BENIGHTED is a brutal death metal/grindcore band from France who formed way back in 1998. These guys have been making punishing music for a long time and show zero signs of slowing down as evident with their tenth full-length album, “Ekbom. I’ve been a fan since I discovered them around the time of their release of 2011’s “Asylum Cave.” I still feel that is their best album but they haven’t made a bad one yet. In fact, “Ekbom” is their best one in years. BENIGHTED have always made music that is for a very certain type of music fan. Their music is a brutal but esoteric experience—this isn’t something you can grow to like. Music this extreme is either something you like or something you don’t. I’m happy that “Ekbom” continues this mindset, devoid of any trends and not looking to apologize for who they are and what their chosen style of music is.

BENIGHTED’s songs tend to be somewhat short and this album continues that, consisting twelve songs at around 37 minutes. That is absolutely perfect for this type of metal; the band gets in, destroys, and gets out. No fuss. But there is plenty of pain. This isn’t an easy album; it is nearly beyond belief with its nonstop brutality and sickening atmosphere. With that being said, the album is surprisingly catchy when it needs to be. Without a doubt, this is an album that will demand multiple listens just because it's so goddamn good at what it does. The killing begins with “Prodom,” which is an intro but actually rather atmospheric and, of course, disturbing. It builds up the tension perfectly as it leads into the first full song.

“Scars,” is that song and it is the audio equivalent of being hit in the balls a hundred times by spiked sledge hammers. Julien’s disgusting growls and unnerving screams are in fine form, this dude just doesn't know how to do anything below giving a 100% badass performance. Emmanuel’s guitars are as spastic as the vocals, switching from groove to flourish of technical playing with ease. Is this guy human? The same can be said for bassist Pierre, who plays stuff that would kill most other bassists. The ever impressive Kévin Paradis defies all logic of how he can play so fast, so hard, yet it still sounds super tight and clean—this guy doesn’t miss a beat. One of the many things I’ve enjoyed about BENIGHTED over the years is that, despite their unrelenting wall of sound, they are not afraid to pull back for a few precious moments when needed. The mid portion of “Scars” is a prime example of how an extreme metal band can introduce other elements without compromising a thing.

When I’m not jamming in my car, headphones are my chosen way to pummel my brain with music. “Le vice des entrailles,” nearly broke my headphones—within seconds, the sound is loud, full, almost otherworldly in how quickly this band ramps up their aggression. Parts of the song, such as the mid section with the pummeling double bass and insanity inducing vocals, are so punishing it feels like a fever dream. One of the best songs they have ever written. The title track is VICIOUS. Those riffs, the drums, the bass…it’s all perpetually pounding and hurtling towards…more perpetual pounding. This track straight up rips for the entire three and a half minutes. If they play this song live, people will die in the pit.

The bass and drums in “A Reason For Treason,” deadly and life the sound to new heights of extremity. The duo hold the song up high, allowing for the vocals to truly shine with all the gurgles and squeals a person could want. The final song, “Mother Earth, Mother Whore,” is the longest song on the album at four and a half minutes. This runtime really lets the band expand upon their sound, giving ample time to flesh it all out. The drums are basically machine guns and the bass isn’t too far out. I like how the guitars are, of course, heavy but also thick with atmosphere.

BENIGHTED have always been at the forefront of extremity and “EKBOM” further solidifies they are not going anywhere and will continue to push the boundaries.