Is there a limit for evolution on a band’s musical work? Such question can have endless answers, one more complicated than the other. Let’s stay with ‘yes’ for the sake of this review: when a band finally finds its own musical Holy Grail, what’s left to do is to mature the formula and try to expand it the more it can. There are names that keeps the same spirit release after release, and things keeps working in a great way. One fine example is the UK Death Metal masters of BENEDICTION. Their latest release, “Ravage of Empire” is a full class for Old School Death Metal.

The formula is the same heard on “Scriptures” (their past full-length, released on 2020): the purest and aggressive Old School Death Metal that made the quintet one of the spearheads of UK Death Metal during the Second Wave of the genre. Aggressive, nasty and raw to the bones, contrasting faster parts with slower moments, carrying some bone-crushing Hardcore traces (pay attention to them on “Engines of War”), this release is a true Death Metal puke in the ears of that boring people that complains for anything (if a band makes experiences, they complain; if the band stays the same, they complain as well, what means that they just… complain!). One can trace back elements from “The Grand Leveller” (1991) and “Transcend the Rubicon” (1993), and even to “Subconscious Terror” (1990), but again:  BENEDICTION is a band faithful to its own roots, and they created a massive and great release once more, and keep preaching havoc and chaos to the younger generations!

As an old Brazilian saying says, ‘in a team that’s winning the match, there’s no need for changes’, so the quintet relies on Scott Atkins once more (as they did on “Scriptures”) to produce, make the sound engineering and mixing, what brought the band’s music for a model of sonority usual for Death Metal acts today, but respecting the choice for nasty instrumental tunes of the genre. It’s an amazing result, with everything defined and understandable. And the artwork of Wolven Claws (the same of “Scriptures” too) creates a link between the past and present with charming contrasts between colors and traces.

Again: the quintet is extremely true to its Death Metal roots, so expect no mercy on the massive onslaught imposed on “A Carrion Harvest” (a fast moment with a massive carnage of Peter and Darren on the guitar riffs and arrangements), “Beyond the Veil (of the Grey Mare)” (where influences of Hardcore and D-Beat appears, and pay attention to Dave’s growls a bit hasher and more aggressive than before), “Genesis Chamber”, “Deviant Spine” (where the speed of tempos decreases a bit, and bass guitar parts of the new member Nik and the drums storm of Giovanni shows very good moments), “Engines of War” (here the raw Death Metal energy flows free, with the growls of Dave using different tunes that are contrasting perfectly), “The Finality of Perpetuation”, “Crawling Over Corpses” (again some Hardcore traces are heard contrasting with slower moments, with hooking guitar parts), “In the Dread of the Night”, “Drought of Mercy” (wow, what amazing and frantic energy!), “Psychosister” (no necks will be left undamaged after hearing to this one), and “Ravage of Empires”. Totally insane, aggressive and Old School, it’s a totally ‘Benedictized’ release!

If you want to ask something of BENEDICTION, get the fuck out, because “Ravage of Empires” is another torpedo aiming for your ears!

🤘🏻 🤘🏻 🤘🏻