BENEDICTUM – Uncreation

San Diego, California-based and female-fronted Benedictum has given the Heavy Metal year of 2006 a kickstart. Uncreation may indeed be one of the most memorable Metal albums of this year — if there is some justice in this world …

Uncreation is produced by Jeff Pilson (Dio, Dokken, and also plays some bass on the album), and he has managed to force everybody in the band, all five, to do their utterly best. Jeff Pilson may not be the one you would rank as the most well-renowned producer around, but he certainly has done a terrific job with this album.

The band was presented to Pilson through their common friend, Craig Goldy (Dio guitarist who also plays on </>Uncreation’s “Valkyrie Rising” track). Craig Goldy might have got to know the band through the fact that some members of the Benedictum crew have had jaunts in a couple of Dio tribute bands. Thanks to this, another former member of Dio (and Rainbow), Jimmy Bain, guests on the album as well. However, despite the number of former Dio members contributing to the album, it is the five regular band members who first and foremost have made the album a notably strong listening experience.

Benedictum has really no weak link. The most striking member is front girl Veronica Freeman, and absolutely stunning female Metal vocal talent. She holds nothing back at all, and sings, screams, and growls her way through the album like there is no tomorrow. She amazes, especially by the fact that the force in her voice out-battles the majority of all the male singers in the Metal business.

Guitarist Pete Wells is too an excellent and creative musician. Drummer Blackie Sanchez is joyfully fast and thundering (great drum sound). Keys and bass are also greatly taken care of by Chriss Morgan and Jesse Wright, respectively. Together they deliver anthemic, energetic, and melodic Metal that is hard to ignore.

However, it takes the album a couple of rounds to get into gear. The opener, the title track, sounds rather directionless, and the next, titled “Benedictum,” is good but only reveals parts of what the band is good at doing.

Not until the third track, “#4,” does the band reach its full potential in energy, intensity, and edge, AND an aggressive and dynamic melody structure unfolds as well. This continues as tracks like “Misogyny” (Dokken’s Shadowlife should have been produced this way!), “Ashes To Ashes,” “Wicca,” and “Them” force themselves out of your speakers.

The album also holds a couple of quite entertaining covers. One would normally doubt that it is a good thing to add TWO Black Sabbath covers on a debut album, but Benedictum has chosen to do so. Here’s both “Heaven And Hell” and “Mob Rules” (however, you need a copy of the limited edition digipak version of the album to get the latter). Veronica & co has managed to put their personal mark on these two tracks, and have given these two classic songs a fresh 2006 arrangement.

Benedictum … Check them out.

Tracklist

1. Uncreation
2. Benedictum
3. # 4
4. Misogyny
5. Ashes To Ashes
6. Wicca
7. Heaven And Hell
8. Them
9. Two Steps To The Sun
10. Valkyrie Rising
11. Mob Rules (on the limited edition digipak only)