intothewellsabyss

Jun 24, 20233 min read

Deicide — Deicide

𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐑𝐘𝐏𝐓𝐒 - 𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐏𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐀𝐋𝐁𝐔𝐌 𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄𝐒 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐑𝐎𝐂𝐊 & 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐘 𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐋…

33 years ago today, we experienced "Carnage in the Temple of the Damned" while the "Lunatic of God's Creation" committed "Sacrificial Suicide"!

On this day (June 24) in 1990, Deicide released their self-titled debut full-length studio album via R/C Roadrunner Records.

The album contains all of their demo tracks, plus the songs "Deicide" and "Mephistopheles".

Background:

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. Carnage played cover songs by Slayer, Exodus, Celtic Frost and Dark Angel.

The new band, called Amon, consisted of Benton (bass and vocals), Brian Hoffman, Eric Hoffman (guitars) and Steve Asheim (drums).

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.

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."

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. In 1989 the band's name was changed to Deicide at the request of Roadrunner Records.

(Glen Benton)

Deicide then released their self-titled debut album, also produced by Scott Burns at Morrisound Recording (where Deicide would record most of their subsequent works). 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.

(Eric Hoffman)

While containing mostly Satanic or blasphemous lyrical themes, "Lunatic of God's Creation" and "Carnage in the Temple of the Damned" concern Charles Manson and Jim Jones respectively, and "Dead by Dawn" deals with the plot of the 1981 horror film, Evil Dead.

(Brian Hoffman)

“Deicide” is sometimes considered to be the bestselling Death Metal album of all time. Nielsen SoundScan lists it second after Morbid Angel's “Covenant” up until 2003; however, Deicide was released before SoundScan went into effect, so the SoundScan figure lacks pre-Soundscan sales.

(Steve Asheim)

Glen Benton has previously stated that no effects were used on his vocals while recording the album, though several songs do contain a pitch-shifted vocal effect.

"Dead by Dawn" was featured in the 2009 video game Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned on the radio station Liberty City Hardcore.

Critical Reception:

“Deicide” was received positively by critics and fans alike, with Bradley Torreano from AllMusic saying, "with a shockingly tight performance and a handful of evil anthems, Glen Benton and company managed to craft a death metal classic" and that "this album struck a chord that would, for good or bad, instantly inspire legions of like-minded groups. The riffs are actually memorable, with insane blastbeat drums and an uncanny sense of timing guiding the songs as they charge through one by one." He concluded the review saying that Deicide "managed to craft one truly great album in the death metal genre that will survive long after the gimmicks are gone."

Niall from The Metal Observer described the song "Dead by Dawn" as "simplistic yet so powerful in its delivery that you can't help but be taken aback by its ferocity."

Links to Artists, Albums, and Music Videos:

Click this link to listen to the “Deicide” via Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/deicide/214469887

Click this link to watch the official music video for “Sacrificial Suicide”: https://youtu.be/ngt8u07_T9g

Click this link to follow Decide on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialDeicide

Click this link to follow “Amon” Eric Hoffman of Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amoneric

Click this link to follow Brian Hoffman on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1162252758

Note: The reviews shared here are for historical reference. The views and opinions expressed within are not always supported (in full or in part) by Into the Wells. — E.N. Wells

Deicide — Deicide

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