When you’re a big enough fan of a band, even live albums will excite you. In many cases, live albums are an excuse to just put something out there for a quick cash grab or to fulfill contractual obligations to a record label. In the case of Morbid Angel, it was probably a way to get the letter “E” out of the way. But there are some live records that are worth seeking out, and this is certainly the case for Hulder‘s latest release.
Benighted in Blood was recorded at a show in Baltimore in the spring of 2022, and brings a special flavor of darkness for those with a particular stylistic palette. Most of the material is from the Godlastering album, but the demo-era anthems, “Unholy Divine” and “Bestial Form of Humanity,” are present as well. The recording lends a stronger and more professional quality to the demo-era tracks, but is raw enough to give the album-based songs some extra bite. In other words, it splits the difference between the two in a way that makes it a great introduction to Hulder’s music.
And she’s holding a candelabra on the cover. It has to be legit (I imagine it’s a subtle tribute to Dead’s famous visage on Live in Leipzig).
Stream the album below. There was a cassette release of 80 copies, but of course it sold out right away.
