### Benedictum: Seasons of tragedy

#### 24/06/09 || HailandKill

Ever since their 2006 debut “Uncreation”, Benedictum have been graduating up the steps of USA heavy metal for two reasons:

1) They rock… hard. 2) Their singer is built like a stack of bricks.

No seriously, Mrs. (yeah, she’s married) Veronica Freeman is unlike most anorexic white chicks fronting bands today. This bronzed skinned vocal goddess has a great rack, long flowing hair, a Pussycat Dolls booty, mile high legs, and this miniskirt she wears to gigs that’s so short, her panties almost show. Her curves are of planetary proportions too.

Alright, alright, if that didn’t inspire a boner, fine. Besides, HailandKill himself is more into women aged 40 and above. (If you don’t know this, look for his Holy Moses review – don’t whine for a link, bitch, exercise that lazy ass). Now the material at hand, “Seasons of Tragedy”, is a not-so-unique but refreshing blend of Euro metal melody with down tuned guitars and epic flourishes. So rather than sound like Judas Priest (here’s looking at you Cage), Benedictum go down the route of Savatage meets Accept meets Disturbed.

Knowing that when it comes to a good album, the first song must absolutely kill (never mind the “Dawn of Seasons” intro here), the thrashing “Shell Shock” cums in your ears with riffs galore It’s like Dream Evil having a baby with Impelitteri, only the lyrics aren’t embarrassing. Unfortunately matters go downhill fast with the rip roaring “Burn It Out” where the band rhyme “fire” with “desire” and include not-so-subtle sexual innuendos (“I want it…faster…faster…ignite the fire!”). Matters don’t improve for “Bare Bones”, which is some variety of anthemic groovefest you don’t wanna give a fuck about.

Redemption finally arrives when “Within the Solace” brings Benedictum’s mastery of the catchy stuff to the fore. The influence of Dio and Symphony X collide for the next track “Beast In the Field” whose MTV potential is balanced by its mosh-worthy tempo. A couple of even better songs down the road and the band cop out with an Accept cover, do a cheesy power ballad more suitable for Swedish hair metal revivalists (Sister Sin, etc.) and give Dream Theater the finger on the title track. And man, oh man, isn’t the song “Seasons of Tragedy” as huge as Mrs. Freeman’s, uh…vocal range?

A fucken excellent album from a band that could. Chick metal hasn’t sounded this manly since forever.

7.5 Pussycat Dolls out of 10.

- Information
- Released: 2008
- Label: Locomotive Records
- Website: www.benedictum.net
- Band
- Veronica Freeman: vocals
- Pete Wells: guitar
- Chris Morgan: keyboards
- Jesse Wright: bass
- Pal Courtois: drums

- Tracklist
- 01. Dawn of seasons
- 02. Shell shock
- 03. Burn it out
- 04. Bare bones
- 05. Within the solace
- 06. Beast in the field
- 07. Legacy
- 08. Nobody’s victim
- 09. Balls to the wall
- 10. Steel rain
- 11. Seasons of tragedy