Region:
Concord Contact Information:
Benümb
1129 Oakwood Drive
Millbrae, CA 94030 Web Site
Band Email Listen Now:
By Means of Upheaval
0 MB |
 |
 |
|
|
Formed in 1994, the band quickly built a respected reputation in the hardcore community with their explosive, aggressive sound. Enduring a multitude of line-up changes, this 5-piece D.I.Y powerhouse has solidified into a vicious ensemble that lives and thrives within multiple underground scenes. After honing their craft for almost a year, a split 7" with Short Hate Temper was released in mid-1995 on the Same Day Label. Benümb took the next year and a half to further develop their style of pounding hardcore with a savage metal influence as they played tons of gigs with friends and peers such s Man is the Bastard, Spazz, Exhumed, Dystopia, Capitalist Casualties and countless others...All the while remembering and appreciating the unity and friendships they were building. 1997 was a busy year for the band as it saw the release of a handful of Benümb wax including 7" splits with Dukes of Hazzard (on Rape an Ape) and Apartment 213 (Stenchosaurus). Their crushing live set at the infamous Fiesta Grande festival was recorded and released as part of the Fiesta Comes Alive! LP on Slap a Ham. After following the band's achievements, witnessing the live spectacle and hearing their angry bursts of unreal frustration, Relapse had no choice but to get involved. In late 1997, the destructive Gear in the Machine 7" was released. 1998 brought a killer live split-flexi with Supression that accompanied issue# of the notorious Monkeybite fanzine.
Which brings us to May of 1998 and Benümb's first venture to the dreaded (gasp!) CD format. Soul of the Martyr delivers 21 atomic clouts of ferocious hardcore in the California tradition. Compiling the new tracks alongside the Gear in the Machine recordings and the material from the Apartment 213 and the (as yet unreleased) Agoraphobic Nosebleed split 7"s as well as the full live set from the Fiesta... recording. Soul of the Martyr is fueled by anger, influenced by metal, and destined for cult status. Benümb's songs often exhibit Jeckyl and Hyde qualities, alternating from attacking, destructive blurs to sandpaper-slow molasses dirges. Elements of hardcore, metal, grind and sludge are all present within the Benümb sound, while every lyric is conveyed with agonizing conviction. Songs such as the shocking Agony 1 (:18) and the oh-so-sudden Agony 2(:05) show the grinding ferocity of the band, while tracks like Stood Up and Sold Out and Deprivation reveal an overwhelming other side. The inner-sleeve of this release shows the respect and dedication to the Underground scene Benümb is so happy to be a part of as the band has listed the contact information to 101 of their favorite bands.
Benümb haven't lost sight of the D.I.Y. beliefs they continue to follow. Rather, they're expanding and strengthening...beyond recognition.
|
|  |
|
