Deicide - The Stench Of Redemption

Deicide
The Stench Of Redemption
Earache Records
8/10
www.deicide.com



A small number of Deicide fans believed that the group could ever amount to two shits minus the Hoffman brothers. This “Stench Of Redemption” smells much better than you would have thought. While “Scars Of The Crucifix” was hailed by plenty as a triumphant return to form for the group, plenty of critically-minded Death Metal fans didn’t buy into the hype. Deicide 2006, however is a beast refusing denial. Wapped in blasphemous tapestries of ambience cuts such as “Crucified For The Innocence” and “Desecration” assail the listener with vicious. Brutal hammering, blistering leads and the trademark guttural assaults by band leader Glen Benton, an individual many would argue the term brutal was invented for.

“Death To Jesus” slays as effectively as Deicide has ever managed while “Homage For Satan” throws a nod in the direction of Slayer in terms of musical substance, laden with ripping leads. Turning in a stellar performance as always, drummer Steve Asheim shreds his drum heads with violent ferocity, pounds out complex patterns with precision and does much to enhance the fretboard-burning presence of Jack Owen, whom we all know from his considerable tenure with Cannibal Corpse. Owen’s playing is much more focused than we’ve heard on a Deicide record before and his axe expertise makes for a welcome addition to the coven. Bassist Ralph Santolla’s bass guitar spits out raw, bloody chunks of beef during “The Lord’s Sedition,” making a great underpinning for Owen’s deranged, chaotic melodies.

Benton makes his presence known with a vicious performance throughout the record. Having plenty to prove, the grunting vocalist really raises the bar in comparison to his effort on the past few Deicide records. His voice is in great form, spewing blackened and hateful lyrics with an adversarial animosity that is certain to attract major attention. Definitely, this is a comeback that’s not to be taken lightly.

Unfortunately, Decide’s self-titled debut remains my personal favorite by the group. During that period, the group had tapped into something completely new and the excitement of the intensity of Death Metal wear thinner with age. Keeping that in mind, “The Stench Of Redemption” is easily the band’s best in a good number of years. Re-alignment has spawned rejuvenation for these Death Metal kings, making this one of the most important releases of this style that you’ll be hearing this year.