Let’s dive into the auditory abyss with this Brutal Death Metal and Grindcore entity armed with their newborn beast, inspired by the rare neurological disorder known as “Ekbom syndrome.”

Formed in 1998 in the French city of Saint-Étienne with roots deeply entrenched in the macabre realms of Extreme Metal, the vicious Brutal Death Metal/Grindcore entity Benighted has evolved from a side-project into a malevolent force, captivating fans worldwide with their skull-shattering sound and thematically explorative pieces. Now in 2024 the band formed of Julien Turchan on vocals, Emmanuel Dalle on the guitars, Pierre Arnoux on bass, and Kevin Paradis on drums invites us to dive into the auditory abyss with Ekbom, their latest offering inspired by the rare neurological disorder known as “Ekbom syndrome.” Recorded, engineered, produced, mixed and mastered by Kristian Kohlmannslehner at Kohlekeller Studios, and displaying a Stygian artwork by Róbert Borbás of Grindesign, Ekbom is a nightmarish album that drags listeners through the darkest recesses of the human psyche, a grotesque journey where the ferocious music mirrors the unsettling sensations of delusional parasitosis.

Benighted are definitely a band that knows how to craft wicked, phantasmagorical intros, like Prodrome, inviting us all to a world of gore and darkness in Scars, a pulverizing feast of Grindcore tailored for admirers of the genre where Julien and Kevin will hammer your heads ruthlessly with their respective devilish roars and blast beats, followed by Morgue, presenting a demented sound for a song with a cadaverous name, with Emmanuel slashing his stringed axe like there’s no tomorrow and, therefore, making the atmosphere even heavier and more disturbing. Le Vice des Entrailles, or “the vice of entrails” from French, is another hurricane of Brutal Death Metal and Grindcore by the quartet, with Julien’s vile gnarls cutting our skin deep supported by the always demolishing drums by Kevin. Then featuring guest vocals by Oliver Rae Aleron of Archspire, Nothing Left to Fear is highly recommended for some brutal slamming, with the unparalleled vocals by Oliver matching perfectly with the band’s bestial sounds; followed by the evil title-track Ekbom, bringing forward their trademark violence while still sounding very groovy, technical and detailed.

Metastasis, the second single released by Benighted, will pulverize your cranial skull, as Julien couldn’t have sounded more demonic than this accompanied by the caustic riffs by Emmanuel, and the quartet shows no mercy at all for our souls and keep delivering the most demented form of Grindcore in A Reason for Treason, with the beats and fills by Kevin sounding and feeling absolutely brutal. Guest vocalist Xavier Chevalier of Blockheads lends his roars in Fame of the Grotesque, perhaps the most infernal of all songs where the entire band is on fire, especially Kevin with his stone crushing drums; whereas Scapegoat is another two-minute explosion of sheer dementia and violence by the quartet where Julien once again roars manically while Emmanuel keeps firing his sulfurous riffs and solos. The second to last attack by those Grindcore beasts comes in the form of Flesh Against Flesh, once again inviting us all to slam into the pit like there’s no tomorrow; whereas lastly we’re treated to Mother Earth, Mother Whore, a charming name for a Brutal Death Metal and Grindcore assault, with Julien’s roars walking hand in hand with the chaotic sounds blasted by his bandmates.

Can you feel it crawling under your skin? If your answer is yes, you can grab a copy of Ekbom, available for a full streaming on YouTube and on Spotify, from the band’s own BandCamp page, or by clicking HERE or HERE. Also, don’t forget to check what the band’s is up to on Facebook and on Instagram, including their insane tour dates. Ekbom is undoubtedly a chilling sonic landscape that will linger in your consciousness long after the last brutal note thanks to a band that knows how to sound extreme yet melodic and captivating at the same time, penetrating deep inside our skin like parasites of brutality and gore in the best way possible, of course.

Best moments of the album: Scars, Le Vice des Entrailles, Metastasis and Fame of the Grotesque.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2024 Season of Mist

Track listing
1. Prodrome 1:18
2. Scars 3:14
3. Morgue 3:22
4. Le Vice des Entrailles 3:05
5. Nothing Left to Fear 2:43
6. Ekbom 3:42
7. Metastasis 3:32
8. A Reason for Treason 3:17
9. Fame of the Grotesque 2:19
10. Scapegoat 2:22
11. Flesh Against Flesh 3:17
12. Mother Earth, Mother Whore 4:28

Band members
Julien Turchan – vocals
Emmanuel Dalle – guitars
Pierre Arnoux – bass
Kevin Paradis – drums

Guest musicians
Oliver Rae Aleron – vocals on “Nothing Left to Fear”
Xavier Chevalier – vocals on “Fame of the Grotesque”