Self-Released
2011
1. Lovely Death
2. The Number Of The Beast (Iron Maiden Cover)
3. Hallowed Be Thy Name (Iron Maiden Cover)
4. Heart Of God Bursts Of Filth
5. Godevil
6. He Is Evil
7. Blasphemy
8. Mother Earth
9. Run Children Run
10. Flag Of Hate (Intro)
11. Flag Of Hate (Kreator Cover)
12. Slavery They Embrace
13. Satisfy God
Benevolence are a band I first encountered when referred to their cover of Hallowed Be Thy Name. I found the cover to be a really interesting take so I figured this band was worth a listen. This is Benevolence's first album and it is independently/self released.
The thing that first struck me about this band upon listening to their cover of Hallowed Be Thy Name was the band's super operatic take. This is probably as much a symphonic/operatic release as a metal one though there certainly still is heaviness and this is unquestionably metal. This is just not the sort of metal that's only accented by operatic vocals or symphonic notes though... it is fairly dominated by them. Think of Therion in their most operatic/symphonic days ala Secret Of The Runes, etc. The primary difference between Therion and Benevolence would be that this band is fronted by two female operatic singers who harmonize to make a sort of choir feel to the vocals. Male sung operatics never really take a front seat (though there are backing moments).
For a self released album I have to say that the sound quality/production values are good and the band sounds relatively polished. The main criticism I have of this album is simply that a lot of it blends together and the songs start to sound samey. Also, the highlights tend to be their interesting takes on other people's music as opposed to their own. Not to say that their own original songs don't have their charm. They just tend not to stand out as much on their own as I'd like. Certainly, the style/sound is good and the album is fairly enjoyable. One final note on songs would be that Number Of The Beast is really less of a cover and more of an homage as it doesn't so much follow the original. The covers of Hallowed Be Thy Name and Flag Of Hate are far better. Their version of Number Of The Beast is more of an intro to Hallowed Be Thy Name to my ears.
In the end the original songs didn't quite jump at me individually, but I found it a good overall listen. Maybe not spectacular, but I'd consider this a developing band and perhaps one to watch. I think at the very least this band is worth a look from an established label. Benevolence's God is worth a listen if you like your metal really over the top operatic.
Highlights: Hallowed Be Thy Name, Flag Of Hate, Heart Of God Bursts Of Filth
Rating - 3.0/5
1. Lovely Death
2. The Number Of The Beast (Iron Maiden Cover)
3. Hallowed Be Thy Name (Iron Maiden Cover)
4. Heart Of God Bursts Of Filth
5. Godevil
6. He Is Evil
7. Blasphemy
8. Mother Earth
9. Run Children Run
10. Flag Of Hate (Intro)
11. Flag Of Hate (Kreator Cover)
12. Slavery They Embrace
13. Satisfy God
Benevolence are a band I first encountered when referred to their cover of Hallowed Be Thy Name. I found the cover to be a really interesting take so I figured this band was worth a listen. This is Benevolence's first album and it is independently/self released.
The thing that first struck me about this band upon listening to their cover of Hallowed Be Thy Name was the band's super operatic take. This is probably as much a symphonic/operatic release as a metal one though there certainly still is heaviness and this is unquestionably metal. This is just not the sort of metal that's only accented by operatic vocals or symphonic notes though... it is fairly dominated by them. Think of Therion in their most operatic/symphonic days ala Secret Of The Runes, etc. The primary difference between Therion and Benevolence would be that this band is fronted by two female operatic singers who harmonize to make a sort of choir feel to the vocals. Male sung operatics never really take a front seat (though there are backing moments).
For a self released album I have to say that the sound quality/production values are good and the band sounds relatively polished. The main criticism I have of this album is simply that a lot of it blends together and the songs start to sound samey. Also, the highlights tend to be their interesting takes on other people's music as opposed to their own. Not to say that their own original songs don't have their charm. They just tend not to stand out as much on their own as I'd like. Certainly, the style/sound is good and the album is fairly enjoyable. One final note on songs would be that Number Of The Beast is really less of a cover and more of an homage as it doesn't so much follow the original. The covers of Hallowed Be Thy Name and Flag Of Hate are far better. Their version of Number Of The Beast is more of an intro to Hallowed Be Thy Name to my ears.
In the end the original songs didn't quite jump at me individually, but I found it a good overall listen. Maybe not spectacular, but I'd consider this a developing band and perhaps one to watch. I think at the very least this band is worth a look from an established label. Benevolence's God is worth a listen if you like your metal really over the top operatic.
Highlights: Hallowed Be Thy Name, Flag Of Hate, Heart Of God Bursts Of Filth
Rating - 3.0/5
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