Deicide is an American death metal band from Tampa, Florida. Formed in 1987 by drummer/composer Steve Asheim and guitarist brothers Eric and Brian Hoffman as "Carnage", then hiring bassist/vocalist/lyricist Glen Benton and becoming "Amon". They changed the band name to Deicide in 1989.[1] The band rose to mainstream success in 1992 with their second album Legion,[2] and is credited as the second-best-selling death metal band of the Soundscan Era, after Cannibal Corpse.[3]
Since their debut album in 1990, Deicide has released thirteen studio albums, one live album, two compilation albums and two live DVDs. In November 2003, their first two albums, Deicide and Legion, were ranked second and third place respectively in best-selling death metal albums of the SoundScan era.[3] Deicide is known for their lyrics, which cover topics such as Satanism, anti-Christianity and blasphemy. Their lyrics have resulted in bans, lawsuits and criticism from religious groups and the general public.
History
Formation and early years (1987–1989)
Bassist and vocalist Glen Benton is one of the two constant members of Deicide.
Deicide was formed in Tampa, Florida on July 21, 1987, after guitarist Brian Hoffman called Glen Benton, replying to an advertisement the latter had placed in a local music magazine. Hoffman and his brother, along with drummer Steve Asheim, had previously played together as the band "Carnage", which was in need of a bassist and vocalist.[4] Carnage played cover songs by Slayer, Exodus, Celtic Frost and Dark Angel.[5]
The new band, called Amon, consisted of Benton (bass and vocals), Hoffman, Hoffman's brother Eric (guitars) and Steve Asheim (drums).[6] Within a month, they had recorded the Feasting the Beast8-track demo in Benton's garage and had started playing the occasional gig in the Tampa area. [7] In 1989, Amon recorded their second demo, Sacrificial, at Morrisound with producer Scott Burns.
Malevolent Creation guitarist Phil Fasciana recalls an early Carnage show: "It was like Slayer intensified a thousand times." "I guess Carnage had hollowed out a mannequin and filled it with fuckin' blood and guts from a butcher shop... and then they threw the fuckin' thing on the floor. Morbid Angel had these pit bulls with them back then and they were just tearing the meat up. It was a really weird scene, man. There was blood and meat everywhere."[8]
As Deicide (1989–2004)
Drummer Steve Asheim is one of the two constant members of Deicide.
While still under the name Carnage, Benton reportedly stormed into Roadrunner Records' A&R man Monte Conner's office and slammed the demo down on his desk,[9] belting out "sign us, you fucking asshole!" The next day contracts were issued to the band.[10] This version of events was partially later denied by Benton, who claimed he indeed visited the office but never used profanities.[11] In 1989 the band's name was changed to Deicide at the request of Roadrunner Records due to multiple other bands already using "Carnage" as a band name.[citation needed]
Deicide then released their self-titled debut album, also produced by Scott Burns at Morrisound, in 1990.[12] Their debut featured re-recorded versions of all six of the Sacrificial tunes that had secured them their record deal.
Both the Hoffman brothers tended to play technical solos at fast speeds and with overlapping riffs, which gave Deicide the definitive heavy sound and complex song structures. This lineup remained intact until November 25, 2004, in the wake of increasing animosity between Glen Benton and the Hoffmans allegedly in regards to royalties and publishing.[13] The Hoffman brothers later went on to reform Amon.
Post-Hoffman brothers period (2004–present)
Guitarist Jack Owen joined Deicide in 2004, replacing the Hoffman brothers, and remained as a member of the band until 2016.
Shortly after, the guitar roles were then filled by former Cannibal Corpse guitarist Jack Owen, and Vital Remains guitarist Dave Suzuki. Following the tour, Suzuki was replaced by guitarist Ralph Santolla. Santolla stated he was a Catholic, which had received a small amount of shock and ridicule from some metal fans. In spite of this, Deicide's eighth studio album The Stench of Redemption, which was released on August 22, 2006, received rave reviews.[14][15][16][17]
In January 2007, Benton left the European tour and returned home to the United States as a result of legal issues at home. Asheim announced that Seth van Loo, from opening act Severe Torture, and Garbaty "Yaha", from the Polish death metal band Dissenter, would be replacing Benton starting on January 9 in the Netherlands, until Benton could rejoin the tour. Benton rejoined the band in Paris on January 13.[18][19] On May 24, 2007, it was announced Ralph Santolla had left Deicide.[20] Subsequently, he joined Florida's Obituary and appeared on their album Xecutioner's Return as well as the tour. On July 20, 2007, guitarist Jack Owen announced that Deicide would be "on hiatus" and he had joined Ohio based death/thrash combo Estuary for touring purposes.[21] The band embarked on a Balkan tour, dubbed "Balkans AssassiNation Tour", in October 2007 alongside Krisiun, Incantation and Inactive Messiah.
By November 2007, Deicide began work on their ninth studio album at Florida's Morrisound Studios. Entitled Till Death Do Us Part, the follow-up to The Stench of Redemption, promised to be the band's "most savage and aggressive [offering] to date", according to a press release. Drummer Steve Asheim recorded drum tracks and Benton started recording vocals in December 2007.[22] In April 2008, two songs off the album were posted online.[23] It was finally released on April 28, 2008. As the record was coming out, Benton considered retiring from music, in the midst of personal matters including a custody battle.[24]
Guitarist Kevin Quirion has occasionally been a member of Deicide since 2008.
On January 6, 2009, Deicide posted a blog on their official Myspace page saying they had signed a worldwide record deal with Century Media, with Ralph Santolla returning to the band for a European tour. They were said to be working on material for a summer 2010 release. In early 2009, they toured with Vital Remains and Order of Ennead. Guitarist Kevin Quirion of Order of Ennead joined the band in the summer of 2009.
In June 2010, Glen Benton revealed that the next Deicide album was to be titled To Hell with God.[25] It was produced by Mark Lewis at Audiohammer Studios in Sanford, Florida, and was released on February 15, 2011. The eleventh studio album In the Minds of Evil was released on November 26, 2013.[26]
In November 2016, it was apparent that guitarist Jack Owen was no longer in the band and had been replaced by Monstrosity guitarist Mark English without an official announcement.[27][28][29] Owen went on to join Six Feet Under in February 2017.[30]
On October 9, 2014, The Village Voice reported that Deicide had started working on new material for their twelfth studio album.[31] On March 10, 2017, Deicide announced a short U.S. tour which would begin in May and also issued an update on the album: "the new record is almost completed, right now its down to scheduling, this run of shows were setting up is to introduce and work in our new guitarist Mark English, that and I need a break from this thing called Florida…".[32] The album titled Overtures of Blasphemy was released on September 14, 2018.[33]
On June 6, 2018, former guitarist Ralph Santolla died due to complications following a heart attack and was taken off life support since being in a coma for a week.[34]
In February 2019, Deicide parted ways with Mark English and replaced him with Autumn's End vocalist/guitarist Chris Cannella.[35]
On April 17, 2021, the band performed in front of an audience of full capacity at The Verona in New Port Richey amid the COVID-19 pandemic, as all restrictions for businesses were lifted and mask mandate enforcements for local cities in Florida were removed as the state was moved into Stage 3 in late September 2020.[36] A U.S. tour followed soon after, with Kataklysm, Internal Bleeding and Begat the Nephilim.[37]
On January 19, 2022, Chris Cannella left the band and was replaced by new guitarist Taylor Nordberg.[38] The thirteenth album Banished by Sin was released through Reigning Phoenix Music on April 26, 2024.[39] It was the album of the month on metallian.com. [40] The band was touring Europe.
Music journalist T Coles assessed, "though few would accuse Deicide of having pop sensibilities, there was something fun and catchy about them. This is in part thanks to Glen Benton's vocals; individual words are barked out, retaining the evil vibe, and the staccato delivery builds tension before breaking it back down with chaotic guitar solos."[48]
The guitar tone choices of the Hoffman brothers heard on early Deicide releases have been described as "super fizzer". According to Zeke Ferrington of Gear Gods, "It sounds like they plugged their pedals into a BBE Sonic Maximizer, then straight into the desk with a HPF at 800hz and an upper mid boost."[49]
Controversy and censorship
Deicide has received considerable controversy relating to their albums and lyrics, which include vehement anti-Christian themes, such as "Death to Jesus", "Fuck Your God", "Kill the Christian", "Behead the Prophet" and "Scars of the Crucifix", "Christ Don't Care" and among others. Drummer Asheim said, "The whole point of Satanic music is to blaspheme against the Church", "I don't believe in or worship a devil. Life is short enough without having to waste it doing this whole organised praying, hoping, wishing-type thing on some superior being".[50]
Early interviews
Most of the controversy surrounded frontman Benton for a rash of shocking interviews and wild statements. Benton has repeatedly branded an inverted cross into his forehead on at least 12 different occasions.[51] During an interview with NME magazine, he shot and killed a squirrel with a pellet gun to prevent any further damage to his electrical system in the attic at the location the interview was held. This act garnered negative attention from critics and some animal rights activists. Benton had professed beliefs in theistic Satanism during Deicide's early years, claimed to slaughter rodents for fun, and that he held beliefs in demonic possession and that he was possessed.[52] Such statements had eventually been concluded as tongue-in-cheek and little more than sensationalism by band members questioned alternatively.[53] Additionally, Benton claimed in the early 1990s that he would commit suicide at the age of 33 to "mirror" a lifespan opposite that of Jesus Christ. However, he passed that age in 2000 and did not commit suicide, rebutting in 2006 that these statements had been "asinine remarks" and that "only cowards and losers" choose to kill themselves.[53]
Bans
Deicide has been banned from playing in several venues (such as Valparaiso, Chile over a promotional poster featuring Jesus Christ with a bullet hole in his forehead[54]) and with various festivals such as Hellfest, after several graves had been spray-painted with "When Satan Rules His World", a reference to a song from Deicide's 1995 album Once upon the Cross. In addition, their music video for "Homage for Satan", which features blood-splattered zombies on a rampaging mission to capture a priest, was banned from UK music TV channel Scuzz.[55]
Stockholm club bombing incident
In 1992, Deicide was on tour in Europe with Atrocity from Germany and Gorefest, a Dutch death metal band. In Stockholm, during the Gorefest set, a bomb was discovered on-stage.[56] It exploded in the club in which they were playing. The bomb was located to the rear of the stage, behind a heavy, fireproof door. The explosion was big enough to deform the door and blow it off its hinges. Deicide managed to play three songs before the police decided to stop the concert and evacuate the club. At first, Benton blamed that attack on the Norwegian black metal scene, where Deicide's brand of death metal was despised by some. Many people blamed animal rights activists who were angered at Deicide's lyrical themes of animal sacrifice.[57]
Animal remains
Deicide caused controversy when Benton tossed rotting animal meat into the crowd. Benton commented:
“I didn’t think playing shows with rotting meat as part of our set-up was gonna cause that much of a shitstorm. Within three shows of that stuff I had the authorities bearing down on me, so it was a very short-lived moment in Deicide history.”[58]
Band members
Current members
Steve Asheim – drums (1987–present), guitars (2007–2008, 2018)
Jack Owen is an American guitarist and a member of the death metal band Six Feet Under. He was one of the founding members of Cannibal Corpse. He also had a stint with Deicide—another influential and long-running Florida death metal band—with whom he recorded four albums.. In 2007, Owen played shows with Adrift before joining Order of Ennead at times when their guitarist, John Li, was unavailable.
Scars of the Crucifix is the seventh studio album by Florida death metal band Deicide, released on February 23, 2004, as the band's first album on Earache Records.
Glen Michael Benton is an American musician, best known as the lead vocalist, lyricist and bassist for the Florida death metal band Deicide.
Deicide is the debut album by Florida death metal band Deicide. It was released on June 25, 1990, by Roadrunner Records. The album contains all of their demo tracks, plus the songs "Deicide" and "Mephistopheles".
Legion is the second album by American death metal band Deicide, released on June 9, 1992 by Roadrunner Records.
Once upon the Cross is the third studio album by Florida death metal band Deicide. It was released on April 17, 1995, by Roadrunner Records.
Serpents of the Light is the fourth full-length album by Florida death metal band Deicide. It was released on October 21, 1997, by Roadrunner Records.
Amon: Feasting the Beast is a compilation album by Florida death metal band Deicide. It was released in 1993 by Roadrunner Records. It is a compilation of the two demos the band released when they were called Amon.
Insineratehymn is the fifth studio album by Florida death metal band Deicide, released on June 27, 2000 through Roadrunner Records.
In Torment in Hell is the sixth studio album by Florida death metal band Deicide. It was released on September 25, 2001, on Roadrunner Records.
The Stench of Redemption is the eighth studio album by Florida death metal band Deicide. It is the first album by the band to feature Jack Owen and Ralph Santolla on guitars. Some editions of the album include a cover of "Black Night" by Deep Purple, with rewritten lyrics by Glen Benton.
Steven Kenneth Asheim is an American drummer and primary songwriter for the Florida death metal band Deicide. Asheim endorses Pearl, Paiste, Vater, Axis and is known to collect guns, which can be seen in Deicide's DVD When London Burns. Asheim also plays guitar on the album Till Death Do Us Part. On November 20, 2007, Asheim joined the St. Petersburg, Florida-based death/black metal band Council of the Fallen as their drummer.
Ralph Santolla was an Italian-American heavy metal guitarist. He played in many bands, most recently Deicide, but also including Eyewitness, Death, Millenium, Iced Earth, and the Sebastian Bach band. In 2007, he replaced Allen West in Obituary for their album Xecutioner's Return. Santolla was very proud of his Italian heritage and he played guitars by Jackson and Ibanez with the Italian flag painted on them. He most recently played Jackson Guitars, though he had also been associated with ESP Guitars, Dean Guitars and many others. He also used Randall Amplifiers. He was well known for his shred guitar playing style.
Till Death Do Us Part is the ninth studio album by American death metal band Deicide, released on April 28, 2008. This is the band's longest album, being 42 minutes long and presenting some doom metal influences. Initial copies of the album included a sew-on patch with an image of vocalist Glen Benton and the phrase "Glen Benton for President". The album was also released on several colours of vinyl in limited numbers. The artwork of the album cover is a segment of the painting Woman and Death (1518-1520) by Hans Baldung.
Doomsday L.A. is the second live DVD released by Deicide. It was released shortly after the Doomsday L.A. live EP was released on iTunes. The bonus material on the DVD includes interviews with the band members and the videos for "Homage For Satan" and "Desecration".
Order of Ennead is an American extreme metal band formed in Tampa, Florida. It includes two members of the death metal band Deicide, and the student of a former guitarist of the band. Order of Ennead have released two albums to date.
To Hell with God is the tenth studio album by American death metal band Deicide. The follow-up to Till Death Do Us Part (2008), it was originally intended to be released in 2009 before being pushed back to a 2010 release, and was finally released on February 21, 2011, through Century Media Records. It is the last Deicide album to feature guitarist Ralph Santolla, and the first not to be produced by drummer Steve Asheim since Scars of the Crucifix (2004); instead To Hell with God was produced by Mark Lewis. A claymation video for "Conviction" was released through Century Media's YouTube channel on February 27, 2012.
This is the discography of the American death metal band Deicide.
In the Minds of Evil is the eleventh studio album by American death metal band Deicide. It was released on November 25, 2013, by Century Media Records. It was the first album to feature guitarist Kevin Quirion and the last to feature guitarist Jack Owen. The album has been described as moving away from the melodic inclinations of the previous few albums and towards an "old school" death metal sound reminiscent of Legion.
Overtures of Blasphemy is the twelfth studio album by American death metal band Deicide. It was released on September 14, 2018, through Century Media Records.
↑ Prato, Greg. "The Stench of Redemption - Deicide". AllMusic. Retrieved October 25, 2011. "Despite the lineup juggle, Deicide's trademark extreme metal sound has remained intact, as evidenced throughout The Stench of Redemption."
↑ Herzebeth. "Deicide - The Stench Of Redemption review". Metal Storm. Retrieved October 25, 2011. "The Stench Of Redemption is one of the most intense experiences in modern metal [and] a masterpiece and it will surely become a classic record in the future;"
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