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Benighted - Identisick review




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Reviewer:
9.2

131 users:
8.44
Band: Benighted
Album: Identisick
Release date: January 2006


01. Nemesis
02. Collapse
03. Identisick
04. Sex-Addicted
05. Mourning Affliction
06. The Twins
07. Ransack The Soul
08. Blind To The World
09. Spiritual Manslaughter
10. Iscarioth
11. Suffer The Children [Napalm Death cover]

When Benighted released Insane Cephalic Production in 2004, there was a real buzz around this band and the album was hailed as one of the most innovative things French death metal had spawned in years. I for one liked the album (still do) but didn't find it too impressive on the long term, due to a certain messiness in the songwriting. The band actually seemed to try to go in a dozen different directions at the same time, with the consequence that they touched a lot of ideas without developing any of them. Let me kill the suspense, they've killed all the little things that went wrong on ICP and the result is Identisick. One of the most impressive works French death metal has spawned in years.

Benighted's music is extremely violent since the basis is full-on brutal death metal sometimes bordering on grind, but this time they injected a lot of groove and melodic riffs in their songs. They managed to do so without watering down their music. Oddly enough, Identisick is their most melodic but also their most brutal effort to date. So ok it is still not accessible to anyone - we're talking extremely extreme stuff here - but unlike too many brutal death bands it never gets boring. The reason is that when you think that you've heard it all, that the same pattern is going to be repeated over and over again, Benighted surprise you with a samba jazz break ("Sex-Addicted"), a speed metal solo ("Identisick"), a pure melodeath song (the killer "Iscarioth") or an unrecognizable cover of Napalm Death's standard "Suffer The Children".

One last word about the music, just to point out that the drumming is absolutely insane. Just listen to the shotgun-like double bass on "Mourning Affliction" and you'll realize that Fred Fayolle is fast, brutal and technical as hell. The rest of the band is on par with him.

Now to the distinctive feature of Benighted. Their concept has always been based upon mental disorders and as usual each song tells the story of a patient affected by one particular disease. These stories are told from the patient's point of view to add a bit more truthfulness. The amazing thing is that the vocals emphasize the lyrics: what I mean is that Julien Truchan is an amazing extreme singer and has worked his ass off on the vocal work in order to translate mental disorders through his voice. The vocals are so varied (I counted at least 6 different singing styles - all extreme, ranging from the most guttural vocals to the most high-pitched screams) - that you hardly believe at first that this is only one guy doing them all, although he's helped on two songs by Leif of Dew-Scented and Kris of Kronos. He adds a lot to the impression of madness, of schizophrenia, of sickness this album reeks. Actually he's becoming one of my fav extreme singers.

Altogether this album is one of a kind. It is catchy, complex, with a serious sense of groove, almost flawless (I had to refrain not to give it the maximum rating). In other words, Identisick is already a strong contender for best death metal album of the year. This is not for all ears but if you want to travel through sick landscapes and lunatic realms, enter the magic kingdom of Benighted and let these crazy vocals carry you to your last asylum.

Highlights: Nemesis, Identisick, Sex-Addicted, Iscarioth

Written by Deadsoulman | 27.02.2006




Comments

Comments: 14   Visited by: 88 users
10.06.2006 - 16:10
caB^^
Account deleted
First of all I have to say that I love this band, and that can't be said enough. There is always something new to discover in their music, always a little thing in a particular song you didn't catch the first time, and that makes the songs better and better everytime you hear it.
As the review said, the singer can do many different brutal voices, and every voice is unique in my opinion, but that's because I worship this band. As a singer my self, I try to make my voice sound like his, and really work on making every voice similar to his. I have been growling for 6 months, and I still have a lot to work on, but Identisick is an album worth practicing the brutal growls to.
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11.06.2006 - 01:58
Rating: 8
Dangerboner
Lactation Cnslt
Benighted is one of my favorite death metal bands, but I can't find any sites where I can buy it, except from Adipocere records, but I don't want to send cash all the way to France.
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13.08.2007 - 19:31
Deadsoulman

Written by Dangerboner on 11.06.2006 at 01:58

Benighted is one of my favorite death metal bands, but I can't find any sites where I can buy it, except from Adipocere records, but I don't want to send cash all the way to France.


Your post is a bit old so I don't know if you're still looking for some place to buy it, but Adipocere now accepts payments through PayPal
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13.08.2007 - 22:10
Rating: 8
Dangerboner
Lactation Cnslt
Written by Deadsoulman on 13.08.2007 at 19:31

Written by Dangerboner on 11.06.2006 at 01:58

Benighted is one of my favorite death metal bands, but I can't find any sites where I can buy it, except from Adipocere records, but I don't want to send cash all the way to France.


Your post is a bit old so I don't know if you're still looking for some place to buy it, but Adipocere now accepts payments through PayPal


Thanks man, but I've bought their two previous albums and figured it would be okay to just download Identisick. I don't have PayPal though....they screwed me over.
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13.08.2007 - 23:15
Lucas
Mr. Noise
Written by Dangerboner on 13.08.2007 at 22:10

Thanks man, but I've bought their two previous albums and figured it would be okay to just download Identisick. I don't have PayPal though....they screwed me over.


You couldn't create an account? How come?

By the way, if you want to use my account, feel free to do so. You could send money to it and then let me order the album and pay it, and let it be send to your adress. Us Smurfs got to stick together man!
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SLUDGE. DOOM. DEATH. Wait, what?

"The reason I'm running for president is because I can't be Bruce Springsteen." - Barack Obama
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29.06.2009 - 21:30
Maxx666
Meshuggahian
Great album indeed. Its been on my playlist for a month now:banger2:
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04.03.2011 - 18:54
Rating: 8
Cryzpin

Not a DM fan, but this album rocks! Quite brutal and catchy at the same time, very consistent. I use it as a medicine when my work pisses me off. Btw this review introduced me to Benighted, so thanks to the author.
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04.03.2011 - 19:02
Troy Killjoy
perfunctionist
Written by Cryzpin on 04.03.2011 at 18:54

Not a DM fan, but this album rocks! Quite brutal and catchy at the same time, very consistent. I use it as a medicine when my work pisses me off. Btw this review introduced me to Benighted, so thanks to the author.

Definitely check out Icon if you haven't already. In my opinion, their best album, and one of the strongest overall BDM albums in the genre's history.
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"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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04.03.2011 - 19:08
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted
I'd say this edges out Icon, just. Retains more of the grind feel of ICP than Icon which is more straight death metal. And this one has Sex Addicted, whereas Icon doesn't so it has no chance

I still object to Benighted being classed as brutal death metal. Brutal they may be but they ain't brutal death in the categorical sense.
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05.03.2011 - 20:47
Rating: 8
Cryzpin

Written by Troy Killjoy on 04.03.2011 at 19:02

Written by Cryzpin on 04.03.2011 at 18:54

Not a DM fan, but this album rocks! Quite brutal and catchy at the same time, very consistent. I use it as a medicine when my work pisses me off. Btw this review introduced me to Benighted, so thanks to the author.

Definitely check out Icon if you haven't already. In my opinion, their best album, and one of the strongest overall BDM albums in the genre's history.

Sounds promising! Will get it.
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05.03.2011 - 21:01
Rating: 8
Cryzpin

Written by Guest on 04.03.2011 at 19:08

I'd say this edges out Icon, just. Retains more of the grind feel of ICP than Icon which is more straight death metal. And this one has Sex Addicted, whereas Icon doesn't so it has no chance

I still object to Benighted being classed as brutal death metal. Brutal they may be but they ain't brutal death in the categorical sense.

Quite an interesting dilema regarding the term "brutal". What makes the difference exactly? I'm quite confused and not-yet-much into DM. I mean for example Is Consuming Impulse of Pestilence brutal? Is None So Vile of Cryptopsy brutal? Are Cannibal Corpse brutal in general?
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05.03.2011 - 21:45
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted
Written by Cryzpin on 05.03.2011 at 21:01

Quite an interesting dilema regarding the term "brutal". What makes the difference exactly? I'm quite confused and not-yet-much into DM. I mean for example Is Consuming Impulse of Pestilence brutal? Is None So Vile of Cryptopsy brutal? Are Cannibal Corpse brutal in general?

For me Benighted have far too much flow and grind in their music, not to mention breakdowns, to be classed as brutal death metal, in fact I'd say they more closely resemble Napalm Death than many death metal bands. Napalm Death are fucking "brutal" but not in that sense. I tend to find that brutal death metal acts are impossible to headbang too whereas Benighted you could consistently do so if you wished.

I don't think many people would class Cannibal Corpse as brutal, and as for None So Vile, probably a combination of tech and brutal death I'd say. If I've heard the Pestilence record I don't remember so can't comment there. I always use Hate Eternal's stuff as point of comparison with Benighted in the "brutal" discussion:

Naff all flow, melody, groove etc. Tighter more intense musicianship. Just brutal and relentless (and incredibly boring I might add):


Grooving, grinding, melodic and aggressive but not brutal. Looser in form (and smegging awesome):


I can't speak for everyone but hear more Benighted in this than I do Hate Eternal:


Don't worry about it, most people disagree with me on this point anyway. I would concede that Benighted contain elements seen in BDM but on the whole it doesn't sit right with me putting them in that category.
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06.03.2011 - 00:49
Troy Killjoy
perfunctionist
Written by Guest on 05.03.2011 at 21:45

For me Benighted have far too much flow and grind in their music, not to mention breakdowns, to be classed as brutal death metal, in fact I'd say they more closely resemble Napalm Death than many death metal bands. Napalm Death are fucking "brutal" but not in that sense. I tend to find that brutal death metal acts are impossible to headbang too whereas Benighted you could consistently do so if you wished.

I'd say they mix deathgrind and brutal death together, but wouldn't restrict Identisick or Icon to either one specifically.

Written by Cryzpin on 05.03.2011 at 21:01

Quite an interesting dilema regarding the term "brutal". What makes the difference exactly? I'm quite confused and not-yet-much into DM. I mean for example Is Consuming Impulse of Pestilence brutal? Is None So Vile of Cryptopsy brutal? Are Cannibal Corpse brutal in general?

Most brutal death is that guttural slamming stuff with muted rhythmic riffs - Spawn of Possession, Devourment, Cephalotripsy, Guttural Secrete, etc. and more or less started with Suffocation (Devourment and Deeds of Flesh are also BDM). Cannibal Corpse are brutal in theme/nature, but not in sound (although Kill is arguably a mix of regular death and brutal death).

It's a hard genre to define - most people mix it up with deathcore, which is essentially death metal and metalcore. The reason for the mix-up is possibly due to both genres containing triggered drums, slam riffs, guttural vocals, gore-related lyrics; the difference is mostly in the delivery. Deathcore is basically a more extreme Zao - whereas brutal death is a more extreme Immolation (if there exists such a thing).
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"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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06.03.2011 - 09:05
Rating: 8
Cryzpin

Hey, thank you both (JOOE & TG) for an extensive explanation of your points of view. Very appreciated.
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