Benighted strike with new single 'The Spineless Freak' • GRIMM Gent

BENIGHTED return with The Spineless Freak, a standalone single carved from the same violent psychological terrain that defines their Ekbom era, but created with one intent: to reveal the band’s new drummer, Matthias Biechler, in full destructive force. The track serves as both an introduction and a declaration, documenting the moment a 22 year old multi-instrumentalist stepped into Benighted’s world and reshaped its velocity from within.

Though known as a bassist, Matthias spent the past four years cultivating a drumming discipline shaped by the mentorship of Eugene Ryabchenko (Fleshgod Apocalypse). His first ever performance as a drummer took place onstage with Benighted, where he ripped through the band’s fastest material with an ease that stunned both audience and members alike. His arrival crystallizes a new level of intensity within the band, aligning seamlessly with the suffocating psychological horror and clinical brutality at the core of their sound.

For Matthias, this moment carries a deeply personal weight.

“[…] it’s an honor for me to join Benighted behind the drums,” he shares. “This very band gave me the motivation five years ago to push myself and truly work hard on this instrument, so joining them today as my first band as a drummer is beyond anything I ever imagined. I’ll give everything I have to live up to the name and unleash all the violence you love so much. Thank you for your welcome and your support, I can’t wait to share this journey with all of you!”

Recorded at Kohlekeller Studio under the engineering of Kristian Kohlmannslehner, The Spineless Freak channels the same grotesque sensory overload explored throughout Ekbom, but chiseled into a single concentrated blast.

Vocalist Julien Truchan reflects on Matthias’ arrival with the same sense of astonishment felt during the casting process.

“The whole story is pretty incredible,” he explains. “As we were casting other drummers, I got a message from my friend Eugene of Fleshgod Apocalypse who told me he has a student in Paris who learns incredibly fast and that I should contact him. Matthias came for the casting last July and he just amazed us playing our fastest songs impeccably. He is only 22, plays drums for 4 years and we’re officially his very first band as a drummer! I can’t even imagine his level in 2 or 3 years… He is at the same time a machine and the nicest guy you can find. We’re so happy to welcome him in the band!”

Stream The Spineless Freak now: https://benighted.fanlink.tv/TheSpinlessFreak

A dedicated drum playthrough video accompanies the release, capturing Matthias’ technique in stark detail and sealing his official induction into the Benighted lineage. The Spineless Freak stands as the opening rupture of this new era, a clear warning of the extremity that now drives the band forward.

Dive into the darkest realms of the human psyche as BENIGHTED, the French purveyors of brutal death metal & grindcore, unleash their tenth full-length album Ekbom in April 2024. The madness that has defined their discography continues with this radical soundtrack to the twisted times we inhabit.

Born from French Death and Black metal bands DISHUMANIZED, DARKNESS FIRE, and OSGILIATH, BENIGHTED emerged in 1998 with a mission to explore a more brutal, heavy, and modern form of musical expression. The impact of their first self-produced and self-titled full-length album in 2000 transformed BENIGHTED from a side-project into a main act, quickly amassing a devoted fan base. Subsequent albums like Psychose (2002), Insane Cephalic Production (2004), Identisick (2006), and Icon (2007) further cemented their visceral, skull-breaking sound into extreme death metal history.

After a detour into the realms of Necrobreed in 2017, BENIGHTED celebrated their 20th anniversary by capturing the live madness with Dogs Always Bite Harder Than Their Master in 2018.

With Obscene Repressed, they once again took sadistic pleasure in pushing the boundaries of brutality, delving into the disturbed mind of little Michael. His relentless battle against demons, fueled by unresolved oedipal issues with his mother, provided a grotesque tableau for BENIGHTED‘s sonic butchery. Not content with merely slaughtering everything in their auditory path, BENIGHTED crafted thematically explorative pieces, each turn in their music revealing new layers of horror and despair.

As the relentless journey continues, BENIGHTED is set to unleash Ekbom in April 2024, an album that draws inspiration from the nightmarish ‘Ekbom syndrome.’ This rare neurological disorder, also known as Delusional Parasitosis, forms the thematic core of the upcoming release. A feeling of having a vile concoction of parasites, worms, and insects crawling under your skin is an apt description of what BENIGHTED have to offer on this newest release. The auditory assault mirrors the repulsive sensations of the syndrome, a visceral and unsettling journey into the abyss of the human mind.

Madness reigns yet again, this time intertwining with the haunting echoes of Ekbom syndrome. Brace yourselves for another mind-shattering chapter in the BENIGHTED saga as they continue to carve their niche in the putrid annals of extreme metal, leaving a trail of sonic disgust in their wake.