Metal Reviews
Metal Reviews
Deicide |
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are : Glen Benton on Vocals and Bass Eric Hoffman on Lead Guitar Brian Hoffman on Lead Guitar Steve Asheim on Drums The tracks are : 1. When Satan Rules His World 2. Blame It On God 3. Bastard Of Christ 4. They Are The Children Of The Underworld 5. Serpents Of The Light 6. Dead But Dreaming 7. Slave To The Cross 8. Lunatic Of Gods Creation 9. Oblivious To Evil 10. Once Upon The Cross 11. Believe The Lie 12. Trick Or Betrayed 13. Behind The Light Thou Shall Rise 14. Deicide 15. Father Baker's 16. Dead By Dawn 17. Sacrificial Suicide Since their inception in Florida 11 years ago controversy has never been far away from Deicide's door. Now as you probably all know by now the dark lord himself Mr. Glen Benton has really outspoken views on Christianity, which in turn has lead to numerous death threats and even bomb scares at venues where Deicide where booked to play. OK, I'm sure a lot of what Mr. Benton has said over the years has been twisted and taken out of context by the media, but with a reversed crucafix burned into his forehand and with songs such as 'Blame It On God', 'Slave To The Cross' and 'When Satan Rules His World' you don't need a high IQ to work out where Deicide stand on all matters of the religious nature. Deicide have built up a huge following over the years and have sold over three quarters of a million albums worldwide which shows a lot of people share their views. But they have also made many enemies as well with the most resistance coming from politically motivated religious groups and the far right, this in turn has made it very difficult for Deicide to play live with many venues refusing to book the band and some countries do not even allow the band to set foot on their shores. Well things have calmed down of late and this year Deicide did manage to make it out on the road and play shows across Europe, the UK and even in the US. When Satan Lives was recorded in August at their show at Chicago's House Of Blues, this 17 track opus is if you like a greatest hits live, with all of Deicide's albums 'Legion', Deicide', 'Once Upon The Cross' and 'Serpents Of The Light' (without doubt their best album to date), well represented the sound quality is spot on, with Glens vocals as harsh and evil as you'd expect and 'When Satan Lives' will if anything enhance Deicide's reputation as fine musicians and as live albums go this is as good as it gets. Whether you buy this or not depends on how far you follow Deicide's gospel, but for Deicide's dark legions of fans worldwide this simply is a must have. Released by Roadrunner Records Website : http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/ |
InsineratehymnDeicide |
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Well the first thing I thought interesting upon reading the press release here is that Glen Benton doesn't care-or doesn't give a fuck-if the band doesn't sell a million albums… and I'm thinking to myself, it'd be scary to think of them even coming close to a figure like that-I mean, can you imagine a million blasphemic bible bashers all preaching their message… oh my, what a world of terror and torment. But for the record, I think Deicide's place in the underground still remains safe after all these years! "When Satan Lives" was an absolutely ripping masterpiece of a live album and for some reason it seems like about fifteen years ago that it came out. "Insineratehymn" not only produces the reliable and gratuitous violence that's kept them aflame all these years, this modern day malevolence manages to even reinvent itself… albeit to a very subtle extent-as if getting your brains bashed in one more time again evokes subtlety! "Bible Basher," funny I should mention it earlier, is the lead track and here we're delving into uncharted territory with lyrics like words like, "Scum of Philosophy" and "Bash your Fucking Head in with the Book of his Insanity…" crude but effective. For over a decade this Floridian Death Metal deity has been spewing their anti-religious message to legions of loyal followers-and we'll assume they're don't all need to be associated with dark robes and nightly rituals… but seriously, there have been and may never be another to match the sheer magnitude or consistency of Deicide. "Insineratehymn" is fueled up and prepared to burn widely in the darkened minds of listeners-"Forever Hate You," "Standing in the Flames," two definites for the Falwell files! Satan most assuredly is the central theme here-lest anyone think they'd gone soft or something-but we find Mr. Benton taking the winged one in another context, less gratuitously it may be assumed and more a parallel to personal turmoil… and at no point anywhere throughout do we get the idea that this man's spent even a remotely pleasing moment with his life. "The Gift that Keeps on Giving" is almost like a midpoint break where the let up in tempo is sufficient to get the point across, and we may add "Suffer Again" which rides the rail of traditional riffing, before returning the brutality twice as bad in its concluding moment. What else can be said of Deicide? This is what they do-Death Metal, Devil, Desecration… they're a full service anti-Christ and this is their latest gospel of Christian putridity! Love 'em or hate 'em, they're place is long since secured in the underground, one way or the other, and fans will absolutely dig this one while those presently in control of their full mental faculties will do what would be expected and hastily proceed with the preaching and picketing… Released by Roadrunner
Records Review by Vinnie Apicella |
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In Torment In Hell Deicide |
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Since their brutal eponymous debut over a decade ago, Glen Benton's Florida four piece have not only set the standards of death metal but have continued to up the anti with each release, raising the levels of intensity and extremity in a genre that is as extreme and brutal as they come. Never content Benton and his cohorts Eric and Brian Hoffman on guitar and Steve Asheim on drums have once again plunged into new depths of noise terror for In Torment In Hell. With eight brand new songs packed tightly into just over 30 minutes of music this is truely an album without fillers and intense jacked up hit of brutality straight to the jugular. Even today after shocks of Deicide can be felt from the sound of hard core heavyweights Hatebreed through to the masked Slipknot. Deicide remain the bench mark in the genre. The title track of the album has an intro featuring the voice of the popular US evangelist, Bob Larson, the piece is taken from Larsons Talk Back with Bob radio show where Benton rang in to debate his non-christian beliefs on air. Benton calls Larson "my arch nemesis", Bob is heard telling Benton that when he himself dies Jesus will have a place set aside for him, to which Benton sarcastically retorts "great". Then he asks Benton where he expects to be when he dies and receives the reply "in torment in hell". I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall when this conversation took place but alas like most of us we'll just have to listen to the album instead and in true Deicide style this is eight tracks of pure non stop brutality and hatred that will ensure that the reputation that these four fun loving christian boys (ha ha) will remain in tact for a long time to come.
Released by Roadrunner Records Review by Andy Deicide - 'In Torment In Hell" (another review) A parting gift perhaps, from those thoughtful members of Florida's Deicide, to acknowledge their faithful followers as they embark on a new journey into darkness… It's probably fairly common knowledge for anyone who followed the band or Glen Benton in particular in his remarks a while back the band has sought to deliver their evil elsewhere, effectively severing the decade long cord with the label that first brought them into the world-yet we acknowledge, different place, different time, and Deicide with obviously plenty left to offer, an outcast among the living, will find a new welcome elsewhere likely in the bowels of an underground abyss where they may live comfortably among the likes of their own kind… and yet they aren't going out without a bang. Doubters should find security in the brief but biting comments of the bands' outspoken leader Glen Benton when he's quote as saying, "I like the fact that after all these years we're still underground… We don't give a fuck about selling a million records!" And unless the world suddenly goes straight to Hell in a hand basket, such a declaration will remain firmly uncontested. Deicide's place as Death Metal originators began over a decade ago and consistent to Benton's piercing vision, has remained unchanged some six or seven albums later. Theirs is a serial killer mentality
when they take their place within the studio, atop the stage, or amidst
the flames, the attitude's always the same and "In Torment
In Hell" is yet another testament to their devotion toward
eternal damnation-they make no bones about their religious beliefs
or lack thereof-"Christ Don't Care," "Imminent Doom," Each song, a measured strike into the heart of purity, as always, with the only shortcoming being the fact that the album contains only eight tracks that barely scan thirty minutes-and yet new listeners looking for something a bit more extreme than the Nu-Metal fare they've been served up, probably way more than you'll be able to digest anyway. Longtime fans will care less… yet another shard of flesh to devour! Suggested reading for any
and all comers: The lyrical booklet contained herein-aiding greatly
to have advance knowledge of the material to fully appreciate the
effects of the |