Review by Felix on February 19, 2022.

Benediction are as cool as a cucumber. It took them seven years to create and release this album. This was irritating, because its inconspicuous predecessor did not have a long-term effect. Honestly said, I thought that they had split up. I was fortunately wrong. They came back with a bang. This album sounds raw, angry and purulent, it is a statement against high-gloss polished metal. The brilliant production is a pretty decent slap in the face and highlights the songs due to the hammering drums, the deeply-resonating guitars and the menacing voice. Singer Dave Hunt has most likely animalistic tendencies and he knows well how to express them. Frank Healy who seems to manage the bass guitar on almost every British extreme metal album is very active, too, while the guitarists create tons of threatening melody lines. Do not misunderstand me, this album is definitely not characterized by its melodic harmonies. Benediction just have a knack for integrating the necessary amount of melodies so that their punk influenced death metal gets the right balance between murderous violence and ugly musicality. Therefore, it seems fair to assume that they are men of conviction. They only do what they like without taking care about other people´s opinions.

Benediction's stubborn aggressiveness impresses more and more the longer the album runs. Nevertheless, the best tracks are placed in the first half of the album. 'Dripping With Disgust' is a brute rabbit punch while offering a very tough beginning and high velocity after a succeeded break. The title track presents the strongest guitar line while the fast 'Controlopolis' blows you away due to its mechanized and misanthropic aura which is combined with nightmarish lyrics. Sinister science fiction metal at its best, of course without spherical sounds! There are also two very strong cover songs at the end of the album. 'Seeing Through My Eyes' with its explosive chorus, originally written by Broken Bones, and the thick 'Largactyl' (Amebix) are Benediction's final offensive. Without being a friend of cover versions in general, these tunes can really be termed a bonus. It also has to be said that the entire album does not include any boring songs. Consequently, this full-length offers a very coherent flow and only evil tongues would claim that the pieces seem to be interchangeable.

The cover motif has not been chosen carefully. If I am not mistaken, I have seen one or two skulls on metal album covers before. Maybe even more. However, as long as metal musicians act in a musically creative manner we do not need to complain about the fairly unimaginative look of the package. Just listen to the disc and put the package on the shelf. Finally, let me peer into the future. Of course, I do not know where Benediction are currently hanging around. But 2015 will be a good year, if these British troublemaker release a worthy successor again after a wait of seven years. I am actually very hopeful, because as I have already mentioned, Benediction are as cool as a cucumber.

Rating: 8.2 out of 10

Review by Felix on February 19, 2022.

Benediction are as cool as a cucumber. It took them seven years to create and release this album. This was irritating, because its inconspicuous predecessor did not have a long-term effect. Honestly said, I thought that they had split up. I was fortunately wrong. They came back with a bang. This album sounds raw, angry and purulent, it is a statement against high-gloss polished metal. The brilliant production is a pretty decent slap in the face and highlights the songs due to the hammering drums, the deeply-resonating guitars and the menacing voice. Singer Dave Hunt has most likely animalistic tendencies and he knows well how to express them. Frank Healy who seems to manage the bass guitar on almost every British extreme metal album is very active, too, while the guitarists create tons of threatening melody lines. Do not misunderstand me, this album is definitely not characterized by its melodic harmonies. Benediction just have a knack for integrating the necessary amount of melodies so that their punk influenced death metal gets the right balance between murderous violence and ugly musicality. Therefore, it seems fair to assume that they are men of conviction. They only do what they like without taking care about other people´s opinions.

Benediction's stubborn aggressiveness impresses more and more the longer the album runs. Nevertheless, the best tracks are placed in the first half of the album. 'Dripping With Disgust' is a brute rabbit punch while offering a very tough beginning and high velocity after a succeeded break. The title track presents the strongest guitar line while the fast 'Controlopolis' blows you away due to its mechanized and misanthropic aura which is combined with nightmarish lyrics. Sinister science fiction metal at its best, of course without spherical sounds! There are also two very strong cover songs at the end of the album. 'Seeing Through My Eyes' with its explosive chorus, originally written by Broken Bones, and the thick 'Largactyl' (Amebix) are Benediction's final offensive. Without being a friend of cover versions in general, these tunes can really be termed a bonus. It also has to be said that the entire album does not include any boring songs. Consequently, this full-length offers a very coherent flow and only evil tongues would claim that the pieces seem to be interchangeable.

The cover motif has not been chosen carefully. If I am not mistaken, I have seen one or two skulls on metal album covers before. Maybe even more. However, as long as metal musicians act in a musically creative manner we do not need to complain about the fairly unimaginative look of the package. Just listen to the disc and put the package on the shelf. Finally, let me peer into the future. Of course, I do not know where Benediction are currently hanging around. But 2015 will be a good year, if these British troublemaker release a worthy successor again after a wait of seven years. I am actually very hopeful, because as I have already mentioned, Benediction are as cool as a cucumber.

Rating: 8.2 out of 10

Review by JD on May 31, 2010.

St. Louis MO is not a place I have heard much metal coming out of, hearing mostly deep and soulful blues come out from there... that was why I found myself so shocked yet intently curious when the band Count The Lies came to me. The have succeeded in making a sizable impact, I have to admit.

The band is clearly heavily influenced by so many of the early Thrash and Power Metal movement from the past, Count The Lies seemed to have really soak in what they were hearing and using e very last piece of it. Drawing their creative energies from bands like Metallica, Megadeth and Exodus and even a little like Trivium in a few places... the young band seemed to have soaked up the power and passion, and thrown it back out with as much explosiveness as those other bands had done in their heyday. With strong but fun lyrics that seem to be well thought out as well as being a band that can play pretty well... Count The Lies seem destined to climb to the top of the metal ladder very soon indeed.

The only drawback is that CTL have is that they are a little bit on the ‘green’ side of things... simply meaning that they have not matured as artists at the moment. Count The Lies are a little shaky with the way they have put together all of their material as they seem to struggle with the normal problem of having originality - but it does not hamper the fact that this young band is so talented. I hear through it all, that they will.

To make it all very clear... when the band matures and find their own originality while keeping true to what has inspired them... they will be a monstrous force to be reckoned with on the world metal stage. They have the sort of potential to be bigger than Metallica if they continue to grow into that possibility. I for one, await to see what this young band can end up really delivering, and will be there with horns held high and proud.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 9
Atmosphere: 8
Production: 8.5
Originality: 6.5
Overall: 9

Rating: 8.2 out of 10

Review by JD on May 31, 2010.

St. Louis MO is not a place I have heard much metal coming out of, hearing mostly deep and soulful blues come out from there... that was why I found myself so shocked yet intently curious when the band Count The Lies came to me. The have succeeded in making a sizable impact, I have to admit.

The band is clearly heavily influenced by so many of the early Thrash and Power Metal movement from the past, Count The Lies seemed to have really soak in what they were hearing and using e very last piece of it. Drawing their creative energies from bands like Metallica, Megadeth and Exodus and even a little like Trivium in a few places... the young band seemed to have soaked up the power and passion, and thrown it back out with as much explosiveness as those other bands had done in their heyday. With strong but fun lyrics that seem to be well thought out as well as being a band that can play pretty well... Count The Lies seem destined to climb to the top of the metal ladder very soon indeed.

The only drawback is that CTL have is that they are a little bit on the ‘green’ side of things... simply meaning that they have not matured as artists at the moment. Count The Lies are a little shaky with the way they have put together all of their material as they seem to struggle with the normal problem of having originality - but it does not hamper the fact that this young band is so talented. I hear through it all, that they will.

To make it all very clear... when the band matures and find their own originality while keeping true to what has inspired them... they will be a monstrous force to be reckoned with on the world metal stage. They have the sort of potential to be bigger than Metallica if they continue to grow into that possibility. I for one, await to see what this young band can end up really delivering, and will be there with horns held high and proud.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 9
Atmosphere: 8
Production: 8.5
Originality: 6.5
Overall: 9

Rating: 8.2 out of 10