Deicide, a band whose story is rife with controversy and surprise, is back. Am I the only one who had heard 2008’s Till Death Do Us Part was their farewell release? Whatever…
It’s difficult to make any predictions before reviewing Deicide
record. The band is one of the founding pillars of death metal and has some undeniably seminal releases, but has also made it known that other parts of its catalog were purposeful rush jobs to satisfy label obligations. 2006’s
The Stench Of Redemption was a breath of fresh air (!) with newcomers to the lineup Jack Owen and Ralph Santolla adding amazingly well written solos and lead melodies to the old formula. Then came
Till Death Do Us Part, which if liner notes can be believed, had drummer Steve Asheim handling all rhythm guitar duties and bringing Owen and Santolla in only for choice solos. The result was that the album sounded like the Deicide of the 90s, which was a big disappointment after what Stench had introduced.
So here we are, 2011, a new decade, a new Deicide record. With no particular expectations, I hit play on this thing, and am immediately hit with crisp, clear, and brutal 21st century production. Is this Deicide? Yes it is. Not only is it Deicide, it’s the band that put out The Stench Of Redemption, on steroids (again?), and with a clear vision of what they need to get back to the top of the pack.
Although the production is really what stands out the most at first, (clear guitars, not-so-overbearing vocals), the songwriting is also a cut above standard Deicide. Sometimes in death metal, especially with the older bands who come from the “play it faster even if you can’t play it” generation, things get muddled. On To Hell With God, the riffs complement each other instead of becoming a string of the same old, and Benton’s vocal patterns are catchy rather than monotonous.
The more I listen to it, the more I realize that this album could be used as a mixing case study for beginning metal sound engineers. The instruments are all perfectly audible and nestled within their own frequencies so that the kick is not hidden under the guitars, the bass is not hidden under the kick, and so on. At any point you can isolate any one element, which makes for new discoveries with repeated listens.
The old guard of death metal is alive and well. If you’re up for a hearty serving of brutality with a side of hilarious “Satanic” lyrics, check this one out.
01. To Hell with God
02. Save Your
03. Witness of Death
04. Conviction
05. Empowered by Blasphemy
06. Angels in Hell
07. Hang in Agony Until You're Dead
08. Servant of the Enemy
09. Into the Darkness You Go
10. How Can You Call Yourself a God
