Given Black Bow Records increasingly prestigious reputation as one of the premier doom labels out there right now it's a little surprising to hear the death and roll magic of The Bendal Interlude resonating out of their camp. That being said – something about the bands new record The Reign Of The Unblinking Eye makes me feel that these guys will fit in very nicely alongside modern day masters like Un and Slomatics. Brainy, unique, and inspirational these guys crunch forward with a wonderful sense of what makes their music click, and crush the listener with every flashing chord and groovy melodic line.
What makes The Bendal Interlude so fascinating to me is that these guys have an undeniable sense of swing. The devastating progressions on a track like 'Pint of Bodies' are certainly laden with doom, but the way they are played – especially in regards to the drumming, makes them oddly danceable. This balance of dark and light seems almost perverse at times. It allows you to enter a demented reality and achieve a deeper understanding for what the band is capable of doing. They invoke all sorts of weird and unpredictable emotions – because that's exactly what their music is. The Reign Of The Unblinking Eye is perhaps the first record I have ever heard that can give you both a taste of Motorhead as well as old school Darkthrone – and often in the space of the same song.
Of course – this simply means that The Bendal Interlude have been able to carve out a sound that is entirely their own. Obviously there are other death and roll bands out there, but The Bendal Interlude seem pretty deadset on doing their own thing. With heavy psych vibes interwoven with drum beats reminiscent of Clive Burr all running underneath some truly twisted growls you start to find yourself wandering across unique musical territory – certainly not stuff for the faint of heart. The Bendal Interlude know what it means to push the boundaries and open minds – that's what they do best. And as their lead singer belts out wonderfully despairing cries on tracks like 'Triumph of Fortitudo' it becomes increasingly difficult to deny that this band is on to something special. What it is – I can't quite say – but they certainly are ready to make you suffer.
It's a weird and exciting time for metal these days and The Bendal Interlude is a great example as to why. They are doing things that have never before been properly explored, giving a fun dancy feel to some pretty darn chunky death metal riffs and letting it simmer in a stew made up of the bands semi-apparent wealth of influences. Music that will get you raising your fist to the sky and screaming along to every devastating chorus and grooving to every cleansing breakdown it's hard not to fall in love with The Reign Of The Unblinking Eye on first listen – not just for what it is, but for what it represents, and perhaps even for what it hints at for the future of the band.
Score: 8.5/10
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