 Benighted was formed in Saint-Étienne, Rhône-Alpes, France, in May 1998 by vocalist Julien Truchan, guitarists Liem N'Guyen and Olivier Gabriel, drummer Fred Fayolle and bassist Chart.Their self-titled first album was self-released in 2000 and was a combination of death metal, black metal and grindcore.The following positive response earned the band a record deal with Adipocère Records in early 2001.