Benediction | Ravage Of Empires | Nuclear Blast

 

Benediction, formed in Birmingham in 1989, is one of the enduring names in British death metal. Rising from the same grim soil that birthed bands like Bolt Thrower and Napalm Death, they quickly carved their identity through unrelenting heaviness and no-frills riff-driven brutality. Their early works like “Subconscious Terror” (1990) and “The Grand Leveller” (1991) laid the groundwork, but it was 1993’s “Transcend The Rubicon” that solidified their place in death metal’s history. After a series of lineup changes and stylistic shifts through the 1990s and 2000s, vocalist Dave Ingram returned for 2020’s “Scriptures”, a critically and fan-acclaimed comeback that bridged the old and new with undeniable authority. The current lineup features founding guitarists Darren Brookes and Peter Rew, Nik Sampson on bass, Giovanni Durst on drums, and Ingram out front, bringing renewed vitality and grim conviction to the fold.

"Ravage Of Empires" arrives with direct momentum from “Scriptures” and continues in the same spirit of intensity. It is a precisely executed, compact death metal assault that thrives on rhythmic power and an unapologetic approach to songwriting. The album’s tone is unmistakably heavy from the outset, with “A Carrion Harvest” launching into motion without delay, setting the template for what follows. There’s a consistent application of mid-to-fast-paced brutality across the runtime, punctuated by shifts into more crushing, groove-oriented sections that recall the band’s earlier, grinding tendencies.

The production, handled by Scott Atkins, remains clear and forceful throughout. It emphasizes the tightness of the rhythm section and gives enough space for the twin guitars to cut through without becoming overly processed or saturated. There is a sense of familiarity in the structures and pacing of tracks like “Genesis Chamber”, “Crawling Over Corpses”, and “Engines Of War”, but rather than feeling stagnant, they operate as a reaffirmation of the band’s identity. The riffs are straightforward but effective, and the arrangements avoid unnecessary diversions, maintaining a lean, aggressive form from start to finish.

Ingram’s vocals retain their depth and character, never straying too far from the gruff, commanding delivery that has long defined his presence. Tracks such as “In The Dread Of The Night” and the title song “Ravage Of Empires” encapsulate what this album aims for: focused, muscular death metal rooted in tradition but executed with current urgency. The lyrics, as expected, deal with darkness, violence, and decay, matching the tone of the music without reaching for excessive abstraction or theatricality.

Across its 47 minutes, "Ravage Of Empires" offers a tight and consistent listen, reinforcing Benediction’s place as one of death metal’s most grounded and enduring acts. It does not chase trends or veer into experimentation for its own sake—it delivers exactly what longtime followers would hope for, with no pretense or adornment.

Score: 8.5/10