Review by Felix on May 11, 2026.

After the release of "Killing Music", Benediction promised that it won't take another seven years for the next full-length. They were right. Twelve years passed until "Scriptures" saw the light of day, but then the band members became true workaholics. Therefore "Ravage Of Empires", their ninth album within a period of three and a half decade, is only five years younger than its predecessor. The line-up has remained stable, only a new bass player showed up, but he's already moved on again. Where the hell is Frank Healy?

Anyway, my music taste does not ask for the bass player, but for the songs. And maybe it is due to the fact that I was diving into Venom's mid-tempo party "Into Oblivion" before I listened closer to "Ravage Of Empires", but the first thing I realised is the high dynamic of the compositions. Benediction provide an enormous level of energy, sharpness and aggression. They cannot, however, be reduced to a single, specific high-speed format. The highly exciting "Deviant Spine" features thick, menacing riffs, accentuated drum rolls and a good dose of pus. Not to mention Dave Ingram's very voluminous and imperious voice. This guy is in top form. Well, he does not very his style, but we are speaking about death metal and he also does exploit the extremes as some of his death metal competitors do. I guess this is always the formula for a band of this style to please me – leave some space for non-death metal elements. Benediction do this by presenting pretty thrashy riffs, while the punk vibes which occasionally occurred on "Killing Music" do not celebrate their revival here.

With a driving double bass that never becomes an end in itself, Benediction perform great tracks like "The Finality Of Perpetuation", "Beyond The Veil (Of The Grey Mare)" or the closing title track. Okay, maybe it is not fair to pick out exactly these tracks, because with the exception of the somewhat underdeveloped "Psychosister", all songs enrich this work significantly. Nevertheless, there is one number that stands out. "Crawling Over Corpses" relies on a riff with an irresistible momentum and the band is clever enough to give it the place it deserves. The earthy guitar lines create an almost groovy feeling without paying tribute to Bolt Thrower. No doubt about it, this bullet has the largest calibre, even though the following high speed murderer called "In The Dread Of The Night" adds a lethal portion of high class devastation and its precision is exemplary of the entire output.

Naturally, Nuclear Blast Records is definitely not the company with the most underground credibility. But they have the money it needs to guarantee a perfect production. There is smoke, bangs and crashes everywhere and all elements sound powerful, clear and homicidal. Ingram does not dominate the instruments and vice versa. Certainly, the man who balanced the individual contributions of the five musicians can also walk a tightrope. Even better; despite the flawless mix, the album does not suffer from sterility. Instead, "Ravage Of Empires" glitters with a sinister, sometimes nearly apocalyptic atmosphere.

In a nutshell, Benediction convince with their vitality, their authenticity and their song-writing skills. Okay, the degree of individuality of the single tracks could be higher, but the composers Brookes and Rew have found their signature and there is nothing wrong with it. The almost 48 minutes deliver a lot of good music. Only one question remains. No, not when Frank Healy is coming back, but which empires will be ravaged and when? Interested candidates (North Corea, Russia) should please send their application to Benediction, Birmingham, England.

Rating: 8.1 out of 10