Originally written by Chris Redar
Well, kids, do you want the good news or the bad news?
Let’s start with the good news: If you’re an existing fan of Benighted, they have a new album out with a new nonsensical title, having handily outdone Asylum Cave in the ‘Two Words That Don’t Go Together’ category with Carnivore Sublime.
Also good news, directed at the same listener as above: it sounds just like latter-day Benighted. This means pesky details such as variety and surprises are virtual non-issues, meaning your listening experience can be combined with other activities for maximum impact. Can’t squeeze in any time on the weight bench with all of these new albums you’re supposed to be listening to these days? Benighted knows you’re busy, consumer. Benighted cares. So Benighted has essentially released Icon III: Asylum Cave II: Carnivore Sublime to save you precious thinking time.
That’s not an insult. This is enjoyable and reliable brutal death metal, despite being a little light in the IQ department. This, however, is: Carnivore Sublime is lacking in the flourishes that made albums like Icon and Asylum Cave messes o’ fun. Not that the band should have slipped into gimmick territory, but they were kind of already there, which was a big part of their appeal. These Frenchmen never shied away from adding seemingly nonsensical instrumentation to the dermis of standard BDM: From the tympani/bell break on “Icon” to the wicky-wicky-scratch portion of “Drowning,” Benighted came off as kind of goofy. That tendency to get silly every once in a while is what has always set this particular band apart in a very self-serious genre. This side of things is all but absent here. Save for the oft-complained-about hardcore vocals on “Collection of Dead Portraits” and a bit of tradeoff shouting/singing on “Spit,” this is pretty standard for an over-produced, over-triggered BDM album.
If that’s the kind of thing that tickles your metal bone, then Carnivore Sublime is right up your alley. There’s nothing wrong with the album. Quite the contrary, in fact. If Benighted’s brand of brutal is what floats your boat, this will not disappoint. Big breakdowns and massively over-the-top everything is the name of the game, and the game is played rather well. It’s just not Benighted’s best. This is the sound of the band in safe mode, which would make it a good starting point before moving to the creatively superior Icon or the less efficiently brutal (read: savage) Asylum Cave.
If you’re not already a fan of the band and/or brutal death metal in general, however, this isn’t a starting point at all. You will hate this.
