Deicide (band)

Deicide is an American death metal band formed in 1987 by drummer Steve Asheim and guitarist brothers Eric and Brian Hoffman as "Carnage", then hiring bassist/vocalist Glen Benton and becoming "Amon". They would later change the band name to Deicide in 1989. 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 twelve 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 public.

Deicide
Deicide performing live at Metaltown Festival in June 2011
Background information
Also known as
  • Carnage (1987)
  • Amon (1987–1989)
OriginTampa, Florida, U.S.
Genres
Years active1987–present
Labels
Associated acts
Members
Past members

History

Early days as Amon/Carnage (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 Beast 8-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.

Benton reportedly stormed into Roadrunner Records' A&R man Monte Conner's office and presented him with the demo, saying, "Sign us, you fucking asshole!" The next day contracts were issued to the band.[9] In 1989 the band's name was changed to Deicide at the request of Roadrunner Records.

Deicide then released their self-titled debut album, also produced by Scott Burns at Morrisound, in 1990. 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.[10] 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 ex-Cannibal Corpse guitarist Jack Owen, and Vital Remains guitarist Dave Suzuki. Following the tour, Suzuki was replaced by Ralph Santolla, formerly of Death, Iced Earth and Sebastian Bach. Santolla stated he is a Catholic and this has 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 album received rave reviews.[11][12][13][14]

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 Glen Benton starting on January 9 in the Netherlands, until Benton could rejoin the tour. Benton rejoined in Paris on January 13.[15][16] On May 24, 2007, it was announced Ralph Santolla had left Deicide.[17] Subsequently, he joined Florida's Obituary and appears on their album Xecutioner's Return as well as the tour. Then on July 20, 2007, guitarist Jack Owen (ex-Cannibal Corpse) announced that Deicide is "on hiatus" and he has joined Ohio based death/thrash combo Estuary for touring purposes.[18] The band did a Balkan tour, dubbed "Balkans AssassiNation Tour", in October 2007 alongside Krisiun, Incantation and Inactive Messiah.

By November 2007, Deicide began work on its ninth studio album at Florida's Morrisound Studios. Entitled Till Death Do Us Part, the follow-up to 2006's The Stench of Redemption promised to be Deicide'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.[19] By April 2008 two songs off this album were posted online.[20] 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.[21]

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.[22] It was produced by Mark Lewis at Audiohammer Studios in Sanford, Florida, and was released on February 15, 2011.

Deicide released their eleventh studio album, In the Minds of Evil, on November 26, 2013.[23]

In November 2016, it was apparent that guitarist Jack Owen had been replaced by Monstrosity guitarist Mark English without an official announcement made by the band.[24][25] Owen went on to join Six Feet Under in February 2017.[26]

On October 9, 2014, The Village Voice reported that Deicide had started working on new material for their twelfth studio album.[27] On March 10, 2017, Deicide announced a short U.S. tour which would begin in May and also issued an update on then-upcoming twelfth studio 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…".[28] The album, titled Overtures of Blasphemy, was released on September 14, 2018.[29]

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.[30]

Controversy
Guitarist Kevin Quirion has occasionally been a member of Deicide since 2008.

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", 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".[31]

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.[32] 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.[33] Such statements had eventually been concluded as tongue-in-cheek and little more than sensationalism by band members questioned alternatively.[34] 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.[34]

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[35]) 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.[36]

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.[37] 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. Many people blamed animal rights activists who were angered at Deicide's lyrical themes of animal sacrifice.[38]

Band members

Recording timeline
Role Album
Deicide
(1990)		 Legion
(1992)		 Once Upon the Cross
(1995)		 Serpents of the Light
(1997)		 Insineratehymn
(2000)		 In Torment in Hell
(2001)		 Scars of the Crucifix
(2004)		 The Stench of Redemption
(2006)		 Till Death Do Us Part
(2008)		 To Hell with God
(2011)		 In the Minds of Evil
(2013)		 Overtures of Blasphemy
(2018)
Bass/vocals Glen Benton
Guitars Eric Hoffman Ralph Santolla Kevin Quirion
Brian Hoffman Jack Owen Mark English
Drums Steve Asheim

Timeline

Discography
Main article: Deicide discography
gollark: Something like 5 countries have more than 50% support.
gollark: I mean, we still aren't consistently on IPv6.
gollark: Like the internet, and how it's based on a pile of messy hacks which barely hold together well enough to route traffic and everything.
gollark: A lot of social structures we have around probably came about through random chance, convenience or compromise rather than principled ground-up design.
gollark: But at most points I don't think most people went around getting to decide on exactly what their values were and building societies to best embody them.

References

  1. In allmusic
  2. "Deicide - Awards". Allmusic.com. Retrieved 2013-08-23.
  3. "It's Official: CANNIBAL CORPSE Are The Top-Selling Death Metal Band Of The SoundScan Era". Blabbermouth.net. November 2003. Retrieved 2008-05-17.
  4. "DEICIDE Interview with Eric Hoffman". Bushmado.com. Archived from the original on 16 January 2009. Retrieved 2011-10-02.
  5. "Interview with Steve Asheim". sickdrummermagazine.com. 2008-02-18. Archived from the original on 2015-01-01. Retrieved 2014-08-21.
  6. Mudrian, Albert (2004). Choosing Death: The Improbable History of Death Metal and Grindcore. Feral House. ISBN 1-932595-04-X. pp. 90-91.
  7. Mudrian (2004), as above.
  8. "Behind the Crooked Cross." Decibel: 72-78.
  9. Mudrian (2004), as above, p. 162.
  10. Rini, Frank (November 22, 2013). "Interview with Amon guitarist, Eric Hoffman". All About the Rock. Archived from the original on March 14, 2014. Retrieved March 13, 2014.
  11. Bowar, Chad. "Deicide - The Stench Of Redemption Review". About.com. Retrieved 2011-10-25. "With this new lineup Deicide sounds better than they have in years."
  12. Prato, Greg. "The Stench of Redemption - Deicide". AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-10-25. "Despite the lineup juggle, Deicide's trademark extreme metal sound has remained intact, as evidenced throughout The Stench of Redemption."
  13. Alisoglu, Scott. "DEICIDE - The Stench of Redemption (Earache)" Archived 2011-06-06 at the Wayback Machine. Blabbermouth. Retrieved 2011-10-25. "'The Stench of Redemption' is sure to become a U.S. death metal favorite among both fans and critics."
  14. Herzebeth. "Deicide - The Stench Of Redemption review". Metal Storm. Retrieved 2011-10-25. "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;"
  15. Deicide soldier on without Glen Archived 2013-07-22 at the Wayback Machine. Metal Hammer. January 9, 2007.
  16. Deicide Frontman To Rejoin Tour Archived 2015-11-06 at the Wayback Machine Encore. January 12, 2007.
  17. "DEICIDE Parts Ways With Guitarist RALPH SANTOLLA". Blabbermouth.net. May 24, 2007. Archived from the original on October 9, 2007. Retrieved 2008-05-17.
  18. "DEICIDE Guitarist JACK OWEN To Tour With ESTUARY". Blabbermouth.net. July 20, 2007. Archived from the original on 2008-01-19. Retrieved 2008-05-17.
  19. "DEICIDE's GLEN BENTON Recording Vocals For 'Till Death Do Us Part'". Blabbermouth.net. December 12, 2007. Archived from the original on 2008-04-22. Retrieved 2008-05-17.
  20. "DEICIDE: Another New Song Posted Online". Blabbermouth.net. April 17, 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-04-20. Retrieved 2008-05-17.
  21. Archived June 10, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  22. Panagiotis, K (June 6, 2010). "Deicide (Glen Benton) interview". MetalPaths. Archived from the original on June 9, 2010. Retrieved June 7, 2010.
  23. "DEICIDE: 'In The Minds Of Evil' Release Date Announced". Blabbermouth.net. September 2, 2013. Retrieved September 3, 2013.
  24. "DEICIDE Quietly Replaces Guitarist Jack Owen With MONSTROSITY's Guitarist". Metal Injection. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
  25. "DEICIDE Drummer On JACK OWEN's Departure: 'He Kind Of Left One Day And Just Never Came Back'". Blabbermouth.net. Retrieved May 27, 2017.
  26. "Guitarist Jack Owen Joins Former Cannibal Corpse Bandmate in Six Feet Under". Loudwire. Retrieved February 28, 2017.
  27. Turman, Katherine (October 9, 2014). "Proudly Satanic Deicide's Secret to Success? "Surrounding Yourself With Positive People"". blogs.villagevoice.com. Retrieved November 4, 2014.
  28. "Deicide Announce Spring Tour". Ultimate Guitar Archive. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
  29. "DEICIDE To Release 'Overtures Of Blasphemy' Album In September". Blabbermouth.net. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
  30. Bellino, Vince. "Ralph Santolla: 1969-2018". Decibel. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
  31. "Death-metal gods Deicide are the yin to Barry Manilow's yang". The Sydney Morning Herald. December 1, 2006. Retrieved 2008-05-17.
  32. "Glen Benton answers crowd questions at Deicide show". YouTube. Retrieved 2011-10-02.
  33. "Glen Benton Interview 1990". YouTube. Retrieved 2011-10-02.
  34. "DEICIDE Frontman On JON NÖDVEIDT's Suicide: 'Only Cowards And Losers Choose That Option'". Blabbermouth.net. September 7, 2006. Archived from the original on March 3, 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-17.
  35. "Deicide banned in Chile". Metal Hammer. 2006-02-23. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2008-05-17.
  36. "'Homage For Satan' off the air". Metal Hammer. 2006-08-23. Archived from the original on 2008-03-29. Retrieved 2008-05-17.
  37. "Deicide Biography". MTV. 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-04-24. Retrieved 2008-05-17.
  38. Ekeroth, Daniel (2006). In Swedish Death Metal, Tamara Press, ISBN 91-974334-2-X, page 274.

Further reading
  • Mudrian, Albert (2004). Choosing Death:The Improbable History of Death Metal and Grindcore, Feral House, ISBN 1-932595-04-X.
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