Benevolent

Benevolent is a very aggressive extreme metal band that has an experimental edge that allows them to break the fold. With brutal verses and catchier choruses Benevolent gives you something to headbang too. They have some sick guitar riffs that show off a lot of technical skill but still fit in well with the music. A lot of the riffs get very doomy at times and help make the band a lot blacker. The solos are not always very technical but they are filled with a lot of emotion and fit the aura of the music very well, which is really all that matters. The bass work on this record is very heavy and it helps to bring the band down into a black oblivion. At the same time the bassist adds a lot of soul to the band's sound. And some of the bass parts are just magic, the bass intro to the solo on Purgatory is especially good. The drummer from Benevolent has more than his fair share of hectic and crazy drum fills. This gives the band a wild feel and really helps to put the extreme in their extreme metal tag. The growls for Benevolent are excellent, they are extremely brutal and have a lot of aggression in them. They are not the best I have ever heard but they are still very good. The clean vocals are also pretty decent, admittedly they can be a bit whiny for my tastes. All in all Benevolent is a sick extreme metal band that is completely worth checking out.

OVERALL 9/10