Deicide - Deicide CD

DEICIDE (Florida, USA) - Deicide CD (1990) (1998 Roadrunner Remastered Series).  Listed at #26 on Decibel Magazine's Top 100 Death Metal Albums of All Time.  The praise for the Dark Lord is the central theme for this album with haunting tales of sacrifice, demonic rituals, and praise for Satan himself. The other lyrics presented on this album are filled with hate for Christianity. Glen Benton unleashes absolute fury on this album and never again did he sound so exasperated.

The musical elements presented on "Deicide" epitomize Old School Death Metal in its fullest. Shrill, nasal, atonal, unmuted hammer-on riffs, set to sterile snare and pedal blast beats that absolutely refuse to swing. For example, in songs like "Dead by Dawn" it features descending, percussive, mid scooped, palm muted riffs based off of minor thirds, set to relentless double bass drumming. Another example of OSDM at its finest is "Mephistopheles" where the main riff is based on a 6/8 march tempo of galloping triplets, set to double bass drumming, and dual layered vocals. Things like this give off a sense of brutality that was unparalleled in its time.

The atmosphere on this album is incredible, when I first heard it, I felt I truly descended into the pits of hell itself. It was scary, uncomfortable, and euphoric at the same time. I kept on wanting to hear more and more of it, just like a crack addict needing his daily fix.  The very first song "Lunatic of God's Creation" the song begins with the gates of Hell opening. Then the guitar riffs of the Hoffman brothers kick in and the relentless drumming of Steve Asheim pulverizes you into a hellish frenzy. This song is basically an ode to the madman Charles Manson. Another song that gives off an incredibly disturbing atmosphere is "Carnage in the Temple of the Damned." This song deals with Occult leader Jim Jones who cultivated the mass-suicide of Jonestown, Guyana in November 1978, killing 918 people in the process.

In conclusion, this is one of the greatest debuts by any band ever. The focus on visceral atmosphere, the metaphysical powers granted by Satan, and the vehement hatred of Christianity makes it one of the darkest, bleakest, and most evil Death Metal albums ever written. If there was ever an example of how to craft a perfect Death Metal album this one would be the blueprint to follow. Take my words and listen to this thing if you haven't heard it.  **originally published on metal-archives.com by mikey22**  The Deicide Remasters -  Roadrunner Records ‎– 1686-187442