French deathgrind masters BENIGHTED have teamed up with Metal Injection for the premiere of their brand new digital single, “A Personified Evil,” which features vocals from FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE’s Francesco Paoli! The song, artwork, and accompanying visualizer can be found at THIS LOCATION.
BENIGHTED vocalist Julien Truchan comments: âNEW BENIGHTED SUMMER HIT! Here we go with “A Personified Evil,” our brand new single featuring none but our amazing brother Francesco Paoli from Fleshgod Apocalypse! 2’53 of pure violence available in this lyric video released by our friend Guilherme who did a great job! Tell us what you think about this new piece of insanity and please spread it everywhere you can, not only on the beach! ? Thank you for your support and let’s dance!â
“A Personified Evil” can be pre-saved across all digital streaming platforms HERE.
ICYMI: BENIGHTED drummer Kevin Paradis has been named one of Sick Drummer Magazine’s Favorite Drummers of 2020!
The band will be hitting the road in Europe with ABORTED in support of their latest album, ‘Obscene Repressed,’ was released earlier this year and can be streamed, downloaded, and ordered HERE.
BENIGHTED (+Aborted +The Acacia Strain + Fleddy Melculy)
09/24/2021Â Â Â Dynamo, Eindhoven (NL)
09/25/2021Â Â Â De Kreun, Kortrijk (BE)
09/26/2021Â Â Â MS Connexion Complex, Mannheim (DE)
09/28/2021Â Â Â TivoliVredenburg, Utrecht (NL)
09/29/2021Â Â Â The Dome, London (UK)
09/30/2021Â Â Â Trabendo, Paris (FR)
10/01/2021Â Â Â Musadeath Festival, Nantes (FR)
10/02/2021Â Â Â John Lennon, Limoges (FR)
10/03/2021Â Â Â Le Rex, Toulouse (FR)
10/05/2021Â Â Â Totem, Pamplona (ES)
10/06/2021Â Â Â Hard Club, Porto (PT)
10/07/2021   RCA Club, Lisbon (PT)
10/08/2021Â Â Â Shoko, Madrid (ES)
10/09/2021Â Â Â Salamandra, Barcelona (ES)
10/10/2021Â Â Â CCO Villeurbanne, Lyon (FR)
10/11/2021Â Â Â Kiff, Aarau (CH)
10/12/2021Â Â Â Slaughter Club, Milano (IT)
10/13/2021Â Â Â Orto Bar, Ljubljana (SI)
10/14/2021Â Â Â Barba Negra, Budapest (HU)
10/15/2021Â Â Â Szene, Vienna (AT)
10/16/2021Â Â Â Feierwerk, Munich (DE)
10/17/2021Â Â Â Meet factory, Prague (CZ)
10/18/2021   Randal club, Bratislava (SK)
10/20/2021Â Â Â Zbau, Nuremberg (DE)
10/21/2021Â Â Â Kulttempel, Oberhausen (DE)
Spawned from the darkest crevices of the human psyche comes âObscene Repressed,â the twisted new offering from French deathgrind giants Benighted. Horror and metal have always had a harmonious marriage, but Benighted take this cultural fusion to the next level, delivering a riveting and demented story unlike anything before. No Stephen King novel nor Wes Craven film could ever compare to the sick horrors buried inside this brutal opus.
âThis album tells the story of a psychotic boy with oedipal issues,â explains Benighted mastermind Julien Truchan, who is responsible for the concept behind âObscene Repressed.â âHis mother finds his cleft-palate disgusting sod he hides it from her sight at home. Among the symptoms of his psychosis, he sees himself as deeply deformed, has troubles with boundaries, and finds parallel ways to handle his growing sexual urges. He has a deep hatred for his father because he’d like to take his place by his motherâs side.
âAs an act of âgoing back inside mom,â he surprises her with dinner, cooking a meal with his own lips that he cuts off with his dadâs razor. His mother only realizes what she just ate when he takes off his bandages at the end of the dinner.â
But where does one draw inspiration from when it comes to such an imaginative and unique tale of horror? Offering this chilling glimpse into where he finds his muses for Benighted, Truchan says, âI work full time as a nurse in a psychiatric hospital and most of my inspiration for the lyrics in Benighted comes from my professional experience and the patients I have taken care of.â While heâs known to enjoy some classic horror films and the occasional Stephen King novel, he doesnât relate any fiction to his writing. âMy inspiration doesnât come from movies Iâve watched, because most of the time, theyâre giant clichĂ©s about psychiatry and far away from the reality.â
The unnerving story, however, is only a fraction of what defines âObscene Repressed.â Musically, the album is an unrelenting beast that delivers a panoramic aural assault on the listener. Indeed, Benighted put forth a level of brutality and speed that references some of the genreâs greats like Cannibal Corpse and Aborted, but overall, the record exudes a contemporary feel. There is no doubt that âObscene Repressedâ was born in this millennium, drawing influence from some of the giants who defined metal over the past two decades. This isnât your typical deathgrind album as it unquestionably lends itself to the shaping of the genreâs new generation. Perhaps this is in part due to the diversity that has existed within Benighted, whose lineup has included members Necrophagist, Abbath, Sabaton, and Aborted, among others. However, itâs also evident that the band were influenced by some of the icons of the early aughts, such as Slipknot, to whom the band pay tribute with a cover of âGet This.â
Featuring this bonus cover wasnât solely about wearing Benightedâs influences on their sleeves, but also about challenging themselves as musicians. ââWe really like challenges!â exclaims Truchan. âWhen we decide to cover a song, we want it to mean something because their music was important to us and our musical history!â This track was an obscure choice, and a deliberate one at that. âThe first Slipknot album came as a great surprise and it was out of the question to cover their âhitsâ as that’s too obvious and easy! Covering a band like Slipknot and giving it the Benighted sound was a very cool experience. At the beginning of the track when Corey is asking for a scream, of course I made a pig squeal! [laughs]â
The diverse vibes behind âObscene Repressedâ is further punctuated with a stellar lineup of guest musicians and vocalists, such as Hatebreedâs Jamey Jasta on âImplore the Negative,â Cytotoxinâs Sebastian Grihm on âThe Starving Beast,â and Disbeliefâs Karsten JĂ€ger on âMom, I Love You The Wrong Way.â âGuest vocals are a tradition for the band,â Truchan explains. âOn âObscene Repressed,â we have three amazing vocalists who were chosen considering the style of the track and what their voice could bring in terms of brutality and originality!
âInviting my brother in arms Grimo from Cytotoxin on the track âThe Starving Beastâ was obvious as itâs a very âmartialâ and brutal track that it would create such violence in the super-fast switch of our vocal combinations! And for the record, I refused to tell him the concept of the story before he sent me his vocal parts, because itâs written like slaves were given to the lions in an arena in front of a bloodthirsty crowd, but itâs in fact about the psychotic boy masturbating in front of his dolls and toys and âThe Starving Beastâ is actually his penis! [laughs] We laughed a lot when I told him the story afterwards!â
He continues, âAbout Jagger, he already made vocals on our âIconâ album, but when we wrote âMom, I Love You The Wrong Way,â I surprised myself trying to imitate him on the chorus, so I thought that it had to be him, as he has such a killer and particular voice! The result is amazing!
âAnd the most surprising guest on the record is of course Jamey Jasta from Hatebreed! I am such a huge fan of Hatebreed! He spoke about Benighted last year on his podcast so I tried to reach him. When I received the mail that he would do it, I was so amazed! The mix of our vocals is so unique in the history of Benighted! âImplore The Negativeâ has already become a hymn for me and I am very impatient to sing it on stage!â
Benighted have spent the past few years rising from the underground and dominating stages across the world, including appearances at major festivals such as Hellfest, Inferno Fest, and so many more. The band, however, never imagined this level of success upon their formation. Truchan muses, âWhen we started, it was just a band of friends. We rehearsed for years every Saturday in my dad’s garage and had parties in the evening. We just wanted to have fun with friends, but then we decided to tour as much as possible and see what could happen.â The sudden shift in drive paid off. They eventually started touring and performing with their idols, inked a coveted deal with Season of Mist, and have been the subject of much critical acclaim. â22 years later, things have been beyond my craziest dreams,â adds Truchan.
Benighted sees the greater picture when they pen their albums. It isnât just about the bandâs future, but is about connecting with the fans who have aided in the bandâs success. âObscene Repressedâ is no different, serving as an anthem for both dedicated Benighted fans as well as the new listeners they will inevitably win over with this offering. âObscene Repressedâ is a psychological horror movie to watch with the ears and I hope people will experience it this way!â Truchan exclaims. He also adds âthat all the tracks really are made for the stage; I canât wait to tour and see the moshpit start and, of course, hear the fans roar the chorus with me!â
With the release of âObscene Repressedâ in 2020, thereâs no question that the band will keep climbing on their upward trajectory as they continue to make waves in the deathgrind community with their unique concepts, vicious precision, and boldness to experiment outside of the genreâs confines. This is an album for a new era. âObscene Repressedâ is the future.Line-up:
Julien Truchan: Vocals
Emmanuel Dalle: Guitars
Fabien Desgardins: Guitars
Pierre Arnoux: Bass
KĂ©vin Paradis: Drums
Recording studio: Kohlekeller Studio (Seeheim-Jugenheim, Germany)
Producer/Mixing: Kristian Bonifer
Mastering: Tom Porcell
Guest musicians:
Sebastian Grihm (CYTOTOXIN) on ‘The Starving Beast’
Jamey Jasta (HATEBREED) on ‘Implore The Negative’
Karsten JĂ€ger (DISBELIEF) on ‘Mom, I Love You The Wrong Way’
Cover art:Â Grindesign
Sales:https://smarturl.it/ObsceneBenighted
Available formats:
CD
Deluxe digipak including sound fragment of Julien’s pig squeal
LP in various colors
For more on BENIGHTED, visit their official BIG CARTEL, FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, WEBSITE, BANDCAMP, and TWITTER.