Review: “Kill The Bliss” by Benevolent Like Quietus

Hailing from the cold, dark winter nights of Calgary, Canada Benevolent Like Quietus promise to bring forth a bounty of brooding, Goth Rock-influenced Melodic Metal. Each song starts with Ryan Spencer (drums) who writes the music on guitar and together with Daniel Louden (vocals) put together the basic guitar and vocal structures before being worked through by the rest of the band, Ty Frederick (guitar), Killian Murphy (bass), and Matt Springer (drums) for the final breath of life.

From synth infused start to “The Beginning of An End” the 90s sound stylings of Benevolent Like Quietus is very apparent with hints at the work of bands like Type O Negative and while Louden’s preference in this band at least is to offer up a predominantly clean vocal, he does have an unclean range which adds extra depth and texture to the sound. “My Favourite Enemy” occupies the same mid tempo chugging riffs as it’s predecessor with Louden elongating the final word of each phrasing to give it that sing-a-long ability. Frederick delivers a solo that lifts things and by the end they’ve delivered a Planet Rock radio hit, that you might hear on an afternoon show. Starting more energetically “The Great Divide” throws up a few surprises including the kind of verse structures that you might expect from Disturbed. The chorus remains distinctly Benevolent Like Quietus and when Louden offers up an unclean roar, you might find yourself wanting more. He offers that with the final lines but a full verse or chorus would have gone down a treat. “Soil of The Grave” returns of a melodic Goth tingled sentiment with an infinite sadness quality to it. Lyrically speaking of those we have loved and lost its another lit up by its solo.

Pre-release single “The Rise and The Fall” has arguably the best riff on the record and is a stand out moment from start to finish with a big chorus and solidly constructed verses. Louden delivers another unclean moment on this one as well, which adds a certain grit and power to it. A band like this covering a song like “Mad World” by Tears For Fears is perhaps a little bit of a predictable choice and it’s a song already well covered elsewhere so Benevolent Like Quietus invite on themselves a certain amount of pressure to deliver a version that stands up not only to the original but also to the other takes on it. They do this by making their take a more Metal version in subtle ways. Spencer delivers a stand out Metal kit performance. Louden croons and roars when it takes him and it elevates the track. It’s actually one that gets better as it plays through and ends up being another stand out moment, despite the odds being stacked against it. “Where Dead Hearts Reside” has been around for a couple of years now and is a story of a broken relationship that pushes and pulls apart without being too sentimental or wishy washy and you might be surprised hear, has a couple of breakdown sections in it. “Loves Inferno” on the other hand lives in a brighter guitar sound with some interesting lead parts breaking out of the otherwise slightly one paced riffs. It might have worked as a closing song but sandwiched between two of the stand out songs it leaves something to be desired.

Single “Dawn Of Rust” steps away from the previous cut almost straight away and echoes A Pale Horse Named Death in its gloriously introspective yet relatable lyrics. Its the kind of song that belongs on the Sons Of Anarchy sound track with its driving qualities. “Darkness Collides” is another story of a broken relationship with hints of a Nick Cave influence while having a bigger guitar sound. The introduction of “A Voluntary Disease” my leave you thinking you’ve been zapped into some Saliva but by the time the chorus hits there’s no doubting which band this is. A freer feeling track with more experimentation it may have been better pushed higher up the order in the album as it’s another stand out moment with some slack stringed bass and a very 1999 main riff [7/10]

Track listing

1. The Beginning of An End (4:04)
2. My Favourite Enemy (4:24)
3. The Great Divide (3:42)
4. Soil of The Grave (4:42)
5. The Rise and The Fall (4:21)
6. Mad World (Tears For Fears cover) (4:49)
7. Where Dead Hearts Reside (3:40)
8. Love’s Inferno (4:38)
9. Dawn of Rust (4:42)
10. Darkness Collides (3:31)
11. A Voluntary Disease (3:27)

“Kill The Bliss” by Benevolent Like Quietus is out 13th March