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. During the 2001 recording sessions, Benighted moved towards a more technical form of death metal and released their second album, Psychose, in 2003. For the subsequent touring, Remy Aubrespin took over on bass.
The band entered studio in late 2004, without a bassist. After the 2004 release of Insane Cephalic Production, bassist Eric Lombard joined as a new member. Benighted subsequently toured throughout Europe with Morbid Angel, Deicide and Fear Factory among others.