BENEDICTION - Scriptures 2-LP (Black Vinyl)

Those whom like their death metal right out of the flaming pit, with all of the peripheral gimmicks and sampled horror movie bits mercifully absent, this is made to order. It’s a solid rendition of a style that has been on a popular upswing of late after a period of stagnation in the later 90s with the rise of its technical and more brutal offshoots, but it comes off as a bit more hi-fi and nasty than a lot of the younger revivalists that seem keen on trying to perfectly recreate the old 1991 sound. Per the band’s own testimony in recent press releases, this isn’t necessarily intended as a comeback album, but it feels like one all the same given the perfect chemistry between this band and a singer that has been out of the fold for over 20 years. Whether one misses the good old days when this band was raising the ire of parents, teachers and even Mayhem’s Euronymous (for different reasons, naturally), or one is just anxious for another intense auditory assault, the Scriptures await.