Benediction

Photo: S. Bollmann / Wikimedia Commons, Attribution

CountryUnited Kingdom
Formed1989
StatusActive
GenreDeath metal
LabelNuclear Blast

Benediction are the Birmingham death metal band who came out of the late 1980s British underground with Subconscious Terror and Transcend the Rubicon. Formed in 1989 by guitarists Darren Brookes and Peter Rew, they have released nine studio albums, most recently Ravage of Empires in 2025.

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Benediction was formed in Birmingham in 1989 by guitarists Darren Brookes and Peter Rew. Their first vocalist was Mark “Barney” Greenway, who recorded the debut Subconscious Terror (1990) with the band before joining Napalm Death in 1990.

Dave Ingram replaced Greenway and sang on The Grand Leveller (1991), Transcend the Rubicon (1993), The Dreams You Dread (1995) and Grind Bastard (1998). In March 1998 he left to join Bolt Thrower, and Dave Hunt took over vocals for Organised Chaos (2001) and Killing Music (2008).

In July 2019 Ingram rejoined after Hunt’s departure. Scriptures, released by Nuclear Blast on 16 October 2020, was the band’s first studio album in twelve years and reached number 11 in the German charts. The ninth studio album, Ravage of Empires, was released by Nuclear Blast on 4 April 2025. In May 2026 Ingram announced that arthritis was forcing him to withdraw as vocalist, and the band has covered shows with fill-in singers, among them Oscar Rilo, Dave Hunt and Massacre’s Kam Lee.

Current line-up: Darren Brookes (guitar), Peter Rew (guitar), Giovanni Durst (drums)