Benighted In Sodom - Reverse Baptism (CD)

Review
Metal Review
6/10
24.08.2011

Not long ago one of my esteemed colleagues (that would be His Royal Danhammer of House Obstkrieg, First of His Name) reviewed an album that he could honestly recognize the quality of, but just couldn’t find a way to like. Well what we’ve got here is kinda the opposite. Reverse Baptism by Benighted in Sodom is an album I quite enjoy, particularly as an eerie background, but I’m just not sure whether it’s really any good or not. (This would be your cue to keep reading and not just rely on that score, because it barely tells the story.)

Stationed in sunny Ft. Lauderdale, Benighted in Sodom is about the last thing you’d expect to come out of South Florida. This is extremely somber and slow blackened music from the mind of Matron Thorn, a former member of Germany’s Bethlehem. Since 2007, Thorn has crafted a whopping 11 full-lengths, 8 EPs, and 5 splits all under the Benighted in Sodom name. This insanely prolific output typically suggests one of two things: the kind of creative genius that can’t help but pour out original music at a staggering rate (think Frank Zappa from about ’66 to ’74), or someone squeezing the most juice out of a minimal amount of ideas. While I can’t speak for the rest of Thorn’s catalog, the case on Reverse Baptism is certainly the latter, but this will only be a problem based on your particular tastes.

To put things simply, Reverse Baptism is an atmospheric black metal album played with a funeral doom mentality. There is a strong urge to just call it a straight merging of the styles, but there really aren’t any identifiable doom riffs here, just that bleak funereal aura. This is especially true when comparing the album to the minimalism of bands such as Catacombs, who work heaviness through the careful employment of menacing repetition.

This repetition is the cornerstone of Reverse Baptism. Each of these seven songs – only two of which come in at under seven minutes – are comprised of only a few musical themes each, typically very simple minor key chord progressions. These themes are repeated in various ways – clean guitars, distorted guitars, tremolo riffs – and sometimes layered with blast beats, but the underlying slow melodies nearly always remain constant. The resulting songs typically grow gradually from what might be dubbed “blackened elevator music” into something similar to what An Autumn for Crippled Children pulls off—a softer, trebly delivery, even during the peaks. However, the vast majority of the album spends its time with the former, dwelling in haunting atmospherics rather than applying any real force.

The good and bad of Reverse Baptism thusly come from the same source: the repetition. Each haunting track is built on repetition, while the individual songs themselves are basically copies of each other. Opener “Sweetness Depraved” is constructed in largely the same manner as the closing title track, and although both are effective in their own right, by the time the latter comes around the entire affair has long sounded exactly the same. The only noticeable changes are in “Ocean II,” when the dissonances are eschewed for brighter tones, and the goth-tinged “Try to Forget Us.” The latter sounds like Benighted in Sodom doing suicide rock, with Thorn delivering his vocals in a croon quite similar to the clean vocals of Paul Kuhr (Novembers Doom).

Even these slight variations can’t help Reverse Baptism from being incredibly monotonous, but as stated at the beginning of this review, I enjoy this album. It’s almost inexplicable, as the vast majority of you will likely find it to be a monstrous bore. This is simplistic, atmospheric music being played simplistically and atmospherically, and it goes on as such for just under an hour. As a holistic album it will not hold your attention, but as a ghostly and eerie background it can be quite effective. As such it garners neither a true tip of the cap nor an outright wagging of the shame finger, but rather a nudge to give Benighted in Sodom an ear if any of the above enticed you.

Author: Zach Duvall

Review
Mtuk Metal Zine

Damn, this guy works fast. Back in October 2010 I reviewed the album Hybrid Parasite Evangelistica. Since then, Benighted In Sodom, aka Matron Thorn, has released a further 4 albums, 4 EPs and a compilation. Does he ever actually sleep, shit, or breathe for that matter? This was actually released on March 31st 2011, and can not quite even be regarded as the latest album having put out another one in May…oof my head is spinning. What is a little odd is the fact that some of his albums are being released via Russian label BadMoodMan music, while the majority seem to be self-released. Anyway, I am sometimes critical of bands that release albums with such great frequency; even those that put them out on a 12-monthly basis tend to quickly become stale and run out of ideas because they don’t allow themselves time to develop and grow and just regurgitate the same old shit in an increasingly diluted fashion. It is slightly difficult for me to comment regarding BIS as I am a relative newcomer to the band and this is only their second offering I have heard. The evidence in front of me certainly tells me that they are far from watered down and lacking in ideas, however perhaps hearing a new album by them every other month would make me bore of them rather quickly. The good point I do have to make here however is that the music is very clearly a work of passion for the music rather than churning them out for the sake of making a record label big bucks, and so respect to Mr. Thorn.

The sound is instantly recognisable having heard the band before and there is definitely something quite distinct about their brand of misery. ‘Sweetness Depraved’ sweeps in with an aura of intrigue, shrouded within a dark mysterious veil of mist. The bass is notably making itself heard from the murky depths, while soon enough the guitars burst to life hacking into things with a really callous tone heaped in distortion and playing out in a slow-paced melancholic manner. There’s a real sense of desperation especially in the harsh vocal rasps which are backed up with really quite beautiful melodies that sweep from moments of amplified intensity to melancholic reflection. Things maunder into ‘Chains Of Bliss’, evoking a feeling of deep despair through its hypnotic guitars and intense drums. They have a really unique ambience to their sound the way things suddenly become very muffled and fade into the distance. At times there’s a spaced-out sense of vagueness and uncertainty while the guitars work simultaneously on surrounding the senses with a feeling of comforting warmth and a hypnotic chill.

I really love the clean Gothic vocals on ‘Try To Forget Us’; they add something a bit different to their sound and reminds me quite a bit of code here. Musically this is just very languid and calm and melancholic playing out at a steady pace that I find very captivating. The melody segues quite flawlessly into ‘Flauros’ merely quickening the pace allowing the guitars to really grate against the speakers while the vocals are equally jarring as they emit a tortured, callous rasp that can only come from the bleakest, most hollow and joyless of souls. There is a strong sense of melody behind this track and it is far from aimless, senseless noise. This is an album to listen to when you are in the mood to be reflective and want something consolingly depressive. It’s a really strong effort and I prefer it to the last album of BIS that I reviewed. There is something rather transcendental, airy and vague to their overall sound that appeals to me as much as the oppressive guitar tones; definitely not one to set the mood for a party but for fans of depressive black metal this is a band you need to check out.

Author: Luci Herbert

Review
Lords of Metal
8.1/10

In de afgelopen paar jaar heeft het Amerikaanse Benighted In Sodom een belachelijke hoeveelheid albums, ep's en splits uitgebracht, maar op een of andere manier heeft er slechts één hiervan tot nu toe zijn weg gevonden naar de bureaus hier bij Lords Of Metal. 'Hybrid Parasite Evangelistica' was eigenlijk best een fatsoenlijke plaat met slechts kleine punten van kritiek. Nu hebben we 'Reverse Baptism' te onderzoeken. Ik ben blij om te zien dat Benighted In Sodom zich sindsdien heeft verbeterd. De muziek is nog steeds depressief als de hel, maar met een meer psychedelisch gevoel over zich. Ook het doom metalgedeelte is toegenomen. De doom en psychedelische invloeden gecombineerd zorgen ervoor dat de muziek onmiddellijk doet denken aan Esoteric. Dit samen met de basis van Burzum / Shining-stijl black metal creëert een intens sfeervolle ervaring, waar niet een hele hoop bands toe in staat zijn. 'Reverse Baptism’' is een zeer goede plaat die mensen geïnteresseerd in depressieve black/doom metal op zijn minst even een luisterbeurt moet gunnen.

Author: Roel de Haan

Review
Burning Black

Matron Thorn is a busy man, this being his tenth release in four years along with a number of splits and EPS, as well as one of the biggest names behind the depressive, atmospheric black metal genre. The album carries on in the usual style of melancholy guitar picking combined with ambient doom. The lyrics and vocals are soaked with venomous self-loathing that makes it very mesmerizing. “Chains of Bliss” is hypnotic with droning guitars that carry on at a funeral-marching pace while Thorn’s eerie vocal style makes you feel completely unsettled.
Thorn knows how to play with atmosphere and emotions and breaks through the barriers of normal doom or ambient black metal; he brings in a depressive character that makes you want more. “Try to Forget Us” has a haunting chorus that gets inside your head after a few repetitions, it definitely keeps the listener hooked and his vocal style is a more soothing than heard on others.

“Oceans Part 1” has a very spacey quality to it and full of atmosphere, clocking in at a little more than twelve minutes it might be hard to stay tuned in to it but is worth your while. Thorn’s savage vocals compliment the echoing guitar work as it rolls into more of a pummeling rhythm, as the same holds true for “Oceans Part II”. The instrumental closer and titletrack keeps you in a hypnotic as it changes with rhythm and speed it has fetching hooks that is appealing to the ears and imagination.

Fans of this genre while appreciate “Reverse Baptism”, the lyrics and songwriting is really well done and varies enough that will capture your attention and keep hold from beginning to end.

Author: KW

Review
Darkside
8/10
18.05.2011

Пятый альбом Benighted in Sodom формально развивает идеи предыдущего творения Матрона Торна «Hybrid Parasite Evangelistica», но при этом старательно выискивает во мгле нигилизма свой путь, оглядываясь больше на наработки молодой пост-роковой смены, предпочитающей задумчивые и созерцательные звуковые пейзажи (впрочем, американские блэкари вообще редко занимаются изучением матчасти и клонированием первооснов, заложенных «северными варварами»). Посвященный любящим прогуляться по коридорам американских школ с дробовиком в руках психам, «Reverse Baptism» погружает в пучину отчаяния…причем именно «погружает» и именно «в пучину». Добивается этого Матрон просто – гитары настроены выдавать медитативные зацикленные тремоло в промышленном масштабе, тяжелый риффинг убирается совсем на задний план, выталкивая вперед рваные сольные партии, ритм пробивается агрессивными скоростными бластбитами и в остальном не всегда заметен, электронный эмбиент, блуждавший тенями на предыдущем диске, изгнан за ненадобностью. Результат необычен и заставляет вспомнить японцев «Mono» и их ранние альбомы, в которых стена неподвижного звука часто обрушивалась на слушателя, погребая под обломками. Автор Benighted in Sodom, следуя этой логике, долго накручивает себя зыбким гитарным гулом, распаляясь до того, что ненависть к жизни прорывается сквозь медикаментозный заслон потоком плотного шума и полным отчаяния надсадным криком, издавая который, Торн постарался, чтобы его слова не просто осели строчками в буклете, а были понятны всем и каждому. И все-таки «Reverse Baptism» звучит как «альбом-размышление», работа зрелого музыканта, пытающегося не просто вытолкнуть слушателя из объятий рассудка и хорошего настроения, а стремящегося скорее предупредить о чем-то мрачном, что скрыто в повседневном мире. Отсюда и необычно звучащая (в альтернативно-МТВишном стиле), но превосходно бьющая по нервам песня «Try to Forget Us», и экспериментальная дилогия «Ocean», в рамках которой автор играет со стилями, балансируя на грани чистоты и грязи и рассуждая о вечности, к которой каждый может приблизить себя при помощи лезвия, вновь «любезно» вынесенного на обложку диска зримым напоминанием о том, что все в наших руках, в том числе и смерть. Сильно, эмоционально, зло…и красиво. Заставляет проникнуться интересом и потратить время на внимательное неоднократное прослушивание. Пятый и лучший полноформатник Benighted in Sodom.

Author: Maeror3