Ever since their impressive debut release “Uncreation,” I have anxiously been awaiting the sophomore release from the San Diego metal band who call themselves BENEDICTUM. When I first heard and reviewed the band, I had said that I believed they would be a force to be reckoned with in the future and I am happy to say that with the release of “Seasons Of Tragedy,” I was right! Never straying far from their roots or precedent set by their original, “ Seasons Of Tragedy” once again unleashes another powerful, epic-metal gem following in the footsteps as such artists as ACCEPT, DIO, JUDAS PRIEST and SAVATAGE.

Reunited again with producer Jeff Pilson, “Seasons Of Tragedy” picks up right where “Uncreation” left off with its grinding melodies, sharp, rich guitar solos and, of course, the supreme, unwonted vocals of lead singer Veronica Freeman. Damn can this woman sing (and scream) her ASS OFF! Dynamic, sexy, pungent… this girl has it all! And what an incredible set of… LUNGS, yes… LUNGS on this beauty! And if all that’s not enough to keep you interested, as with “Uncreation,” “Seasons Of Tragedy" also employs the expertise of some very special guests including George Lynch (DOKKEN/ LYNCH MOB), Craig Goldy (DIO), Manni Schmidt (GRAVE DIGGER) and even Jeff Pilson (DOKKEN), himself getting in on the act this time around.

After a short instrumental piece entitled “Dawn of Seasons,” “ Seasons Of Tragedy" goes right for the throat with the harsh, raunchy “Shell Shock.” Its angry, aggressive melody leads into the best guitar solo on the release and really grabs the listener with enough force to almost rip your ears off. This is followed up by the double-bass drum driven “Burn It Out” with its slight DIO-ish feel and more melodic chorus.

As “ Seasons Of Tragedy” presses on, you will bear witness to the slower, grinding “Bare Bones” (which also features a really nice melodic bridge leading into the strong chorus), another double-bass drum driven feature called “Within The Solace” which continues on at that slower, grinding pace… hard-edged rockers like “Nobodies Victim” and “Legacy” and the faster, heavy, JUDAS PRIEST feeling “Beast In the Field.”

“Steel Rain” is interesting because of its ballady, mystical feel and finds Veronica toning it down a bit accentuating her softer, smoother side which she has rarely shown before. This continues on into the title track “Seasons Of Tragedy” which, over the course of eleven minutes, builds back up into those harsher, powerful swells which have become more of her trademark. And lest I forget, as with “Uncreation,” “Seasons Of Tragedy” also includes a cover tune and finds the band tackling ACCEPT’s “Balls To The Wall” this time around. Not the kind of song you’d think a female vocalist could easily pull off but let me tell ya, BENEDICTUM delivers a version more than worthy of the original.

“Seasons Of Tragedy” is another great release from one of San Diego’s best. This is an absolute MUST have for any fans of bands like ACCEPT, DIO, Doro or anyone who appreciates real, heavy, old-school metal! Great to see ya back and hopefully your tour will find its way to the East Coast this time around.