Following in the footsteps of such legendary bands as Warrior, Rough Cutt and Psychotic Waltz, BENEDICTUM are San Diego, California’s latest and mightiest ambassadors to the world of heavy metal.
Conjuring the power and mystique of early Rainbow and classic Savatage yet forging a sound that is uniquely their own, BENEDICTUM’s stylish, epic brand of metal delivers on all fronts: Awesome riffing, fierce rhythms, strong melodies, shredding leads and delicate textures converge at the crossroads of tradition and 21st century innovation topped off by what is truly one of the most extraordinary voices in metal, courtesy of Veronica Freeman, whose pipes have to be heard to be believed.
BENEDICTUM came to the attention of Dio guitarist Craig Goldy who was impressed enough with what he heard that he turned the group on to long-time friend and former band mate, Jeff Pilson (ex-Dokken, Dio). Equally blown away by the bands raw talent and untapped potential, Pilson took on the role of producer and recorded BENEDICTUM at his Los Angeles area studio, with ZuZu Recording production partner, former Warlock bassist Tommy Henriksen, sharing mixing duties.
The result of this collaboration was the incredible debut CD “UNCREATION”. Selected by Classic Rock magazine UK as one of the top bands to watch in 2006 and now selected by Rock Hard Germany and Classic Rock UK as one of the top 50 albums of 2006, BENEDICTUM are laying it down in a big way! After coming off of a successful tour with the legendary Doro Pesch, BENEDICTUM followed up with "Seasons Of Tragedy" produced by Jeff Pilson.
Prior to commencing work on their third album, Dominion, the band underwent significant lineup changes with only core members Veronica Freeman and Pete Wells remaining. Benedictum would also leave their original record company, Locomotive Music, and sign a new deal with Frontiers Records.Due to Jeff Pilson's commitments with Foreigner, main producing duties for the new album were handled by Grammy Award winning engineer/producer, Ryan Greene, whose credits include Megadeth and NOFX. Pilson and Craig Goldy would make guest appearances on the album as did legendary bassist Rudy Sarzo on the song "Bang". Continuing the tradition of covering at least one cover track on each album, the band cut "Overture" / "The Temples of Syrinx" / "Grand Finale" off of 2112 by Rush, which is featured as a bonus track.
New members Rikard Stjernquist (ex-Jag Panzer) on drums and Aric Avina on bass were recruited in 2012 to record their latest album Obey, released in November 2013.
Performers:
Veronica Freeman – vocals
Pete Wells – guitar
Aric Avina – bass
Rikard Stjernquist – drums
Studio albums
Uncreation (2006)
Seasons of Tragedy (2008)
Dominion (2011)
Obey (2013)
Heaven And Hell
Benedictum Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're a singer
Do me a wrong
You're a bringer of evil
The devil is never a maker
The less that you give, you're a taker
So it's on and on and on
Oh well
The lover of life's not a sinner
The ending is just a beginner
The closer you get to the meaning
The sooner you know that you're dreaming
So it's on and on and on
Oh it's on and on and on
It goes on and on and on
Heaven and hell
I can tell
Fool, fool
Well if it seems to be real it's illusion
For every moment of truth there's confusion in life
Love can be seen as the answer
But nobody bleeds for the dancer
And it's on and on
On and on and on
They say that life's a carousel
Spinning fast, you've got to ride it well
The world is full of kings and queens
Who blind your eyes and steal your dreams
It's heaven and hell
Oh well
They'll tell you black is really white
The moon is just the sun at night
And when you walk through golden halls
You get to keep the gold that falls
It's heaven and hell
Fool, fool
You've got to bleed for the dancer
Fool, fool
Look for the answer
Fool, fool, fool
It's heaven and hell
The lyrics to Benedictum's song Heaven and Hell are packed with philosophical insights and warnings about the nature of existence. The first stanza gives us a warning about the nature of evil; a singer can just as easily bring about evil as do good. Furthermore, the devil is never one who creates, so if we are constantly taking from others without giving, we are practicing evil. This theme of good versus evil is repeated in the chorus, which emphasizes the never-ending battle between heaven and hell.
However, the next stanza gives us some hope, stating that the lover of life is not necessarily a sinner. Instead, the end of one thing is merely the beginning of another, and if we search for the true meaning of life, we may realize that everything is just a dream. This theme of illusion versus truth is repeated throughout the song, as well as the idea that love may hold the answers to our deepest questions, but no one seems willing to sacrifice for it. Finally, the last stanza speaks of the deception of the world, where kings and queens blind us to the truth of our existence, and we are forced to live in a never-ending cycle of heaven and hell.
Overall, Benedictum's song Heaven and Hell provides a powerful commentary on the nature of existence and warns us of the dangers of apathy and falsehood. It encourages us to search for the meaning behind everything we experience and never stop asking questions, even if the answers we find are uncomfortable.
Line by Line Meaning
Sing me a song
Please entertain me with your music
You're a singer
You have a talent for singing
Do me a wrong
If you harm me or someone else
You're a bringer of evil
Then you are a harbinger of bad things to come
The devil is never a maker
The devil is not capable of creating anything good
The less that you give, you're a taker
If you only take and never give, you are a taker
So it's on and on and on
The cycle repeats endlessly
It's heaven and hell
Life is full of moments of joy and despair
Oh well
An acknowledgement that life goes on, regardless of the circumstances
The lover of life's not a sinner
Someone who enjoys life is not necessarily a bad person
The ending is just a beginner
When something ends, it is often the start of something new
The closer you get to the meaning
The more you try to understand something
The sooner you know that you're dreaming
The faster you realize that what you thought was real was just an illusion
Oh it's on and on and on
The cycle of life repeats
It goes on and on and on
Life persists despite its ups and downs
I can tell
The artist is aware of life's cyclical nature
Fool, fool
A warning that someone is acting foolishly
Well if it seems to be real it's illusion
What appears to be real may not be true or lasting
For every moment of truth there's confusion in life
Truth can be difficult to grasp amidst the chaos of life
Love can be seen as the answer
Love is often considered a solution to life's problems
But nobody bleeds for the dancer
People might appreciate the beauty of an art form, but not the pain of the person behind it
They say that life's a carousel
People compare life to a merry-go-round
Spinning fast, you've got to ride it well
Life moves quickly and one must learn to keep up
The world is full of kings and queens
Society is full of influential people who have a lot of power
Who blind your eyes and steal your dreams
Those powerful people can manipulate and deceive you
They'll tell you black is really white
People in power can distort reality and make you question your own understanding
The moon is just the sun at night
Something that seems different at first glance might actually be similar to something else
And when you walk through golden halls
When you are in a position of wealth and privilege
You get to keep the gold that falls
You are rewarded for your accomplishments or position of power
You've got to bleed for the dancer
Achieving something great often requires great sacrifice
Look for the answer
A call to search for a solution to a problem
Fool, fool, fool
A repeated warning against foolishness
Contributed by David H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@mattlucas4046
1,000,000 DEVIL HORNZ IN THE DAMN AIR!! RONNIE JAMES DIO WOULD LOVE THIS SO MUCH. VERY WELL DONE!
@Templarofsteel18
realy a good cover, R.I.P the ture metal lord Ronnie James Dio!
@BEESHMASTER5000
dio isn't dead, he just found a new body!!!
@papafreitas
woooooooooooowwwww... first time Ive ever heard this band... im speechless
@timhoovermusicman
Pedro Freitas me too!
@wmehar2
definitely liking this cover
@NMRawker
Flippen awesome!
@HELLFIREV1
Awesome song.
@pauldanial
great cover \m/ RIP RJD \m/
@billc307
Awesome cover.