Label: Nuclear Blast Records
Release date: April 4th, 2025
So, it came time to write a little about bands everyone knows. This is especially about the ensemble who goes as the first, because the second one isn’t, in my opinion hell knows why, considered the so-called first league. But let’s start with this more well-known horde coming from the second largest city in England (Birmingham) and born in the eighties. Look at the few lines above and you’ll know it. I somehow can’t imagine there’s at least one fan of death metal who doesn’t love them and who didn’t wait for this full-length. And we had to train our patience as fuck, because it took them long five years to show to us their newest child.
Honestly, to be honest, I always have mixed feelings when I review such stuff. I mean, I just can’t imagine there’s at least one real fan of death metal who didn’t buy or at least heard several times of this album. And even if there’s somehow someone like that (in a purely theoretical situation, because the premiere of this album took place a month ago – April 4th) , she/he knows very well what music to expect and I’m sure this person will get it as quickly as possible to enjoy it. Benediction is one of these bands who whole their life creates the same shit. That’s why I deeply doubt I need or even should write anything about music itself – from a purely technical point of view. You know, to describe riffs broken or not, is it technical (what takes all instruments) or not and so on. I can’t imagine a situation where there’s even one reader who has never heard some stuff of this legend of death metal. So, my writings would just be a totally unnecessary transfer from empty to vain. Anyway, all their items are of approximately equally high standard. I mean, what’s natural, because every band plays only people, there were some a little better and a little worse albums in their career, but generally they never ever recorded not only bad, but even average stuff. And this is of course also about “Ravage…” as well! That’s why I’m so sure everyone will enjoy this item. I tell you even more, I’m sure of one more thing. Namely, it’ll be just like in my case. I listen to it again and again and I don’t get enough. Honestly, this is quite the opposite, what’s the reason why it takes so long for me to write this review, I guess! I know I perhaps should write those words on the end of my scribble to “force” you to read it from cover to cover. But we all know very well I don’t care about rules and such bullshits, so…
Nineth full-length of English contains eleven songs in the good old style that the band has accustomed us to in these over three decades of existence. I’ve never been a huge fan of comparison, and it doesn’t matter whether it concerns ensembles or individual releases of a band. But on the other hand, I know I must write something that at least looks professional. So, in my opinion previous masterpiece of English, “Dark Is the Season” or “Transcend the Rubicon” were a little better, what absolutely doesn’t mean “Ravage…” isn’t a great album a lot of us will have in their top 10 of the year when accurate for such summaries time is right. That’s actually everything I wanted to write. Well, maybe one more thing. Personally, I think that, especially in light of what I’ve written, that’s unnecessary to do, but… Buy it, support in every possible way Benediction or you’re a fucking poser!
