DEICIDE
Deicide's first album without the Hoffman brothers on guitar, 'The Stench of Redemption', was hailed a classic upon its release in 2006. Now, after a faux bank robbery, tour cancellations and line-up uncertainties, the biggest-selling death metal band on the planet is back with the follow-up, 'Till Death Do Us Part', and it's one angry mother of an album.
By Gav Britton
Outspoken Deicide vocalist/bassist Glen Benton may steal all the headlines, but it is drummer Steve Asheim who has been holding the band together since the release of 'The Stench of Redemption'. Benton has spent the past couple of years preoccupied with ongoing divorce hearings, Ralph Santolla (guitar) had jumped ship to Obituary and Jack Owens (guitar) was busy working on his Adrift project, so it was Asheim who was left to write the band's ninth studio album, 'Till Death Do Us Part'. "I was pretty much just sitting at my house bored out of my ass, frustrated as hell with the whole situation," says Asheim. "So I was like, 'Oh well, I've got nothing else to do, I might as well write this record'."
Despite Asheim writing and demoing the album in 20 days, it took the rest of the band seven months to complete the recording of 'Till Death Do Us Part'. One positive is that all the frustrations - be they personal or logistical - have boiled over and resulted in Deicide's least satanic, but possibly most vitriolic, album to date. Benton's ex-wife hating lyrics are particularly potent. "It may not be blatantly anti-religious and satanic, but it is definitely hateful," agrees Asheim. "They are the most angry, hateful, vengeful lyrics he has written ever. And they are from true inspiration, not from reading some book about some guy from 5000 years ago. This is real, true, living hatred." The malicious lyrics are one thing, but Benton's venomous vocal delivery would scare almost anyone off the idea of marriage. "His vocal performance was devastating," says Asheim. "I think it is his most brutal delivery in 10 years, since at least 'Serpents...', maybe even '...Cross'. He just sounds angry, really seriously angry. And he doesn't sound winded - he wasn't punching himself in every two lines - he was belching out full angry lines and going for it."
Asheim's compositions go pound for pound with Benton's venting, resulting in an album far removed from the at times melodic and lead-heavy 'Stench...'. The darker, more brutal - even for Deicide's standards - change in direction on 'Till Death Do Us Part' comes as a surprise, considering Deicide were following up such a successful record. While that album appealed to the masses, it seems Asheim wasn't totally satisfied with 'Stench...': "My main thing was making sure Ralph didn't go overly melodic with his leads," reveals Asheim. "It's not that I didn't like it ['Stench...'], it's just I would've preferred it darker. It's not like I don't listen to 'Stench...' because it's too melodic for me - you know, 'I'm too brutal for melodies' - I can appreciate it for what it is, and it is great playing. But when it came down to writing this record, I definitely knew I wanted to tone down his melody making and get him directed towards playing more sinister licks and sinister-sounding harmonies."
'Till Death Do Us Part' is out now through Earache/Riot. |
