Label: Frontiers Records
Review by Tony Cannella
Oh. My. God. Just when I thought the Phoenix, Arizona based band Benedictum couldn’t get any better, they have to go and prove me wrong by releasing quite possibly the best album of their careers. Aptly titled “Obey” the band is firing on all cylinders and then some – this is as good as it gets in the realm of heavy metal. Quite simply Veronica Freeman is one of the best pure metal singers on the planet and throughout “Obey” she proves this time and again.
After the opening intro “Dream of the Banshee”, Benedictum comes in guns a blazing with the pounding “Fractured”. From there things only get better and more bombastic with the title song. Veronica’s vocals are as strong and forceful as ever as the listener has no choice, but to “Obey”. Throughout the 50-minute disc Benedictum maintains their pounding metal style whilst still managing to be melodic. “Fighting For My Life” is excellent and has a classic metal anthemic feel to it, “we are here, here to fight!” yeah it may be simplistic but that line (sung in gang vocals) definitely gets the blood pumping. Benedictum keeps things moving along rapidly with the relentless “Scream”, “Evil That We Do” and “Crossing Over”. A huge highlight for me was the power metal ballad “Cry” in which Veronica does a stirring duet with the great Tony Martin (formerly of Black Sabbath – still my 2nd favorite Sabbath vocalist behind DIO). It was really a stroke of genius putting these two awesome singers together. Other highlights include: “Thornz” and the 7-minute closer “Retrograde”, but really there is not a bad moment to be found on “Obey”. To put it quite simply, “Obey” is an unrelenting metal force of nature. Benedictum is pure metal at its finest and purest!
Rating – 100/100
Tracklist
- Dream of the Banshee
- Fractured
- Obey
- Fighting for My Life
- Scream
- Evil That We Do
- Crossing Over
- Cry (featuring Tony Martin)
- Thornz
- Die to Love You
- Apex Nation
- Retrograde
Line Up
- Veronica Freeman – Lead Vocals
- Pete Wells – Guitars
- Aric Avina – Bass Guitar
- Rikard Stjernquist – Drums