and it can be assumed that it didn't start in a luxurious central palace) when a big guy named Mark but who calls himself Barney decides to form a band. This guy is none other than Mark "Barney" Greenway, singer of the fellow citizens Napalm Death: after this 1993 record, he published with Benediction again "The Dreams You Dread," a sort of reissue of the first EP, so (after having had a foot in two shoes for four full years) he will leave the band for the more important band mentioned above. I will diligently avoid any comment and will go directly to the description of the album...
As you may have noticed, the date of this CD is slightly later than that of the genre's Masterpieces and will generate no small perplexity in those who know it; and rightly so since our favorites' Death tinged with Doom is heavily influenced by that unknown band from Wisconsin that goes by the name of Accidental Suicide (not to say that they drew heavily from the "rifframa" of the latter). Benediction, however, have an excuse, which is that Accidental Suicide had disbanded the previous year and, to be honest without wanting to be picky at all costs, the fact of drawing on the American "cousins" does not prevent them, on the contrary, from writing a great page of Death Metal (of the bastard kind!). Despite the Birmingham ensemble insisting a lot on slowdowns, numerous accelerations prevent them from being labeled as a Doom Death Metal band; it's undeniable, however, that shades reminiscent of Incantation are felt in many passages, as they had just two years earlier released their debut "Onward To Golgotha."
The formula from the previous "The Grand Leveller" is almost the same, but overall "Transcend The Rubicon" is richer; rich in special moments, rich in groove and rich in riffs. In addition to the aforementioned bands, we find in this album (obligatorily) references to the rawer and more primitive Death of the early Death and Entombed, in short, all that Death where one can still feel the spirit of Thrash hovering, reeking of beer and mineral oil. The result is twelve songs for almost fifty minutes of duration (a "beast" in Death) of sulfurous but never oppressive atmospheres always measured with our heroes' straightforward and light-hearted attitude. Helping it all is a production measured out by the drop but for this reason not pretentious and, more importantly, able to preserve the essence of a record like this; a horror-like skit of Serial Killer and violence totally nonchalant, pure theatrical fiction.
On the other hand, we know Greenway, and we know that the themes he loves to deal with are socio-political ones and not these trifles... Not for this reason does he not make an effort behind the microphone, on the contrary, he appears absolutely possessed and in shape; his vocalizations have grown since the previous work and now move less awkwardly (only metaphorically, physically he has put on quite a few pounds) between growls of various tones. However, a slightly more agile singer would have benefited the album and helped enliven even the less engaging moments. But that, after all, is up to the guitarists; their performance is quite technical, far removed from the virtuosity of contemporaries like Suffocation or Gorguts but essential from an execution standpoint. Perhaps imagination is not their forte, but if one buys a Benediction record one does not expect to hear who knows what oddities, one expects to hear Death metal played. And nothing else. In this, our guys cannot be criticized, nor can the drummer; the latter perfectly complements his colleagues and manages not to bore, while adhering to the genre's standards. Rare blast beats, much more used are the classic Thrash rhythms in the style of Slayer (just to name one) seasoned with that "quid" of extra power that lets them make the great leap to Death.
"Transcend The Rubicon" can be placed on the same level as "The Grand Leveller"; it might deserve something more, four and a half stars, but since its existence is unequivocally dependent on the aforementioned album, I must round down. But it remains a great Death metal record without too much embellishment and enjoyable even for those who don't listen to this genre at breakfast. Unfortunately, it will be this one that closes Benediction's season, as they will subsequently release some decidedly weak material.
Another nostalgic glance back at the past.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 Nightfear (03:07)
There's a disease a wrenching bane
Adverse twisted minds
Grip of fear within the flesh
Is eating you alive
Ruins the lives of innocent
A fitful waking sleep
Sadly the world it shakes it's head
And begins to weep
And now to sleep perchance to dream
But you cannot hear your cries
Memories run like rivers flow
Blackened waters of the mind
Phobias, fear of crypts and caves
Oblivion denied
All you see such a lie to behold
Born through a cradle of time
Stomach wrenching, sweat runs cold
Pointless nightmares of bizarre and sublime
Summon them now, arise your fears
Release the pain or drown
Acidic noise like knell of doom
Darkened passages revealing gloom
Nightfear
Creeping on the skulls of man
Softly at the dawn
Sharpened edge of nightfears blade
Pray you now for rising morn
Divine faith a childish prayer
Drilled into you from birth
Yet nightfear continues on
Returning with a curse
Now the fortitudes in light
But darkened eve draws near
Dawning on a ghoulish thought
The night belongs to fear
06 Violation Domain (04:15)
[From : "Transcend The Rubicon", Live] Crawl on our knees through the gutter From an untimely demise By remission of all sins Forsaking old and wise Violation of domain An area of conquest Which only we have one Don't stagnate within your self Transcend the Rubicon Suffering, torment, anguish, pain At life's shore slowly breaks the waves Turn of the tides, revenance of rage Blistering so were the thoughts When shackled to a wall Flagrant ways of conformation Your death sentence appalled Now plead for a worthless life Deny us for your guilt Escape within the stoney tomb Which you yourself have built Independence of a drug To satisfy the need Orgies filled with travesty To sow all mocking seeds Originality the one Who's screaming at the crime Sinister the ways of wisdom Expand or face the fire Sterile splinter of self doubt Thorn in your boney hide Counterfeit within adept Colossal is the pride Breeding cynicism Grandeur crying in your face Overture derisive laughter Hateful human race Incantation of your thoughts Upon this mortal coil Open wide the jaws of hate Serving them so loyal Reeking contradiction When you're laughing as you fail Believing in your innocence Tells a sorrowed tale Autumn fall upon a life This season at an end Darkened shadows all around And yet without a friend Realisation dawns on you It's time for you to face Hateful human race
08 Bleakhouse (03:51)
Cut, dissected from within
Like clockwork run the cells
An unearthly silent din
A constant toll of bells
Mocking laughter evermore
No sight of a refrain
Waiting on my lonely quest
Asylum of the brain
Brain
The darkest caverns of my mind
Hold terrors so consuming
Look within and soon you'll find
Your psyche I'm subsuming
More than flesh and blood can bear
Ensnared within my brain
Eyes in fear, eyes in terror
Adversity is pain
Adversity is pain
Pain...
Within the faculty of fools
Leering warders, intimidation
Playing games at all my rules
Is feeding their frustration
The blood inside my temples pulsing
While I'm locked away
Thoughts within my head convulsing
For the time my captors pay
Stop the torment, cut me loose
Unbind me from my chains
Before my eyes a veil of mist
Encompassing and grey
Once again
Momentarily free of pain
Pain...
Pain...
Pain...
Stop the pain and rip me open
Tear out my tormentors
Release me from agony
Blinding my nerve centres
Only known emotions
Are the anger and the sadness
Overshadowed totally by
Unrevokable madness
Held inside this sterile box
My thoughts turn now to charnel
Fantasise, yet I remain
Still locked inside eternal
I'll not escape but I will wait
Patience will run true
Visitation you will see
This madness is in you
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