Deicide - Deicide
Roadrunner Records
Death Metal
10 songs (33:35)
Release year: 1990
Deicide, Roadrunner Records
Reviewed by Goat

Although Deicide is in many ways rather a joke these days, a good percentage of the Metal community disinterestedly turning their backs on Benton and Asheim after the former didn’t kill himself at the age of 33 after promising that he would (surely one of the most silliest things to hold against anyone, ever!) the fact remains that they are one of the most important Death Metal bands in existence. Whatever you think of their later output, Deicide are elder statesmen of Death Metal, highly influential and more than worth listening to for any devotee of the genre. Let’s face it, they may have released some below-par albums here and there, but going back to 1990 there’s very little to be said against their self-titled debut. Taking the Thrashy Death standard and injecting into it an intense, hateful atmosphere created by one of the best harsh vocalists ever, Deicide is a landmark in Death Metal and a vital purchase for everyone reading.

Of course, it helps that each and every song present is simply kickass. Being harsh, the Hoffman brothers may not have been capable of solos that weren’t stolen from the Slayer handbook at this point yet they could certainly crank out the brutal, intense riffage, and the album is driven by their sound. It’s surprising how good the songwriting is, too; the hellish gate slamming that kicks off Lunatic Of God’s Creation is followed by simply excellent riffing, Benton’s animalistic grunts and growls... it’s brutally catchy, and sticks in your head wonderfully. I still get chills down my spine when Benton roars “There is darkness in his eyes/And you will see it before you die” – whatever you think of Satanism, the intensity here is unbelievable. And there’s not a weak song from then on! The controversial Sacrificial Suicide, the ripping Oblivious To Evil, the all-but-Grind of Dead By Dawn... Deicide is packed full of classic, memorable songs that are still almost perfect examples of Death Metal nearly twenty years later.

The production is pretty excellent, shadowing the bass but highlighting the atmospheric element to the band’s sound and making the drums sound amazing. Gun nut Asheim’s battery is technically brilliant even at this early stage, although he’s more famous for being suspected of bank robbery than his drumming. The main focus of most people’s attention when considering Deicide is, however, Benton himself, and even if his layered shrieks and growls may have been enhanced in the studio (live clips I’ve seen have all been impressive, he’s certainly got ability) it doesn’t stop them being extremely effective. His hellish lead drives the band onwards and never ceases to be shockingly intense whilst the lyrics are surprisingly clear and understandable.

Although Satanism and extreme opposition to Christianity is long past cliché these days, you have to admire Deicide for sticking to their guns so spectacularly. Yes, deliberately releasing two sub-par albums has severely damaged their standing, but the fact remains that in 1990 this was the most brutal thing around in Death Metal, and it still holds up today for sheer intensity and passion. Death Metal, after all, is not a shifting current, is not something that changes itself often – like Thrash Metal, there’s a reason the likes of you and I keep returning to it, and that addiction to heaviness is more than fulfilled by Deicide, an album that can truly be summed up by the simple words: if you don’t own it, you’re not into Death Metal. Absolutely vital, and still in my opinion the band’s greatest work.

Killing Songs :
Lunatic Of God’s Creation, Sacrificial Suicide, Oblivious To Evil, Dead By Dawn, etc
Goat quoted CLASSIC
Other albums by Deicide that we have reviewed:
Deicide - Overtures of Blasphemy reviewed by Goat and quoted 70 / 100
Deicide - Legion reviewed by Tony and quoted 94 / 100
Deicide - To Hell With God reviewed by Tony and quoted 90 / 100
Deicide - Serpents Of The Light reviewed by Goat and quoted 81 / 100
Deicide - Till Death Do Us Part reviewed by Dylan and quoted 62 / 100
To see all 10 reviews click here
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