 |
|
Benedictum Seasons of Tragedy Locomotive It’s always a good sign when a band is able to return to the
frontlines after a successful first release. Staying in the game for round two
is a lot harder than most realize and the fearful reality of the sophomore
slump which marks the beginning of the end for many aspiring musicians is a
stressful undertaking regardless of how much confidence you have in your art.
Much like the second course of a fine dining experience a bands sequel can
either poison or stimulate the appetite for the main course that is still to
follow. The latter is precisely the desired effect presented in Seasons of Tragedy, the exhilarating
next chapter for Produced once again by former Dokken bassist Jeff Pilson, Seasons
of Tragedy shows a definite maturity in the bands writing ability and
artistic relevance. As compared to their 2006 debut release Uncreation, the new material finds the
band taking their sound in an even heavier direction and touching on more
progressive elements; especially recognizable in the title track which clocks
in at an impressive 11:38. While the rest of the album is geared more towards
traditional song structures “Seasons of Tragedy” encompasses an inward journey
of deep spiritual insight that is equally represented throughout both the
lyrical and musical portions of the song. The premise is based on the Hindu
belief of seven charkas (centers of energy) which offer a way of balancing ones
desire to lead a happier and more spiritually fulfilling life along personal
destiny. This may no doubt be a bit deep for some but fear not as this
masterpiece is all about the music first and diehard Metalheads can relax because
there is arbitrarily more Metal found here than a ten acre auto wrecking yard.
Next to the title track, “Beast in the Field” is without a doubt poised to be
the instant classic from this album focusing heavily on the monster riffs being
laid out by guitarist Pete Wells; a master of crunch in his own right. Besides the two aforementioned songs, additional worthy
mentions include “Shellshock” and “Bare Bones” which too are viable skull
pounding attributes. As with the bands previous effort there are two covers
featured on Seasons the first being
the unforeseen addition of Accept’s
“Balls to the Wall”. Now ordinarily I would have to shun such an attempt but
the truth is that if there was ever a chick within the Metal communities that
could pull this off, it is without a doubt frontwoman Veronica Freeman. Her
vocal dexterity is absolutely prime for this type of music and her ruff outward
persona is ideally suited to deliver this classic in all its glory; I’m sure
Udo Dirkschneider would be proud. The second cover included here is not
surprisingly another Ronnie James Dio
classic (two Sabbath covers from the
Dio era appeared on Uncreation) this time from his years
with Ritchie Blackmore in Rainbow.
“Catch the Rainbow” (European version only) is the last song on the album and
showcases a much lighter side of the band. The acoustic ballad once again shows
the obvious Dio influence in
Freeman’s voice and is perfectly at home on this CD. Seasons of Tragedy also features an impressive array of guest
musicians this time around including George Lynch (ex-Dokken), Manni Schmidt (ex-Rage,
Grave Digger), Jeff Pilson (ex-Dokken, Foreigner) and Craig Goldy (Dio).
I expect great things from this band in the coming year, as Seasons respectfully sets the stage and
places all the pieces in order to achieve unparalleled excellence. -Priest |
