Ελληνικά
Genre: Death
Country: U.K.
Label: Nuclear Blast Records
Year: 2025
“Ravage of Empires,” released in April 2025 via Nuclear Blast, five years after “Scriptures”, finds Benediction doubling down on their signature blend of old-school British death metal, delivering an album that is both a nod to their roots and a testament to their enduring ferocity.
The album is a solid and powerful return to form for the veteran UK death metal band, delivering a classic old-school death metal experience with a modern edge. The album spans 11 tracks and runs about 47 minutes, showcasing the band’s signature style of straightforward, heavy riffs and mid-tempo grooves that fans of their early 90s work will find very familiar and satisfying.
The album opens with the brutal and up-tempo “A Carrion Harvest,” immediately setting a merciless tone with Dave Ingram’s distinctive barking vocals and excellent guitar work. Tracks like “Beyond the Veil (Of the Gray Mare),” “Empires of War,” and the title track “Ravage of Empires” highlight Benediction’s ability to blend crushing riffs with groove and intensity, occasionally incorporating thrash elements that enhance the headbanger appeal.
Production by Scott Atkins manages to balance a modern sound while preserving the rawness and spirit of classic UK death metal. Ingram’s vocal performance remains as potent as ever, contributing to the album’s authentic feel. While most songs maintain a sturdy mid-tempo pace, the band experiments with tempo shifts and rhythmic variety, as heard in “Psychosister” and “In the Dread of the Night,” though not all experiments hit perfectly.
Ok, the album doesn’t break new ground but rather solidifies Benediction’s identity as a “meat-and-potatoes” death metal band, which is precisely what personally speaking and probably many fans want. The album is praised for its consistent quality, powerful riffs, and the band’s ability to evoke nostalgia without sounding outdated.
Overall, Ravage of Empires is regarded as a face-smashing, well-crafted death metal album that should please longtime fans and potentially attract younger listeners who appreciate brutality achieved through solid songwriting rather than technical excess. It stands as a strong addition to Benediction’s discography and a testament to their enduring presence in the death metal scene.
