Artist: Benighted
Title: Asylum Cave
Type: Album
Label: Season Of Mist

I'll be the first to admit that I decided to review this album completely for the hell of it and because it's been a long time since I've listened to any grindcore and actually enjoyed it. Well I'm glad to say that I did and that Benighted do more than just play everything ludicrously fast and have ultra low growls for vocals. There are plenty of really varied tempo and rhythm changes to make the songs extremely dynamic. Add to it that this is a concept album, which may be far more accessible with lyrics for continuity purposes, everything flows really well and progresses into the insanity of the protagonist whom is trapped in the "Asylum Cave". A radio alarm goes off and it quickly put to death, and then the madness ensues. I really like the low guttural barks that Julien Truchan spits forth, however I must admit that the screams do nothing for me, even if the contrast they create is extreme. What's not to love about a song title like "Let the Blood Spill between my Broken Teeth" and the song itself if just as brutal. Olivier Gabriel and Liem N'Guyen's guitar work is pretty impressive. They trade leads, change from playing killer riffs at breakneck speed to almost bluesy arrangements where Eric Lombard's popping bass cuts through clearly. Whether he's blasting frantically, or stopping completely before doing an insane fill, Kevin Foley just doesn't appear to miss a beat as the tempo changes on "Prey" attest. Slowing down the tempo but severely increasing the feeling of anxiety is "Hostile". The protagonist's primary obsession is "Fritzl" and his schizophrenia probably isn't helping. Perhaps I haven't listened to enough grind lately, but the funky vibe on "Unborn Infected Children" somehow doesn't feel out of place at all. The rest of the album doesn't hold any real surprises, which means the brutality and speed continue unabated 'til the "Drowning" is over.

http://www.season-of-mist.com
http://www.myspace.com/brutalbenighted