Metal really has its roots in England, being the home of Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, and many others. England has always been a bastion for the extreme music genre that many still love to this day. At the center of metal’s beginning is the West Midlands region of England. West Midlands is home to the cities of Birmingham and Coventry among a few other notable places in metal history, such as Walsall.

Many of Metals’ forerunners came from this region like some of those mentioned above. But today I want to focus on a different, more underground sort of band. Well, actually two of them. I wanted to discuss these two in tandem because I noticed something interesting after looking at their careers. Both bands ventured down fairly interwoven paths. I truly had aspirations to make this post into a book at one point. I felt that it would make for quite an interesting read.

However, I struggled to get the idea up off the ground in that form, mostly due to inexperience. I don’t want the effort to go to waste, though. So I decided that the smarter thing to do is to turn it into a post here. I’ll try and have this post follow a similar format to what I intended to use for the book. With that in mind, let’s delve into the interwoven careers of the British Death Metal legends in Bolt Thrower and Benediction. 

New Ground (1986-1988)

Death metal really started in the mid-1980s, namely with the efforts of Death and Possessed. The genre would grow throughout the late ’80s, especially with the help of tape trading, and to some extent, MTV. This would lead to death metal establishing itself in places like Florida, New York, and Sweden. While I don’t know if tape trading was a factor that influenced metal in England, death metal would soon find itself a home there.

In 1986, two men met at a pub gig in Coventry, England, and decided to form a band of their own. These two, guitarist Barry Thompson and then bassist Gavin Ward, formed the band with one goal. They wanted to be heavy, aggressive, and most importantly original. The duo was joined by vocalist Alan West, a friend of Barry’s, and drummer Andy Whale, a mutual friend. The four-piece would become the first incarnation of the legendary Bolt Thrower.

The band recorded two demos with this lineup. One was a rehearsal demo in December 1986. The other was the “In Battle There Is No Law” demo in April 1987. Shortly after the release of these two demos, Gavin Ward switched from bass to guitar. He continued playing guitar full time in the band. However, Ward would handle both bass and guitar on the band’s third demo, “Confessions of Pain”, released on September 22nd, 1987. The rehearsal demo is fairly crude and raw, with bits of audible static present throughout. The vocals are present but muffled. The guitars can be blown out at times. Everything just sounds a bit muffled.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing. With death metal, that raw noisy tone found on a band’s early demos can be an ever-present element of the genre. The follow-up has significantly better production, showing that the audio issues were cleared up. The two tracks from the rehearsal demo, “In Battle There Is No Law” and “Attack in the Aftermath”, make a return and immediately sound much better.

Everything sounds much more polished, from the guitars to West’s vocals. Granted that may be the version I was able to find. The intensity and energy are consistent. You can tell that the foundation of the band’s recognizable tone and sound is starting to take shape. Among some of the standout tracks are the title track, “Confession of Pain”, and “Denial of Destiny”. I should also highlight the track “Attack in the Aftermath”. The song’s intro drum crescendo would go on to become a staple of Bolt Thrower’s albums further down the line.

However, if you are looking for something slightly rawer, the “Confessions of Pain” demo may be more up your alley. This demo is slightly more polished than the rehearsal demo, with just the right amount of intensity and energy. The “Confessions of Pain” demo was also the demo where Gavin Ward was started handling the responsibility of both bass and guitar. The second song from the demo, “Forgotten Existence”, would also end up being the band’s first single, released as a single in 1988. Another single would come shortly after in the form of “Prophets of Hell”.

Now, demos on their own are fine. However, if bands want to be successful, they need to reach as many people as possible. Given the technology at the time, a band’s best shot to spread their name was to get on the radio. Luckily, around this time in England, there was a radio show where bands could get their name and music out to more people. Bands would come into the broadcast studio and perform live there. The radio would then broadcast the resulting recording. In order to get their chance, Bolt Thrower sent in their demos “In Battle There Is No Law” and “Confessions of Pain” to the show’s host, the legendary British DJ John Peel.

While the band awaited an answer, the search for a bassist began. Alex Tweedy, a local bass player in Coventry, would join the band. However, he would leave after only a few gigs for one reason or another. With the spot still unfilled, Gavin Ward’s girlfriend Jo-Anne Bench, better known as Jo Bench, asked to try out for the spot. The band allowed her to try out for the position. Ultimately, they decided that she was the right fit for the group. Jo Bench joined Bolt Thrower as the bassist and fifth member.

Shortly after Jo Bench had joined the group, the band received word from John Peel’s camp. Peel asked Bolt Thrower to come in for a live session – better known as a Peel Session. Bolt Thrower came in and performed on January 3rd, 1988. The session was released later in the month, with the band performing four songs in total from their previous demos. After just about a year, Bolt Thrower was finally on the air.

While I am not sure if there would be more Peel Sessions (I believe there was another Peel Session soon after this one), the effort would prove to be fruitful. After the broadcast, the band received a one-record deal with the label Vinyl Solution, which the group agreed to. Things for Bolt Thrower were starting to get serious. However, for vocalist Alan West, things were getting a little too serious, which made him decide to leave the band. The vocalist seat would not remain vacant for long. The band’s backline driver and a friend of drummer Andy Whale, Karl Willetts, would fill the spot. 

With Willetts now on vocals, Bolt Thrower entered the studio to record their first full-length album, “In Battle There Is No Law”, released June 12th, 1988. The album is essentially a re-recording of the demo of the same name, with the same tracklist as before. The main difference is that the production sounds a bit more polished compared to the demo, thanks in part to the backing of a professional record label. The other major difference present is in Willett’s vocals. Willett’s vocals sound fairly close to West’s, making it hard to tell them apart upon first listen.

However, Willett’s vocals seem to have a touch more grittiness and aggression. But there is also a bit of softness as well, particularly in his clean vocals. Willett’s voice here is a bit more versatile, which, given the albums to come, would prove to be a valuable tool. In addition, the album artwork, done by Paul McHale, gives the listener an inkling of just what to expect when diving into this beast of an album. Overall, if you like the demo, you would like this album quite a lot. It’s an intense ride from start to end and helped to lay the groundwork for what was to come. 

Upon the conclusion of the “In Battle…” tour, Bolt Thrower was contacted by a new label, Earache Records. While I’m not sure if Vinyl Solutions had offered to keep Bolt Thrower around, Earache certainly seemed eager to sign them. To be fair, Earache was the biggest independent label for extreme music at the time. The band decided to leave Vinyl Solution and sign with Earache. Around that same time, the band was contacted by another source – Games Workshop.

Apparently, the company’s boss had heard the band’s Peel Session on the radio. The boss was interested in collaborating on a release centered around a new game – Warhammer 40K. The idea itself actually works fairly well – two up-and-coming entities that revolve around similar ideas working together to promote one another simultaneously. Bolt Thrower ultimately agreed to collaborate with Games Workshop. The resulting release would become what many fans of Bolt Thrower consider the best of the band’s career. 

Nose to the Grind (1989-1991)

On October 28th, 1989, Bolt Thrower released their second full-length studio album, “Realms of Chaos: Slaves to Darkness”. The album isn’t as in-your-face as “In Battle There Is No Law”, but it’s still fast-paced and hard-hitting. The album also has slower moments throughout, giving the listener a chance to breathe from the onslaught of death metal that they just heard, before picking the intensity right back up. In addition, the album has more atmosphere. With the previous album, you have the intensity and aggression that is so integral to death metal. With “Realms of Chaos”, you can tell that there is a bit more suspense, a bit more weight to it. I think that the collaboration with Games Workshop really helped to make this element of the album feasible.

Considering the fact that Warhammer 40K is a miniature war-based fantasy strategy game, you can really envision how battles would turn out with this album as a soundtrack. The intensity of Bolt Thrower’s death metal can mirror actual gameplay. Songs like “All That Remains”, “Plague Bearer”, and “Lost Souls Domain” are great examples of how this was accomplished. On top of that, the artwork features elements of the game, helping to hammer home the overarching theme of War. Overall, the album is very enjoyable and heavy, with much better song structures. Is it perfect? No, but then again what is? Is it overrated? Well, maybe slightly overrated. I think the album is great, but I think that the band would do better later in their career. 

After the album’s release, the band would go on tour with other bands signed to Earache. Bolt Thrower would be joined by Carcass, Napalm Death, and Morbid Angel on the “Grindcrusher” tour. The four bands would visit Manchester, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Middlesbrough, Nottingham, Bradford, and London, starting on November 10th and ending on November 16th. In an interview with Decibel Magazine from 2016, Willetts mentions that the tour was financially crippling, but enabled them to reach a wider audience. He also mentions that it was nice to see the extreme metal scene growing. The band also recorded another Peel session within the year. However, I could not find when exactly that recording was done.

Now you may be wondering, “wait a minute… wasn’t Benediction supposed to be part of this post?”. Yes, they are included in this post, but haven’t really been mentioned up until now. That’s because, by the time Bolt Thrower had released their first album, Benediction hadn’t formed yet. Benediction was coming together while Bolt Thrower was working on their second album. In February of 1989, in Birmingham, England, Benediction officially formed. The initial line-up consisted of Paul Adams on bass, Ian Tracey on drums, Darren Brooks and Peter Rew on Guitars, and Mark (Barney) Greenway on vocals. The five-piece would release a four-song demo later in 1989, titled “The Dreams You Dread”.

The Demo itself is similar to Bolt Thrower’s rehearsal demo, albeit slightly less raw. The guitars are fairly clear, but Greenway’s vocals, while impressive, seem to have an echo to them at points. I don’t think that’s due to him holding a certain note. You can also tell that there is an immediate difference in the sounds of Bolt Thrower and Benediction. While Bolt Thrower opts for faster, harder-hitting material, Benediction seems to opt for a slightly slower, more eerie tone. And while Benediction’s demo does have its faster moments, those moments are very in-your-face fast, which I ultimately think is a good thing. The first two songs on the demo, “Experimental Stage” and “Subconscious Terror”, demonstrate this fairly well in my opinion. 

As the 1990s came around, both bands would see their status as titans of extreme metal be solidified. In addition, both bands would soon take big steps forward in their careers. Following the success of the Grindcrusher tour, Bolt Thrower would soon hit the road again, this time with tourmates Autopsy and Pestilence. This tour would be Bolt Thrower’s first tour experience outside of the UK. In an interview with Decibel Magazine, lead singer Karl Willetts mentioned how the tour gave Bolt Thrower a taste of how things could be for the band. In addition, the band would record and release its final Peel Session on July 22nd, 1990. I’m not sure if the final Peel Session contained any new material. I do know that all of Bolt Throwers Peel Sessions would be released as a compilation later in 1991.

On Benediction’s side of things, they would release a split with the band Pungent Stench in April 1990. The split itself only has two songs, one each from Pungent Stench and Benediction, with Benediction’s effort titled “Confess all Goodness”. The song itself is good, but may not be the best produced. The drums sound a bit overpowering, especially in the beginning. The guitars (save the solo) sound a tad bit muted, but overall the song sounds decently polished. The split was released on the label Nuclear Blast, which Benediction would eventually sign permanently. I’m not sure, however, if the band was signed with Nuclear Blast before or after the split’s release. Later in 1990, on September 2nd, Benediction would release their first full-length album titled “Subconscious Terror”. 

Right out of the gate, the eerie atmosphere that Benediction is known for is present. The aggression may not be there initially, but the production does seem to have taken a step forward. The songs sound more polished, but at the same time sound distant. And honestly, that’s the biggest issue I have with this album. Everything is a bit challenging to hear, so while you get one hell of an effort by Benediction, which will be surpassed, it’s tough to hear at points without raising your volume up. I guess you could argue that this was intentional for the sake of heaviness, but that’s up for debate. I think this is more because they did the best they could with what they had available to them.

Overall, it’s a solid effort on the band’s first major outing. It’s not perfect, but rarely does any band hit a home run on their first at-bat. The band did a tour on this album, but most of the results I found show that they toured on this album before its release (i.e. May and June 1990). Perhaps the tour was in May and June of 1991, but I’m not completely sure which is correct. It would be a bit weird to tour on an unreleased album wouldn’t it?

Early in 1991, new material from Bolt Thrower would arise in the form of their third full-length album, “Warmaster”. While the band no longer had a deal with Games Workshop, at least to my knowledge the deal was not renewed, the feeling of fantasy is slightly present. The artwork on the album cover conveys a fairly aggressive pact of warriors. So while not the same as Warhammer, a similar atmosphere is present. Bolt Thrower retains their aggressive sound throughout the album, especially through tracks like “What Dwells Within”, “The Shreds of Sanity”, and the title track. However, to me, the real stand-out effort of the album belongs to the sixth song on the album – the death metal anthem “Cenotaph”.

Opening with its iconic drum crescendo fading, a staple in future Bolt Thrower releases, the song slows slightly after Karl Willetts lets out a deep growl of the song title. However, the song maintains its aggressive tone and quickly brings its intensity right back up before fading out with another drum crescendo. It’s a headbanging tune from start to finish and one of the most iconic Bolt Thrower songs ever. It’s also one of the few songs by Bolt Thrower to have been made into a music video. In fact, it may even be the only one in the band’s career.

Overall, the album is fantastic from start to finish, rarely letting up in intensity. The funny thing about this album is that it was actually released while the band was on the “War Mass” tour with Nocturnus and Unleashed. The three bands were in the middle of touring Europe and boom, the album just dropped out of nowhere. I’m not sure if Bolt Thrower performed any songs from Warmaster, but I would think a few of them were included in the setlist. If songs from the album were not included on that tour, I would think they would be more prominent on the UK tour that the band would go on in mid-August of 1991 or the subsequent US leg of the “War Mass” tour with Believer and Sacrifice. 

The U.S. leg of the “War Mass” tour began in mid-October 1991 in Boston. Shortly before Bolt Thrower began this leg of the tour, Benediction released their second full-length album “The Grand Leveller”. Now before I go into the album, I should point out that this album does not have Mark “Barney” Greenway on vocals. He left Benediction shortly after the release of “Subconscious Terror” and focused on Napalm Death, another well-recognized act in British extreme metal. With the vocals seat vacant, a new member joined the ranks – enter vocalist, Dave Ingram.

I make a mention of this now because right out of the gate on “Grand Leveller”, you can tell that Dave’s vocals are both similar and different to Greenway’s. The main difference between is that Ingram’s vocals seem to go a little bit deeper than Greenway’s. Ultimately, I think that was a good thing for Benediction. If you listen to Napalm Death’s album “Scum”, you can tell that Greenway had his own intentions for his vocals, different from what Benediction was doing. Greenway leaving to focus on Napalm Death is more of a right place right time move for both groups. Both would become established acts in the world of metal. I think if Greenway had stayed in Benediction, then things would not have turned out as they did. 

As for the music, the album is fairly good. It starts out a bit slow and doomy but picks up the pace relatively quickly. “Vision in the Shroud” and “Graveworm” both start out slower and a bit more atmospheric compared to later tracks, such as “Opulence of the Absolute” and “Child of Sin”. Those last two tracks are more high-energy and unrelenting, with little breaks in between. The production does take a step forward, but for me, it’s not Benediction’s best. The riffs are solid, and the atmosphere resonates with pure death metal.

However, I think of this album more like a second first Benediction album, considering this is the band’s first with Dave in the lineup. When you look at it like that, this album is pretty damn good. It’s a strong effort from them, with room for improvement. The more you listen to it, the more you can hear the sound that would come to take form, which in my view makes this better than “Subconscious Terror”. Overall, it’s a great album, showing that the band is taking steps in the right direction. 

Hitting the Road (1992-1993)

As the calendars rolled on to 1992, both Bolt Thrower and Benediction would hit the road together for the first time on the “This time it’s war…” tour. The two would be joined by the Dutch death metal band Asphyx. Between January 8th and February 15th, the trio of bands would tour Europe, visiting Denmark, Sweden, Germany, and other countries along the way. I should point out that Benediction bassist Paul Adams had left the band during this year, and was replaced with a temporary bassist for the tour. Guitarist Darren Brooks would take on the role of the bass player until Frank Healy, then bassist for Cerebral Rot, was brought on board towards the end of the year. Frank Healy would not be listed on any of Benediction’s output for the year, which includes a single and two EPs.

The single, “Return to the Eve”, is a cover of the Celtic Frost song of the same name, joined by the songs “The Grand Leveller” and “Senile Dementia”. “Senile Dementia” is a new song from Benediction and honestly is a great, underrated song overall. It’s intense, but not too in-your-face about it. The song was featured on the “Experimental Stage” EP, which also includes “The Grand Leveller” and “Experimental Stage” from the album “Subconscious Terror”. The song “Experimental Stage” would also end up on Benediction’s other EP, “Dark is the Season”.

The only other repeated song on that EP would be “Jumping at Shadows” once again, from “The Grand Leveller”. Aside from one Anvil cover (“Forged in Fire”), the remaining new tracks include “Foetus Noose” and “Dark is the Season”. Both songs are good tracks, but I think “Dark is the Season” is slightly better. It has a bit more of a groove element to it, which I’m not sure if it was intentional, but I find makes the song more enjoyable. 

After the tour with Benediction and Asphyx, Bolt Thrower would go on to write new material. This new material would be recorded and released in October 1992 in the form of their fourth studio album, and my personal favorite album of theirs, “The IVth Crusade”. First and foremost, this album would be Bolt Thrower’s first album to not utilize fantasy artwork for the cover, opting instead for a traditional painting. The band chose to use Eugene Delacroix’s “Entry of the Crusaders into Constantinople” for the cover art and I think that works to the album’s advantage, as it helps the album stand out from previous entries.

Right from the start, this album is a bit slower than previous Bolt Thrower albums; there is more atmosphere to the album, but it will not hesitate to crank the intensity up to 12 at moments. This is evident in the first three songs of the album – “The IVth Crusade”. “Icon”, and “Embers”, all of which have slow and fast moments which keep you engaged throughout. You can also tell that there is a slight hint of groove metal incorporated, subtle as it is, especially in the song “Where Next to Conquer”.

The crescendo drum intro also makes a return on “Embers” and “Spearhead”. All in all, it’s hard to say much that’s bad about this album. It’s an all-killer, no filler album from start to finish and one of Bolt Thrower’s most iconic releases throughout their history. It’s an album that, in my opinion, every metalhead should listen to at least once. 

Bolt Thrower would have one last output this year, in the form of the “Spearhead” EP, released on December 7th,  1992. The EP contains an extended mix of the song “Spearhead”, as well new songs like “Lament” and “Crown of Life”. I believe that those two songs were originally supposed to be on “The IVth Crusade”, but were ultimately cut in the mastering process. Both are great songs nonetheless. 

Following the release of “The IVth Crusade”, Bolt Thrower would go on the “World Crusade” tour early in 1993 with the Polish death metal legend Vader and the Swedish death metal legends Grave. Lasting from February 4th to March 14th, the band visited Holland, Germany, and France, among other places before returning to England. In June of the same year, Bolt Thrower toured their homeland before taking off to Australia for a short tour with Armoured Angel. The “Spearhead Assault” tour would run from late September to early October 1993 and would be the first time that the band had ever visited the continent. 

While Bolt Thrower was out on tour for most of the year, Benediction was primarily writing new material and planning out a tour of their own. Nuclear Blast included Benediction on a Promo EP early in 1993 and the effort would be the first credit that bassist Frank Healy received with the band. However, Benediction’s main output came in the form of the band’s third studio album, and quite possibly their most recognized release to date, “Transcend the Rubicon”. Released on August 10th, 1993, “Transcend the Rubicon” is Benediction’s longest release up until this point, and in my view is Benediction’s best. Right from the beginning, the album jumps into the fray and doesn’t let its foot off the gas.

On top of that, the production is fantastic, as Dave’s vocals don’t sound distant or muffled, and the guitars, bass, and drums sound clear and aggressive. And to make it even better the riffs are all well written and well executed in Benediction’s first all-killer, no-filler release of their career. Among the standouts for me are “Nightfear”, “Paradox Alley”, and “Blood from Stone” – all of which have really great riffs and radiate pure death metal. Just like Bolt Thrower’s “The IVth Crusade”, this is an album that I think every metalhead should listen to at least once in their life. Following the release of “Transcend the Rubicon”, Benediction toured Europe on the “World Violation” tour, visiting Holland, Sweden, Germany, and other countries along the way. 

Young Blood (1994-1998)

Sometime after the tour’s conclusion, then Benediction drummer Ian Tracy would leave the band citing “personal differences”. Paul Brookes would take Tracy’s place, recording two songs with Benediction. These two songs would come in the form of the “The Grotesque/Ashen Epitaph” EP, released on February 6th, 1994. With Benediction still reveling in the success of “Transcend the Rubicon”, Brookes and the band continued the “World Violation” tour. The extension of this tour would be referred to as “World Violation – Chapter 2”, with the band visiting Europe. Upon the completion of “Chapter 2”, Benediction would go on tour in America. I have seen shirts referring to this tour as both “World Violation – Chapter 3” and “The Grotesque – Ashen Epitaph U.S. Tour”.

Benediction toured America with Bolt Thrower, referred to by Bolt Thrower as the “World Crusade” tour. The American tour focused primarily on cities along the east coast. However, at some point during the tour, Bolt Thrower vocalist Karl Willetts and drummer Andy Whale would depart from the group. I couldn’t find a reason for Whale wanting to depart. However, Willets stated, in an interview with both Deathrasher Magazine and the Bolt Thrower website, that he wanted to focus on university. Willets would finish his degree, while Pestilence singer Martin Van Drunen would take the reins in Bolt Thrower. Whale’s spot would be filled by Martin “Kiddie” Kearns, a name to remember for later. Willets and Whale would stay with Bolt Thrower for the recording of the fifth full-length album “…for Victory”. Released on November 24th, 1994, this album would be Bolt Thrower’s final album with Earache Records. 

“…for Victory”’ is a good album in its own right. It may not be my personal favorite album (that one is “The IVth Crusade”), but it certainly has some great tracks to it. The duo opener of “War” and “Remembrance” is always intense and the title track kicks ass. “Graven Image” has a really cool opening and solo! However, I never fully grew to like the remainder of the album. Despite this, Bolt Thrower would go on two tours of Europe with Kearns and Van Drunen rounding out the lineup.

Van Drunen’s first tour with Bolt Thrower, the “No Guts, No Glory” tour, was held early in 1995. Tourmates this time around included Cemetary and Brutality. One site told me that the Dutch Death/Doom band Asphyx was supposed to join Bolt Thrower on this tour (I have since been unable to find the said site). However, for one reason or another, they were unable to attend. Bolt Thrower’s second tour with this lineup was held a year later. The “Fuck Price Politics” tour saw Bolt Thrower tour Europe again, this time with Sentenced, Power of Expression, and The Varukers. 

Meanwhile, Benediction drummer Paul Brookes would leave the band some time in late 1994/early 1995. I believe he was already a member when Benediction performed at various Nuclear Blast festivals in early January 1995. Benediction was joined by Amorphis, Dismember, Hypocrisy, and Meshuggah during these festival dates. The groups would primarily play festivals in Germany and other parts of Central Europe. Drummer Niel Hutton would stay full-time as Benediction’s new drummer. His first credit with the band came on the latest major release. “The Dreams You Dread”, Benediction’s fourth full-length album, was released on August 8th, 1995.

Admittedly, after giving it a listen, things feel a bit restrained compared to “Transcend the Rubicon”. The album doesn’t have the same degree of intensity; instead, the songs (such as “Soulstream” and “Where Flies are Born”) feel fairly mid-tempo. Granted, this may not necessarily be a bad thing. However, there is usually a feeling of being better than your previous outing in music. And to be honest, “Transcend the Rubicon” is a high mark to beat. I honestly don’t think that “The Dreams You Dread” comes anywhere close to matching that mark, but that’s just me. Another tour was supposedly put together for 1996 in support of the latest album. 

Sometime in 1997, then Bolt Thrower vocalist Martin Van Drunen would leave the group. Supposedly, this would be due to health concerns, leading to insecurities. With no vocalist, Benediction vocalist Dave Ingrahm would fill in for a show. He would be their live vocalist for Bolt Thrower’s performance at “With Full Force” Festival in Zwickau, Germany on July 4th, 1997. Ingrahm’s time with Bolt Thrower, however, would not end here. After releasing five full-length albums with Earache Records, Bolt Thrower departed the label and signed with Metal Blade. The group’s next album, “Mercenary” would have Karl Willetts on vocals, but Ingrahm was recruited permanently after recording had finished. 

Released on November 9th, 1998, “Mercenary” is good, but honestly my personal least favorite Bolt Thrower album. That’s not to say that the album is bad, far from it – there is no such thing as a bad Bolt Thrower album. However, I just don’t think that it is as strong as Bolt Thrower’s other releases. Songs like “Laid to Waste” and “To The Last…” are both good tracks in their own right. However, if I had to pick between those songs and say “Embers” and “Shreds of Sanity”, I’d pick the latter two. The better tracks on the album are, to me at least, “Powder Burns”, and the fan-favorite in “No Guts, No Glory”. In all honesty, it’s a solid effort for Bolt Thrower’s first album on a new label.

Dave Ingrahm would join Bolt Thrower full-time after the album was recorded. However, before leaving Benediction to join Bolt Thrower, Ingrahm and Benediction released one final album before the turn of the century. Benediction’s fifth full-length album “Grind Bastard”, was released on March 30th, 1998. “Grind Bastard” is a rather odd album, honestly. There are certainly some good tracks on the album, like “Agonised”, “Magnificat” and the title track. However, other tracks like “Deadfall”, “West of Hell”, and “Nervebomb” don’t feel as aggressive as they could be. Songs like those feel… restrained I guess might be the best word to describe them. 

The album does have one song included that kinda baffles me – a cover of Judas Priest’s “Electric Eye”. Benediction is well within their right to include a cover of whatever they choose. However, it is a bit strange having a cover as song six on an album of about 12 tracks. Why would you put a cover song right in the middle of your album? Unless the entire album is a covers album, cover songs usually are the last songs on an album. What makes this even stranger to me is that there is another cover (“Destroyer” by Twisted Sister) towards the end of the album. And admittedly, upon listening to it, the cover works, and yet it doesn’t at the same time. The guitars work perfectly, but Dave’s vocals don’t necessarily work for the chorus. It all just doesn’t make sense to me. 

Turn of the Century (1999-2001)

After the album’s release, Benediction would end up hitting the road. Towards the end of 1998, Benediction toured Europe with Death. These two bands have apparently had a great relationship, but I THINK this might have been the last tour they went on together. I couldn’t find any other tours with these two beyond the European 1998 tour. And any possibility of a future tour would have been impossible from 2002 onward due to Death disbanding after Chuck Schuldiner passed (RIP Chuck Schuldiner, 1967-2001). I THINK Dave Ingrahm left Benediction upon the tour’s conclusion, as Bolt Thrower’s “Mercenary” would be released a month later and he would join Bolt Thrower after that album’s release. Benediction recruited Dave Hunt, vocalist for Anaal Nathrakh, a fellow Birmingham band, as a vocalist. With Hunt now in the lineup, Benediction would go out on tour of Europe in May 1999. 

On Bolt Thrower’s side of things, the band toured Central Europe with Crowbar and Totenmond in early 1999. The “Into the Killing Zone” tour was a chance for Dave Ingrahm to really mesh with his new group. Ingrahm must have impressed his new bandmates, as he would stay with Bolt Thrower through to at least the new year. Instead, it would be Bolt Thrower drummer Alex Thomas that would take a step away from the group after the tour’s conclusion.

According to the band’s Wikipedia page, Thomas wasn’t interested in Bolt Thrower’s current musical direction. With Bolt Thrower in need of a drummer, a familiar face would rejoin the group. Martin “Kiddie” Kearns came back into the fray, now able to stay full-time with the group. Apparently, Kearns had rejoined in time for Bolt Thrower’s second-ever appearance at “With Full Force” Fest. I believe Kearns was also in the lineup for Bolt Thrower’s appearance at Wacken Open Air festival in August. 

As the millennium turned, both bands would take time to rest and write new music. Supposedly, each band would make one festival appearance. Bolt Thrower supposedly performed at “With Full Force” Fest and Benediction supposedly performed at “Windo Rock Fest”. I’m not entirely sure about either appearance at those festivals, though. However, it makes sense for both bands to only make a singular festival appearance. When the focus is on writing new music, bands may not want to expend extra energy performing live. While performing live may give rise to new ideas for music, bands can’t always give new material the attention needed. The one upside I can see to performing live while writing new music is that bands can use it as a gauge for how audiences like what the band has so far. 

The new material from both bands would both come out around the same in late 2001. Benediction’s sixth full-length album “Organized Chaos” came out in October 2001. It was Benediction’s first full-length album without Dave Ingrahm at the helm, and arguably their worst outing to date. While Hunt does sound quite a bit like Ingrahm, the songs just feel kinda off. None of them necessarily stand out enough to me.

On top of that, the album has more of a vibe of like industrial/thrash metal than it does death metal. Track 4, “Diary of a Killer”, shows this, having more of a Fear Factory vibe than Benediction. The only song that has a vibe of being death metal proper is “Nothing on the Inside”. But, that song doesn’t necessarily hold a candle to other material that Benediction has already released by this point. Each song just seems to sound the same. Overall, it’s just a forgettable album by Benediction. There’s not much to say about it beyond that.

As for Bolt Thrower, their seventh full-length album “Honour, Valour, Pride” came out one month later in November 2001. Now, admittedly, this album is a bit special to me, as it was my first introduction to Bolt Thrower. However, I’ll try my best to not listen to this album with rose-tinted earbuds. Arguably the black sheep of Bolt Thrower’s discography, Honour, Valour, Pride” is the only Bolt Thrower album to not feature Karl Willetts on vocals, even on re-releases. Dave Ingrahm really slotted in perfectly for Willetts, with his vocals sounding similar to Willetts’. 

The opener, “Contact – Wait Out”, starts with what is, in my opinion, one of the simplest, yet most effective riffs in death metal. Those four chords set a sort of eerie tone for the song, seemingly trading intensity for atmosphere. Other tracks like “7th Offensive”, “Valour”, and “K-Machine” act as highlights for the album. Those songs have a bit more intensity compared to other tracks, and Ingrahm’s vocals line up the most with Willetts’ too. On top of that, I find the riffs of these songs more interesting and more in line with what Bolt Thrower would later release. I should also point out that this would be drummer Martin “Kiddie” Kearns’ first studio credit with Bolt Thrower. For his first studio outing with the group, Kearns sounds like he has always been with them.

Admittedly, I can understand why someone wouldn’t like this album as much as other Bolt Thrower albums. It sounds less intense by comparison, and the riffs don’t always stand out as much. However, when you look beyond that, the album certainly has its moments that are worth it, even if just for those moments. Supposedly, according to the Bolt Thrower website, the album had military-like tasks for music journalists to undergo when the album was being promoted. This helped the album gain high praise from critics and favorable reviews from fans. As I said, there’s no such thing as a bad Bolt Thrower album.

Together Again (2002-2004)

With both bands releasing new material, the two once again looked to the road. Interestingly, Bolt Thrower and Benediction would tour together – a welcome sight, showing no ill will towards one another. 2002’s “Ground Assault” tour saw the two groups touring Europe, with German bands Disbelief and Fleshcrawl (R.I.P. Sven Gross, 1976-2021) as support acts. This tour would be Dave Ingrahm’s first time seeing Benediction since leaving, and the tour proved to be a worthwhile hit. 

Upon the tour’s conclusion, both bands would return to writing new music, while simultaneously performing various shows. Benediction would supposedly tour with Immortal. Unfortunately for Bolt Thrower, a line-up change was in the works. Dave Ingrahm would have to take leave from Bolt Thrower in August 2004, due to conflicting reasons. A Blabbermouth article mentions health problems, while the Bolt Thrower site itself mentions the birth of Ingrahm’s child. With Bolt Thrower without a vocalist, the group agreed that there was only one person who could fill the spot. That person was none other than former Bolt Thrower vocalist Karl Willetts. According to a Blabbermouth article from November 18th, 2004, Willetts had rejoined Bolt Thrower full-time. The group asked him to return, and Willetts agreed. The members and fans alike welcomed him with open arms.

The Last One For A While (2005-2008)

According to a Blabbermouth article from May 5th, 2005, Willetts mentioned that guitarist Barry Thompson had simply phoned Willetts out of the blue. In that same article, Willetts mentions that he had re-recorded the vocals for Honour-Valour-Pride, but I have yet to find a version with Willetts at the helm. Regardless, about two weeks later, Blabbermouth released another article stating that Bolt Thrower was recording their next album. A third Blabbermouth article (this one from March 28th, 2005) mentioned that Benediction had also been working hard on new material. While Benediction’s album needed some additional time, Bolt Thrower’s next studio album was hot off the presses.

Bolt Thrower released “Those Once Loyal”, their eighth studio album, on November 14th, 2005. A noticeably more intense album right from the start, “Those Once Loyal” has a focus on World War 1. This is seen foremost in the album artwork, but also in the lyrics. The songs themselves are well composed, and seem to feature a bit more melodic elements. “At First Light” and the title track both have neat moments where the melodies stand out to make the song more memorable. Then you just have straight killer death metal tracks, like “The Killchain” and “Anti-Tank (Dead Armour)”. Quite honestly, there isn’t a dud to be found anywhere in the tracklist. It’s not hard to see why this album is often regarded as one of Bolt Thrower’s best.

Unfortunately, this would be Bolt Thrower’s final studio album. According to the Bolt Thrower biography from Metal Blade, the group had spent much of 2007 writing new material. However, the members of Bolt Thrower did not feel it was up to par with the material from “Those Once Loyal”. Since none of the new material met their standards, Bolt Thrower opted to not release their latest new writings – a respectable decision by the band. Mumblings of the ever-elusive ninth Bolt Thrower album still sometimes echo in the venues of the world. 

With the success of the latest album, Bolt Thrower would go on a two-legged tour of Europe. The first leg of the “Those Still Loyal” tour would see Bolt Thrower hit the road with Malevolent Creation, Nightrage, and Necrophagist in January and early February 2006. After a month-long break, Bolt Thrower would be joined by God Dethroned, Kataklysm, and other acts in April and early May. While Bolt Thrower would play at a few additional big-name metal festivals in Europe, the majority of time post-tour was spent writing the aforementioned new material. 

As for Benediction, new material was on the way. However, due to line-up changes, a new album would have to wait temporarily. Drummer Neil Hutton would leave Benediction at some point in 2005, for reasons I could not find. Hutton would eventually return sometime in 2007. For the shows during Hutton’s absence (hiatus technically?), drummer Nicholas Barker, once a drummer for Cradle of Filth and Dimmu Borgir, filled in. Upon Hutton’s return, Benediction’s newest material was close to being finished. All that would be needed was for it to be recorded and released. And on August 22nd, 2008, it would finally surface.

“Killing Music” is Benediction’s seventh full-length studio album. Almost immediately, you can tell that there is less of an industrial sound to it. The album seemingly has a better sense of intensity to it, and Dave Hunt sounds a bit more comfortable as Benediction’s vocalist. Overall, the album sounds more like a Benediction album than their last album, Organized Chaos. “The Grey Man”, the title track, “They Must Die Screaming”, and “As Her Skin Weeps”, all, at least in my mind, sound closer to being traditional Benediction songs. I think one element that holds the album back though is its artwork. The album art is somewhat generic, compared to other albums – not much about it stands out. It may not be Benediction’s strongest album, but it’s a step in the right direction. Benediction would go on a tour of Europe after the album’s release. 

All For A Good Cause (2009-2013)

With both bands having released new material recently, both bands looked to hit the road. In May of 2009, Bolt Thrower, for the first time since 1994, made their return to the United States, performing on day 3 of Maryland Deathfest VII. Meanwhile, Benediction was performing shows throughout Europe, and supposedly even one or two in Mexico. While the two had a few festivals under their belt post-release, a bigger tour seemed to be the aim of the game this time around. So, on December 22nd, 2009, Bolt Thrower announced tourmates Rotting Christ would join them on a European tour the following year. That same announcement also mentioned that Greek black metal legends Rotting Christ would be joining them on this tour. Other acts, like Benediction, Asphyx, Dew Scented, and local acts would be joining in the fun as well (thanks in part to a collaboration with Terrorizer Magazine). 

This tour – “The Next Offensive” 2010 Tour – would see the group tour of Europe. It was relatively short of a tour, only lasting from late April to early May. Upon its conclusion, Benediction would perform at various festivals in Europe, and supposedly a few in South America. From what I could find, Bolt Thrower opted to spend time resting, aside from a one-off show here and there. These one-off appearances would carry on into 2011.

But there was something interesting brewing on the Bolt Thrower backburner. A certain milestone was quickly coming up, and the group wanted to celebrate it. So, on September 26th, 2011, Bolt Thrower announced that a small festival of its own to celebrate its 25th anniversary was in the works. And about a month and a half later, Bolt Thrower officially announced: Boltfest –  to be held at the HMV Forum in London, England on April 7th, 2012.

If fans weren’t excited by this announcement alone, Bolt Thrower went an extra mile one month after the official Boltfest announcement. Not only did Bolt Thrower themselves cover all the costs for the event, but the group also worked with the ticket provider (HMV) to ensure that all event proceeds went to charity. Bolt Thrower had hoped to raise about £10,000 for this good cause. Instead of buying a ticket, you would donate (through HMV) to Teenage Cancer Trust, a UK-based charity. And all Bolt Thrower asked people to donate was £6. How could anyone possibly turn down something like that!? 

More info about Boltfest came in late February 2012, with four bands added to the bill – Autopsy, Benediction, Discharge, and Vallenfyre. Imagine that – an incredible experience already getting better! With a lineup like that, Boltfest was sure to be a home run. And wouldn’t you know it – it was. Fans responded really well to the event, and it raised a lot of money for charity. On May 2nd, 2012, Bolt Thrower announced on their website that the event had raised a total of £12,411.80 (approximately $20,000 in 2012 money) for Teenage Cancer Trust. (As a small side note – I mentioned at the beginning of this post that I had intentions to turn this into a book at one point. Had the book been published, I planned to donate my earnings from the book to the same charity, and matched it with a donation of my own money.)

Both Bolt Thrower and Benediction would perform at select festivals for the remainder of the year. Bolt Thrower would announce select gigs for 2013, including Maryland Deathfest and Chaos in Tejas in Austin, TX. More dates would be announced on February 13th, 2013 and Benediction would be announced as the support act. Autopsy would join the duo for certain shows in California. This two-week North American tour was dubbed the “Return to Chaos” 2013 tour. I believe it was after the “Return to Chaos” tour, but Benediction would once again lose drummer Neil Hutton. Dummer Ashley Guest would step in, but I could not find exactly when Guest took the mantle on drums. Upon the tour’s conclusion, both groups returned home and performed at a few more festivals to round out the year.

For Their Fallen Brother (2014-2016)

Early in 2014, Bolt Thrower confirmed their appearance at certain festivals later in the year. On April 30th, 2014, Bolt Thrower announced the “Overtures of War” 2014 European tour. About one month later, they announced Morgoth as the support act for the tour. Shortly after that, Soulburn, Incantation, and Vallenfyre were announced as support acts for select shows. The tour seemed to be a massive success, with many people throughout Europe showing up. On the other hand, Benediction had performed at different festivals throughout Europe in the meantime. To my knowledge, Benediction was not on an official tour – simply making one-off appearances at various European metal festivals. These one-off performances would (once again) carry on into 2015 (maybe even 2016), with Benediction supposedly performing at a few shows in South America.

On February 15th, 2015, Bolt Thrower announced that they would once again be returning to North America. However, they would only visit Canada this time around, for three shows in mid-June. In addition, on May 19th, Bolt Thrower announced a four-day “Overtures of War” Australia tour. This small tour was set to take place at the end of September. The Canada shows in 2015 would unintentionally end up as one of Bolt Thrower’s final shows. Ten days before the start of Bolt Thrower’s Austrailian tour, tragedy would strike Bolt Thrower as their beloved drummer Martin “Kiddie” Kearns had passed away in his sleep. He was 38. 

R.I.P. Martin “Kiddie” Kearns, March 7th, 1977 – September 14th, 2015

The Austrailian tour was canceled due to the loss of their drummer and friend. Devastated, Bolt Thrower went on hiatus for the foreseeable future. Fans from around the world would share their support for Bolt Thrower in this trying time of the band’s career. One year later, on exactly the same day that Kearns had passed away, Bolt Thrower announced that they were no more. Kearns was to remain THE Bolt Thrower drummer, so the position was buried with him as Kearns was laid to rest. Frontman Karl Willetts would later confirm that Bolt Thrower was done for good and that there would be no reunions. Every year since Kearns’ passing, on both his birthday and the day he died, the Bolt Thrower site has paid tribute to their fallen brother. 

During the Bolt Thrower hiatus, frontman Karl Willetts decided to start up a side project. This side project focuses on old-school death metal, featuring members of both Benediction and Bolt Thrower. It became known as Memoriam, and it was formed in January 2016. The lineup consisted of vocalist Karl Willetts and drummer Andy Whale of Bolt Thrower, bassist Frank Healy of Benediction and Cerebral Fix, and guitarist Scott Fairfax of Cerebral Fix. In an article from Blabbermouth on June 24th, 2016, Memoriam was formed as a tribute to Kearns. The group would subsequently sign with Nuclear Blast Records. 

In all honesty, Willetts seems to be the only former member of the final Bolt Thrower lineup still active within metal. In doing my research, I have not found anything on the remaining members of Bolt Thrower. My best guess is that they are simply living their best life while paying tribute to their friend. Perhaps a one-off interview with the remaining members is out there from after Bolt Thrower’s official end. However, I simply am not aware of its existence at this point in time. 

Memoriam’s initial output came in the form of the Hellfire Demos, released on June 20th, 2016. The two-song demo is certainly in the vein of old-school death metal. “War Rages On” and “Resistance” both sound distinct from the sound of both Bolt Thrower and Benediction. Memoriam released a single later in 2016, titled “Surrounded by Death”. These three songs would be Memoriam’s only outputs of the year, with more on the horizon. Each song is great in its own right, but I think my favorite is “Resistance”. The song was practically written for headbanging, and, to me, best accomplished what Memoriam set out to do. Once the deal with Nuclear Blast was inked, Memoriam’s journey had begun.

The Fire Burns Bright (2017-2021)

Frank Healy would leave Benediction to be with Memoriam full time at some point in 2017. Benediction would recruit Dan Bate to slot in for Healy. The band would perform at a few select shows for the year. Healy was hard at work with Memoriam, who on January 20th, 2017, released a second demo – the Hellfire Demos II. It was another two-song demo, but only one was new. “Surrounded by Death” was joined by the new song “Drone Strike”. “Drone Strike” is an alright song. It has a sort of slow, grinding tone to it, which I am not always a fan of. However, there are moments, like the chorus, where the song’s simplicity shows to be its strongest asset. 

Memoriam released their first full-length album, “For the Fallen”, on March 24th, 2017. First off, I gotta mention how awesome the artwork is. Its muted colors work perfectly with the desolate landscape. I’ve always enjoyed Dan Seagrave’s art and this piece just adds to that impressive collection. Secondly, the album’s opener is quite possibly one of the most heart-felt songs in death metal (what an oxymoron). When you read the lyrics of the song “Memoriam”, it’s clear who Willetts is referring to. True to the lyrics, Kearns may be gone, but he is certainly not forgotten.

Three of the four songs from the demos appear on this album. “Drone Strike” would be saved for a later album. They all seem to have a slight bit more polish to them, which I think makes them stand out a bit more from their previous demo incarnations. As for the other tracks, I think that they are all pretty good. “Reduced to Zero” has some really great riffs to it, and so does “Flatline”. But, I think “Corrupted System” is my favorite track. I really like the high energy of that song (perhaps it’s me, but I heard elements of crossover punk in some of the riffs). I also think that it’s really neat with its ending, with the building intensity and its sort of static/steam sound combined with Willetts’ echoing vocals. Overall, it’s a strong first outing for a newly formed group of death metal veterans. 

Later in the year, Memoriam would release a third demo. However, the demo is only a cover of “The Captive” by Sacrilege. As is my opinion with most covers – if you enjoy the original, you will probably enjoy the cover. This demo would be Memoriam’s final, as from here on out, the group has only released full-length albums. Memoriam would perform at select shows in Europe in 2017 following the album’s release. One of these shows was at the world-renown Wacken Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany. The only other show Memoriam performed this year that I could find was at Lords of the Land festival in Glasgow, Scotland. 

Almost exactly one year later (literally one day short), Memoriam was back with their second full-length album, titled “The Silent Vigil”. Listening to this album, you can tell that more melodic elements are included. The melodic sections help the album stand out from its predecessor. However, I find that I don’t always enjoy this album as much as I sometimes expect to. There are certain songs that I really like, such as “Nothing Remains”, “From the Flames”, “Bleed the Same”, and “As Bridges Burn”. But, I usually don’t find myself enjoying songs like the title track, “Soulless Parasite”, and “The New Dark Ages”. Something about this album usually just feels off to me. And, I’ve never quite been able to pinpoint why.

Turning back to Benediction for a moment, a January 8th, 2018 article from Blabbermouth shared that Benediction was in the process of writing new material. The new material was Benediction’s is their first since their last full-length album in 2008. In another article from Blabbermouth, released in August of 2018, one of the new songs was included in a death metal compilation album from Nuclear Blast. Benediction continued writing new material into 2019. 

However, as the new album was nearly all written, a line-up change commenced. In an article, once again from Blabbermouth, vocalist Dave Hunt left Benediction in pursuit of his Ph.D., unable to commit to both Benediction and Anaal Nathrakh in the process. In his place, previous vocalist Dave Ingrahm would rejoin Benediction, after being away for 20 years. Ingrahm slotted back into his old spot like a glove. Hunt would not be the only departure of the year. Drummer Ashley Gurest would leave in 2019. And while Neil Hutton would return briefly in 2019, the spot would be handed to Giovanni Durst (seemingly no relation to Fred Durst, thank fuck) full-time. 

While Benediction was putting the final touches on the songs for their upcoming album, Memoriam had released their third full-length album, “Requiem for Mankind” – released June 21st, 2019. Now, before I get into the album itself, there is something that I should mention. In September 2018, drummer Andy Whale would supposedly leave Memoriam – a Blabbermouth article would report on this. However, according to both the metal archives and Memoriam’s own wikipedia page, Whale would stay on into for this album onto 2020. An article that I’ll refer to a little later would share that Whale was still a member of Memoriam in late March 2020. I’m not entirely sure if Whale left and was later asked to rejoin, or if the article was falsely reported from the get-go. Regardless, Whale would stay for Memoriam’s third album.

Now, onto the album itself. “Reqiuem for Mankind” may just be Memoriam’s best output to date. It blends elements of the group’s first two albums into arguably one of the best death metal albums of the 2010s. The album’s first four songs – “Shell Shock”, Undefeated”, “Never the Victim”, and “Austerity Kills” – all blend the heaviness of the first album with the melodic elements of the second perfectly. Other tracks, like “In the Midst of Desolation”, “The Veteran”, and the title track align more with straight death metal, but are still just as enjoyable as the first four. Overall, everything sounds very well put together and powerful. There really is not a dud on the album. With three albums under their belt, Memoriam is showing that old-school death metal is still alive and well.

In 2020, Memoriam’s deal with Nuclear Blast had expired. In a move surprising to me, Memoriam opted not to resign with Nuclear Blast. Instead, according to an article from NextMosh, Memoriam opted to sign with Reaper Entertainment Europe. This article also shows that Whale was still a member of Memoriam at the time of signing. I’m not entirely sure why the group signed with this label as opposed to re-signing with Nuclear Blast, but I’m sure they had their reasons.

In a January 7th, 2020 article from Blabbermouth, Benediction was forced to postpone their upcoming South American tour. Vocalist Dave Ingrahm was facing serious health issues that made touring an impossibility. And with Benediction not willing to replace Dave for the tour, they most likely went back to polish their writing in the meantime. In hindsight, the postponement of their South American tour was probably a good thing, as only a month or two later, the Covid-19 pandemic effectively put the world on hold. Benediction remained hard at work on the new album. And after two delays, Memoriam released its newest material (as of this post).

Released on October 16th, 2020, “Scriptures” is Benediction’s eighth full-length studio album. Right out of the gate, Benediction sounds more like they have returned to their roots with this album. It’s almost as if they picked up where “Transcend the Rubicon” left off. The album also seems to have a bit more energy and intensity to it, evident in the first four tracks. Even in later tracks, like “Rabid Carnality” and “In Our Hands, The Scars”, the intensity is still there. Admittedly, I think this album is a bit front-loaded. I found myself enjoying the first six tracks much more than the last six. In my mind, songs like “The Crooked Man” and “Stormcrow” are vastly superior compared to “Embrace the Kill” and “Neverwhen”. But overall, the album is certainly enjoyable – easily their best album since the turn of the millennium, maybe even since “Transcend the Rubicon”. 

After Andy Whale left Memoriam (after signing with Reaper), drummer Spike T. Smith took over full time. Memoriam was hard at work on their next album on their new label. It would come almost a year after signing (once again, only off by a single day). Memoriam released their fourth album, “To the End” on March 26th, 2021 – their latest as of this post. In my opinion, this album is in a somewhat similar position to Benediction’s “The Dreams You Dread”, where the previous album is a high mark to beat. While “The Dreams You Dread” in my opinion didn’t match up to “Transcend the Rubicon”, “To the End” at least seems to put up a fight with “Requiem for Mankind”.

Songs like “This War is Won” and “No Effect” are good in their own right. However, others, like “Failure to Comply” and “Each Step (One Closer to the Grave)” just aren’t as good to me. The title track is a sort of middle point, where certain moments stand out more to me than others and I end up torn on where I stand on it. Had the album had fewer slower moments and slower riffs, I think I may have enjoyed it more than I did. As it stands, I don’t think that “To the End” is a bad album. Moreover, I think that it just might not be for me. 

Posing A Question and Wrapping This Up

Save a few shows in 2022 by both Benediction and Memoriam – including an appearance by both bands at Obscene Extreme festival in the Czech Republic – I’ve covered damn near everything in the careers of Bolt Thrower, Benediction, and now Memoriam. Throughout this entire endeavor, though, there has been one lingering thought that I’ve wanted to save for after I’ve addressed everything (or as much as I could). Throughout their interwoven careers, Bolt Thrower has seemingly been more well-known than Benediction. Both bands shared band members, hadsimilar lineup changes and release schedules. Why is Bolt Thrower seemingly more well-known than Benediction?

Well, after thinking about it, I think Bolt Thrower is more well-known for two reasons – the deal with Games Workshop and consistency. The deal with Games Workshop in the 1990s helped to catapult Bolt Thrower’s popularity. Having two niche entities that already have a bit in common collaborate on an album helped the group to reach a wider audience. The two worked hand in hand. Benediction didn’t have any deal like that – at least none that I could find. Therefore, more people would have gotten a chance to know about Bolt Thrower, especially in their earlier days. 

Had Benediction had some similar deal in place, perhaps they may have become a more widely known name. This does beg the question of what exactly could Benediction have partnered with at the time? Bolt Thrower and Games Workshop revolved around war – a common theme to build upon. While Benediction had its strengths, I’m not sure another niche subject was as readily available to partner with them. Even if there was, someone would probably be making comparisons between the deals, maybe even calling one a copycat of the other. 

As for consistency, Bolt Thrower had fewer line-up changes throughout their career. Looking back, the only changes Bolt Thrower had was behind the drum kit and on vocals. And even in those positions, the turnover was fairly minimal. But Benediction had more lineup changes, especially on drums, with one person returning on three separate occasions. Changes to a band’s sound are made whenever a new person is added, even if only subtly. It takes time to adjust to having a new member, having to learn their playing style, and get to know them personally. 

I think since Bolt Thrower had fewer line-up changes, the group became much more tight-knit. And the more tight-knit a group can be, the more consistent their performance can be. Hell, look at sports teams – they keep the right players around and they can accomplish great feats. I don’t think Bolt Thrower is that different in that regard. The right people stayed around (and eventually came back, in some cases), which enabled them to accomplish some great feats – releasing some of the most-acclaimed death metal records of all time. And when you couple this consistency with their emerging popularity, you get one of the most recognized groups in all of death metal – Bolt Thrower.

So yeah, that is everything from me. If you have managed to read this entire thing, I commend you. This one post is longer than my posts on Deceased and Numenor combined. Literally, this is 21 pages long. I have not written something of this caliber on a single subject matter since I was a senior in college. This has been one of the most ambitious projects that I think I have ever undertaken. I’m honestly so proud of myself.

So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for taking the time to read this post. I hope to do more posts like this in the future and I have a few lined up already. But those posts are still in their beginning stages. Besides, after working on this, I’m going to give myself a breather before taking on another similarly ambitious project. Thanks again for reading!