Benediction – Transcend the Rubicon

Benediction’s finest hour is entitled ‘Transcend the Rubicon’, period. This album sounded so incredibly brutal when I first heard it, I almost wet my pants of pleasure!

There’s only killer songs to be found on this magnificent album. There’s fast stuff like ‘Unfound Mortality’, ‘Nightfear’ (still a fan’s favorite!), ‘Paradox alley’, ‘Violation Domain’, ‘Bleakhouse’ or ‘Blood from stone’ to be found, as well as mid-paced smashers like the groovy ‘I Bow to None’, ‘Painted skulls’ or ‘Face without soul’. The 2 extra songs are a cool studio jam of The Accused song ‘Wrong side of the grave (guest vocals by Jan-Chris de Koeijer, Karl Willets and Macka), and a brutal medley of ‘Artefacted Irreligion’ and ‘Spit forth the Dead’.

Whereas many Death Metal bands nowadays don’t manage to give each individual song it’s unique hooks and marks, ‘Transcend the Rubicon’ is filled with unique songs.

Let me conclude with a quote from the infamous Wim Baelus: “If brutality was a crime Benediction would have been sentenced to death”.

Amen!