Deicide

About Deicide

Deicide made it their entire mission to be the most confrontationally anti-Christian band in death metal, and they've stuck to that script with remarkable consistency since forming in Tampa in 1987. Originally called Amon, the band changed their name to Deicide — literally "the killing of a god" — in 1989, which tells you everything about their approach to subtlety.

The lineup that recorded their self-titled debut in 1990 became the sound: Glen Benton on bass and vocals, brothers Eric and Brian Hoffman on guitars, and Steve Asheim on drums. Benton's trademark was his vocal layering, simultaneously tracking high shrieks and low growls to create this inhuman effect that became instantly recognizable. He also branded an inverted cross into his forehead, because when you name your band Deicide, you commit to the bit.

That first album hit hard in the emerging death metal scene. Songs like "Lunatic of God's Creation" and "Dead by Dawn" were faster and more relentlessly brutal than what most bands were doing. But it was 1992's "Legion" that solidified their place. The production was clearer, the riffs sharper, and tracks like "Satan Spawn, the Caco-Daemon" showed they could write actual songs within all that blasphemous fury.

"Once Upon the Cross" in 1995 kept the momentum going with slightly more groove-oriented material. They were never going to win points for lyrical nuance — every album was some variation on Christianity being terrible — but the musical execution was precise. Benton and Asheim became the core stability as the Hoffman brothers eventually departed in 2004 after years of reported tension.

The mid-2000s saw some lineup shuffling, but Deicide kept releasing albums at a steady clip. "The Stench of Redemption" in 2006 with new guitarists Jack Owen and Ralph Santolla actually surprised people with its technical proficiency. Santolla in particular brought these melodic lead flourishes that felt almost out of place, but somehow worked.

They've continued putting out records every few years. "To Hell with God" in 2011, "In the Minds of Evil" in 2013, "Overtures of Blasphemy" in 2018. The quality varies, but they never deviated from the formula. This is death metal with one thematic setting, played by people who genuinely seem to believe their own schtick.

Benton's still doing his double-tracked vocal thing, still talking about Satan in interviews with the same intensity he had in 1990. Asheim remains the engine behind the kit. They tour consistently, playing festivals and clubs to crowds who want exactly what Deicide has always delivered: fast, tight, blasphemous death metal with zero interest in evolving beyond their original concept. Four decades in, they're elder statesmen of a scene they helped define, still making music for people who want their death metal served with maximum religious offense.

Deicide shows are straightforward metal violence. Pit opens immediately. Benton doesn't acknowledge the crowd much; he's there to deliver the material with precision. The music hits harder live than recorded, which is where technical death metal either works or completely falls apart. This version works.

Known for Lunatic of God's Creation, Once Upon the Cross, Fuck Your God, Dead by Dawn, Homage for Satan

See Deicide Live