Benediction – Ravage Of Empires | Album Review

Death Metal pioneers Benediction return to bring the soundtrack for the year where the modern empires are starting to crumble.

Benediction are one of the long standing legends of death metal. Formed in the dying days of the 1980s, the band alongside UK extreme metal heavyweights Bolt Thrower, Carcass, Cancer and Napalm Death helped form the core of the death and grind scene as it was growing alongside the burgeoning US and European extreme scenes. Having hosted various musicians in their line up over the years: Barney Greenway, Nick Barker and Dave Hunt to name 3 of the more well known names, the band from Birmingham have always provided consistency across their discography, blending the ferocity of death metal with the groove-laden undercurrent of thrash and the raw explosiveness of punk. For a more simple explanation, think the energy of early Slayer condensed into a no nonsense death metal approach. Uncompromising both in the studio and on stage, Benediction are a band everyone should take note of and with their latest release Ravage Of Empires, which celebrates their 35th anniversary, let’s hear the soundtrack to the ravaging of empires, a fitting musical theme given current geopolitical events.

11 tracks which last a total of 47 minutes details the downfall of the modern day empires, all delivered with a consistent and relentless intensity. From the opening drum fill and riff barrage of ‘A Carrion Call’ to the titular closing track’s titanic groove which crushes all underfoot, this album is a demonstration of how simplicity is just as effective as ludicrous technicality when it comes to the genre of death metal. What this album lacks in ridiculously intricate arrangements, djenting chugs and precise lead theatrics, it makes up for in the rhythmic execution and classic growling approach of the renowned Dave Ingram.

As stated previously, opening track ‘A Carrion Call’ opens with blistering intensity. The rapid fire drum fill into the full pelt groove riffs surges forwards with intent and it doesn’t let up. Even with the shift halfway through the track, it still hits hard and fast. Switching from punk driven energy to a more penetrating thrash like intent, before settling back down, it displays the consistency you expect from this band.

‘Beyond the Veil of the Grey Mare’ brings the listener into a non-stop assault of death driven groove. The thundering chords and pounding low end provide a suitable backdrop for the harsh snarls of Ingram as he paints a tale of suffering and misery, letting the track subtly drift into thrash adjacent territory but still remain firmly old school in its death metal sound. ‘Genesis Chamber’ opens with a haunting melodic arrangement which builds in intensity and creates a sense of unease. Ominous spoken words allow for the melody to gain an even more unsettling edge and soon enough, it explodes to life. The rapid riffing and cascade of thunderous bass and drums doesn’t let up. Brief pauses occur but it just doesn’t stop with its relentless charge forwards.

‘Deviant Spine’ continues in this theme. The crushing groove undercurrent driving it forth as it shifts from tightly controlled bursts of groove to briefly sustained chords to help with the pacing of the track, all driven on by a fantastic display of rhythmic prowess from drummer Giovanni Durst. ‘Engines of War’ continues this uncompromising rhythmic assault. The blitz of riffs and tight rhythm section combined with the snarling vocals paints a grim picture fitting of the songs subject. It’s not pretty, it hits hard with its straight to the point delivery and the thrash like undercurrents help drive it on like waves of infantry charges and armoured assaults, grinding away at all in its path.

‘The Finality of Perpetuation’ opens with a slick winding melody before the shout of “crank it up!” brings in a furious riff based assault. It’s full speed from the off with the blistering sonic assault with buzzing guitars and drums which thunder and it’s only round the mid-section of the song when you get a reprieve. Shifting to a loaded groove section which commands the windmilling of hair and banging heads, it’s one hell of a transition and guaranteed to ignite a fearsome pit in any live performance of this track. ‘Crawling Over Corpses’ is classic Benediction; a powerful groove driven death metal attack. With some great pacing, its rhythmic execution is spot on as it shifts between the snare/hi-hat drive and bursts of double kick which carries the quick fire chugs and sustained chords which form the spine of the track. The brief melodic lead section adds a little flavour but it’s all about the big and nasty grooves.

‘In the Dread of the Night’ is a slower paced number to begin with as its ominous into shifts into a sinister sounding fury of buzzing guitars and razor sharp pedal tone bursts. Inspiring fear and unease like the unknowns of the darkness, this track takes tight hold and doesn’t let go. Even when it slows down towards the final third of the track, it doesn’t let up on the intensity. A descending Slayer-esque riff shifts to a heavy chug before signalling the final onslaught of sinister riffing recommences. ‘Drought of Mercy’ is anything but a drought. The track hits like a mighty river bursting its banks and flooding you with a deluge of galloping chugs before it subsides into a dark sounding slower section, almost like the tide pulling back before the tidal wave comes crashing in. The drawing back and slamming in once again repeats throughout the track and its impact is great as it really helps with the pacing.

‘Psychosister’ is the penultimate track and it is  a lumbering behemoth of a track. The sinister flavour to the buzzing guitars which shift between subtle palm muting and full voiced melodic accenting in the verses helps create an uneasy feeling in the atmosphere of the track before it opens up in the chorus with a more controlled burst of pounding chords and tight as hell drumming. As stated so many times, the rhythmic work on this release is outstanding; it is so tight in how the entire band are locked in and how no single element of the sound is overpowered by another. The thundering drums and bass are matched by the huge sounding guitars. There’s a brief ‘lead’ – a lingering and ominous melodic drone over a shift before it returns for a final run at the chorus loops at the end of the track, and it, like most of the release previous to this track, is just a display of consistency from start to finish.

Wrapping up the album is the title track, ‘Ravage of Empires’. Picking the pace back up once again, the 80’s thrash edge to the no nonsense death metal approach surges forth one last time, smashing through all in its way. Fierce and commanding growls guide the tight guitar riffing and the drums hammer away with thundering toms and massive cymbal crashes driven on by some fantastic bass drum grooves. It’s a straight forward track, tight riffing, simplistic structuring but maximal in its impact and delivery. As it hits the half-way point, the groove shifts to a guitar driven chug before it descends into a heavy as hell section with some crushing drum work and a nasty sounding riff which when combined will no doubt bring a sea of windmilling heads and tumultuous movement in any live crowd. It is a fitting end to what has been an outstanding album from start to finish.

Benediction are a phenomenal band, there is no doubting their credentials. Pioneers in the UK extreme metal scene, an uncompromising and commanding musical presence and the ability to just cut through the bullshit and deliver some top tier death metal. Like many fans of death metal, I enjoy some of the more intricate and technically demanding material artists have put out over the years, and I enjoy a fair bit of melodic flair and dynamically delivered soloing, but sometimes you just need the old school approach and Benediction always bring that to the table. A band who are criminally underrated but massively enjoyable and reliable when the quality of their music is concerned, Ravage Of Empires is a breath of fetid old-school air and sure to stand tall amongst 2025’s metal releases for how raw and authentic it is.