Benediction (band)
Encyclopedia
Benediction is a British
death metal
band from Birmingham
, England
. They were formed in February 1989.
-based death metal band Benediction were formed in February 1989 by Paul Adams
(bass), Peter Rew (guitar), Darren Brookes (guitar), and Mark "Barney" Greenway
(vocals). With the demo The Dreams You Dread, released in the same year, they drew the interest of Nuclear Blast Records, resulting in a record deal. Their first album
, Subconscious Terror
, was released in 1990, followed by the departure of Barney, who joined Napalm Death
. The debut was received well and a new singer, Dave Ingram
, was found soon. In an extensive touring schedule 1991 saw the band toured with Bolt Thrower
and Nocturnus
.
Their second album, The Grand Leveller
, attracted international acclaim. Having already completed one European tour with Massacra
during the year between the recording and the mixing of the album, the band now took to the road again with Dismember
. After that tour Paul Adams departed. The band was back in studio in December 1991 with Darren playing bass and guitar on a new EP
, Dark is the Season
, which included a cover of the old Anvil
stalwart "Forged In Fire," and January 1992 saw the band back in Europe again with Asphyx
and Bolt Thrower
.
Later that year they found their new bassist, Frank Healy
, at that time the guitarist of Cerebral Fix
and formerly of Napalm Death. Healy joined as a full-time member just as left to play in Israel
. According to an interview in the metallian.com encyclopedia the band had been involved in an altercation and fist fight with label-mates Dismember
in Denmark. The band were arguing over tour arrangements.
In 1993, Benediction released their third album, Transcend the Rubicon
. The album's release was followed by the extensive "World Violation" tour with Cemetery
and Atheist
throughout Europe, USA, Canada, and again Israel. After that tour, Ian Treacy left the band because of personal differences. After The Grotesque / Ashen Epitaph
EP, which featured two brand new songs and three live tracks Neil Hutton, Treacy was replaced by Neil Hutton, who was initiated on the eleven dates of the Nuclear Blast New Year Festivals, which took place in January 1995, for performances on German, Dutch, Austrian, Swiss, and Czech stages. Meanwhile the band had already put the finishing touches to their fourth full-length album, The Dreams You Dread
.
Benediction formed a close relationship with Death, touring extensively with them at Chuck Schuldiner
's request.
Their next album, Grind Bastard
, was launched with a tour, now including the former Eastern Block. A deal with TCI, a touring agency in New York, led to yet more touring, including another European tour with Death. This tour coincided with the departure of singer Dave Ingram
and the introduction of new singer Dave Hunt
(also the singer in Mistress
and Anaal Nathrakh
).
Their 8th studio album was released through Nuclear Blast in October 2001. Titled Organised Chaos
, it was again produced by Andy Sneap
, and was followed by more live appearances throughout Europe, highlighted by 2002's tour with Bolt Thrower and an appearance at the Gods of Metal festival in Milan
, Italy
- sharing a bill with the likes of Motörhead, W.A.S.P., Megadeth
, and Judas Priest
. Their most recent album, Killing Music, was released in August 2008.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
death metal
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
band from Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. They were formed in February 1989.
Biography
The BirminghamBirmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
-based death metal band Benediction were formed in February 1989 by Paul Adams
Paul Adams (musician)
Paul Adams is an eclectic musician, writer and musical instrument builder. Hebegan his foray into the arts by making stringed musical instruments such as guitars, banjos,...
(bass), Peter Rew (guitar), Darren Brookes (guitar), and Mark "Barney" Greenway
Mark Greenway
Mark "Barney" Greenway is a British extreme metal singer, who has been a member of Napalm Death, Extreme Noise Terror, and Benediction....
(vocals). With the demo The Dreams You Dread, released in the same year, they drew the interest of Nuclear Blast Records, resulting in a record deal. Their first album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, Subconscious Terror
Subconscious Terror
Subconscious Terror is the debut album by the death metal band Benediction. It was released on Nuclear Blast in 1990. It was re-issued together with the Dark Is the Season EP by Nuclear Blast in 1998.-Track listing:-Credits:...
, was released in 1990, followed by the departure of Barney, who joined Napalm Death
Napalm Death
Napalm Death are a death metal band formed in Birmingham, England in 1981. While none of its original members remain in the group, the lineup of vocalist Mark "Barney" Greenway, bassist Shane Embury, guitarist Mitch Harris and drummer Danny Herrera has remained consistent for most of the band's ...
. The debut was received well and a new singer, Dave Ingram
Dave Ingram
Dave Bjerregaard Ingram is a death metal vocalist from Birmingham, England. He started out replacing Mark "Barney" Greenway in UK death metal band Benediction when he later decided to be only the singer of Napalm Death. He stayed with Benediction until March 1998, when he joined Bolt Thrower. Also,...
, was found soon. In an extensive touring schedule 1991 saw the band toured with Bolt Thrower
Bolt Thrower (band)
Bolt Thrower are a British death metal band from Coventry, England. They formed in 1986 and released their first album with Vinyl Solution in 1988. The band then shifted to a new record label, Earache Records, soon becoming one of the best selling bands on that label. Their current label is Metal...
and Nocturnus
Nocturnus
Nocturnus was an American progressive death metal band formed in Tampa, Florida in 1987 by drummer/vocalist Mike Browning . They were known for their science-fiction themed lyrics and use of keyboards, both of which were virtually unknown in extreme metal...
.
Their second album, The Grand Leveller
The Grand Leveller
The Grand Leveller is the second album by the death metal band Benediction and the first to feature Dave Ingram on vocals. It was released on Nuclear Blast in 1991...
, attracted international acclaim. Having already completed one European tour with Massacra
Massacra
Massacra was one of France's leading death/thrash metal bands in the early nineties.After recording three demos in the 1980s, they finally landed a deal with Shark Records from Germany, and released their famous debut, 'Final Holocaust' in 1990...
during the year between the recording and the mixing of the album, the band now took to the road again with Dismember
Dismember (band)
Dismember was a Swedish death metal band that formed in 1988. They are well known in the death metal underground. They split up in October 2011.-History:...
. After that tour Paul Adams departed. The band was back in studio in December 1991 with Darren playing bass and guitar on a new EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, Dark is the Season
Dark Is the Season
Dark Is the Season is an EP by the death metal band Benediction. It was released on Nuclear Blast in 1992.-Track listing:-Miscellanea:* The title track is heavily inspired by the movie Blue Velvet by David Lynch....
, which included a cover of the old Anvil
Anvil (band)
Anvil is a Canadian heavy metal band comprising Steve "Lips" Kudlow , Robb Reiner , and Glenn Five...
stalwart "Forged In Fire," and January 1992 saw the band back in Europe again with Asphyx
Asphyx
Asphyx is a Dutch death/doom band that was formed in Overijssel in 1987.-Biography:The band was formed in 1987 by Bob Bagchus and Tonny Brookhuis. Eric Daniels was found as a second guitarist and Chuck Colli joined on vocals and bass guitar; this line up released the Enter the Domain demo...
and Bolt Thrower
Bolt Thrower (band)
Bolt Thrower are a British death metal band from Coventry, England. They formed in 1986 and released their first album with Vinyl Solution in 1988. The band then shifted to a new record label, Earache Records, soon becoming one of the best selling bands on that label. Their current label is Metal...
.
Later that year they found their new bassist, Frank Healy
Frank Healy
Frank Healy was born in Handsworth, Birmingham, UK, he is a former Napalm Death guitarist. Healy also was the bass player for Cerebral Fix. He also played bass in the first live Anaal Nathrakh session for the John Peel show. He is currently the bassist in the band Benediction.-References:...
, at that time the guitarist of Cerebral Fix
Cerebral Fix
Cerebral Fix are an English thrash/death metal band formed in Birmingham in 1986. They became members of the UK thrash metal and death metal scenes through four albums, three of which were on major labels before finally disbanding in 1993...
and formerly of Napalm Death. Healy joined as a full-time member just as left to play in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. According to an interview in the metallian.com encyclopedia the band had been involved in an altercation and fist fight with label-mates Dismember
Dismember (band)
Dismember was a Swedish death metal band that formed in 1988. They are well known in the death metal underground. They split up in October 2011.-History:...
in Denmark. The band were arguing over tour arrangements.
In 1993, Benediction released their third album, Transcend the Rubicon
Transcend the Rubicon
Transcend the Rubicon is the third album by the death metal band Benediction. It was released in 1993 and re-released in 2000 by Nuclear Blast.-Track listing:-Credits:*Dave Ingram - Vocals*Darren Brookes - Guitars*Peter Rewinsky - Guitars...
. The album's release was followed by the extensive "World Violation" tour with Cemetery
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
and Atheist
Atheist (band)
Atheist is a technical death metal band from Florida, founded in 1984, whose music combines metal riffs with subtle Latin music arrangements and jazz fusion.- History :...
throughout Europe, USA, Canada, and again Israel. After that tour, Ian Treacy left the band because of personal differences. After The Grotesque / Ashen Epitaph
The Grotesque / Ashen Epitaph
The Grotesque / Ashen Epitaph is an EP by the death metal band Benediction. It was released by Nuclear Blast in 1994.-Track listing:-Credits:*Dave Ingram - Vocals*Darren Brookes - Guitars*Peter Rewinsky - Guitars*Frank Healy - Bass...
EP, which featured two brand new songs and three live tracks Neil Hutton, Treacy was replaced by Neil Hutton, who was initiated on the eleven dates of the Nuclear Blast New Year Festivals, which took place in January 1995, for performances on German, Dutch, Austrian, Swiss, and Czech stages. Meanwhile the band had already put the finishing touches to their fourth full-length album, The Dreams You Dread
The Dreams You Dread
The Dreams You Dread is an album by the death metal band Benediction. It was released in 1995 on Nuclear Blast.-Track listing:-Credits:*Dave Ingram - Vocals*Darren Brookes - Guitars*Peter Rewinsky - Guitars*Frank Healy - Bass*Neil Hutton - Drums...
.
Benediction formed a close relationship with Death, touring extensively with them at Chuck Schuldiner
Chuck Schuldiner
Charles Michael "Chuck" Schuldiner was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist.Schuldiner was the singer, songwriter, and guitarist of the band Death, which he founded in 1983, initially under the name Mantas. He also recorded as guitarist and songwriter with his other band, Control Denied...
's request.
Their next album, Grind Bastard
Grind Bastard
Grind Bastard is an album by the death metal band Benediction and the last to feature Dave Ingram on vocals. It was released in 1998 on Nuclear Blast.-Track listing:-Credits:*Dave Ingram - Vocals*Darren Brookes - Guitars*Peter Rewinsky - Guitars...
, was launched with a tour, now including the former Eastern Block. A deal with TCI, a touring agency in New York, led to yet more touring, including another European tour with Death. This tour coincided with the departure of singer Dave Ingram
Dave Ingram
Dave Bjerregaard Ingram is a death metal vocalist from Birmingham, England. He started out replacing Mark "Barney" Greenway in UK death metal band Benediction when he later decided to be only the singer of Napalm Death. He stayed with Benediction until March 1998, when he joined Bolt Thrower. Also,...
and the introduction of new singer Dave Hunt
Dave Hunt (musician)
Dave Hunt is a British heavy metal vocalist. He was born in Solihull, West Midlands, England. He currently is the vocalist of both Benediction and grindcore/black metal band Anaal Nathrakh...
(also the singer in Mistress
Mistress (band)
Mistress were an extreme metal band from Birmingham, England, United Kingdom. The members of this five-piece band adopted pseudonyms as stage-names including: Drunken and Misery on guitars, Dirty Von Arse on bass, Dave Cunt on vocals and Migg on drums...
and Anaal Nathrakh
Anaal Nathrakh
Anaal Nathrakh are a British extreme metal band formed in 1999 who fuse black metal, grindcore, death metal and industrial music. They are currently signed to Candlelight Records....
).
Their 8th studio album was released through Nuclear Blast in October 2001. Titled Organised Chaos
Organised Chaos
Organised Chaos is an album by the death metal band Benediction. It was released on Nuclear Blast in 2001.-Track listing:-Credits:*Dave Hunt - Vocals*Darren Brookes - Guitars*Peter Rewinsky - Guitars*Frank Healy - Bass*Neil Hutton - Drums...
, it was again produced by Andy Sneap
Andy Sneap
Andy "Undie" Sneap is an English record producer, recording engineer, mixer, guitarist, and songwriter. He is best known for producing and mixing many acclaimed heavy metal albums.-Musician:...
, and was followed by more live appearances throughout Europe, highlighted by 2002's tour with Bolt Thrower and an appearance at the Gods of Metal festival in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
- sharing a bill with the likes of Motörhead, W.A.S.P., Megadeth
Megadeth
Megadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California which was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, bassist Dave Ellefson and guitarist Greg Handevidt, following Mustaine's expulsion from Metallica. The band has since released 13 studio albums, three live albums, two...
, and Judas Priest
Judas Priest
Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band from Birmingham, England, formed in 1969. The current line-up consists of lead vocalist Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis. The band has gone through several drummers over the years,...
. Their most recent album, Killing Music, was released in August 2008.
Current members
- Darren Brookes - guitar (1988-)
- Peter Rewinsky - guitar (1988-)
- Dave HuntDave Hunt (musician)Dave Hunt is a British heavy metal vocalist. He was born in Solihull, West Midlands, England. He currently is the vocalist of both Benediction and grindcore/black metal band Anaal Nathrakh...
- vocals (1998-) - Frank HealyFrank HealyFrank Healy was born in Handsworth, Birmingham, UK, he is a former Napalm Death guitarist. Healy also was the bass player for Cerebral Fix. He also played bass in the first live Anaal Nathrakh session for the John Peel show. He is currently the bassist in the band Benediction.-References:...
- bass (1992-) - Neil Hutton - drums (1994–2005, 2007-)
Former members
- Dave IngramDave IngramDave Bjerregaard Ingram is a death metal vocalist from Birmingham, England. He started out replacing Mark "Barney" Greenway in UK death metal band Benediction when he later decided to be only the singer of Napalm Death. He stayed with Benediction until March 1998, when he joined Bolt Thrower. Also,...
- vocals (1990–1998) - Mark 'Barney' Greenway - vocals (1988–1990)
- Ian Treacy - drums (1988–1994)
- Paul Adams - bass (1988–1991)
- Nicholas BarkerNicholas BarkerNicholas Howard Barker is an extreme metal drummer .- Biography :He was the original drummer for British metal band Cradle of Filth, playing on the first three albums. After leaving in 1999, he joined Norwegian symphonic black metal band Dimmu Borgir...
- drums (2005–2007)
Discography
- Subconscious TerrorSubconscious TerrorSubconscious Terror is the debut album by the death metal band Benediction. It was released on Nuclear Blast in 1990. It was re-issued together with the Dark Is the Season EP by Nuclear Blast in 1998.-Track listing:-Credits:...
(1990) - The Grand LevellerThe Grand LevellerThe Grand Leveller is the second album by the death metal band Benediction and the first to feature Dave Ingram on vocals. It was released on Nuclear Blast in 1991...
(1991) - Dark Is The SeasonDark Is the SeasonDark Is the Season is an EP by the death metal band Benediction. It was released on Nuclear Blast in 1992.-Track listing:-Miscellanea:* The title track is heavily inspired by the movie Blue Velvet by David Lynch....
(1992) - Transcend The RubiconTranscend the RubiconTranscend the Rubicon is the third album by the death metal band Benediction. It was released in 1993 and re-released in 2000 by Nuclear Blast.-Track listing:-Credits:*Dave Ingram - Vocals*Darren Brookes - Guitars*Peter Rewinsky - Guitars...
(1993) - The Grotesque / Ashen EpitaphThe Grotesque / Ashen EpitaphThe Grotesque / Ashen Epitaph is an EP by the death metal band Benediction. It was released by Nuclear Blast in 1994.-Track listing:-Credits:*Dave Ingram - Vocals*Darren Brookes - Guitars*Peter Rewinsky - Guitars*Frank Healy - Bass...
(1994) - The Dreams You DreadThe Dreams You DreadThe Dreams You Dread is an album by the death metal band Benediction. It was released in 1995 on Nuclear Blast.-Track listing:-Credits:*Dave Ingram - Vocals*Darren Brookes - Guitars*Peter Rewinsky - Guitars*Frank Healy - Bass*Neil Hutton - Drums...
(1995) - Grind BastardGrind BastardGrind Bastard is an album by the death metal band Benediction and the last to feature Dave Ingram on vocals. It was released in 1998 on Nuclear Blast.-Track listing:-Credits:*Dave Ingram - Vocals*Darren Brookes - Guitars*Peter Rewinsky - Guitars...
(1998) - Organised ChaosOrganised ChaosOrganised Chaos is an album by the death metal band Benediction. It was released on Nuclear Blast in 2001.-Track listing:-Credits:*Dave Hunt - Vocals*Darren Brookes - Guitars*Peter Rewinsky - Guitars*Frank Healy - Bass*Neil Hutton - Drums...
(2001) - Killing MusicKilling MusicKilling Music is an album by the death metal band Benediction. It was released on Nuclear Blast in 2008.Two versions have been released: a regular jewel case edition CD, and also a limited edition CD that comes packaged with a bonus DVD.-Track listing:...
(2008)