Pondering the definition of darkness and evil might be a daunting task for most, but for death metal pioneer and Deicide frontman Glen Benton, it’s just another day at the office. Originally cutting his teeth in the local Florida metal scene in the mid-80s, he would garner a reputation as the guy who scared everybody’s girlfriend off at the local show upon assuming vocal duties and becoming one of the key figures in the formulation of the signature guttural style that has since become the death metal standard.
But it would be his fateful union with drummer Steve Asheim and the Hoffman brothers, then under the moniker of Amon, that his prowess as a bassist and his unique vocal approach would find a welcome home in which to develop and ultimately shine its morbid darkness beyond the confines of Florida.
Following the name change and the subsequent unholy quadrilogy of classic studio albums with iconic engineer Scott Burns at the controls in the eponymous debut, “Legion”, “Once Upon The Cross” and “Serpents Of The Light” respectively; the stylistic direction of Deicide would become a bit more fluid, and with it some chaos in the original lineup. Indeed, many have come to draw the line between the classic era of the band and what came after at this point, with the subsequent releases of “Insineratehymn” and “In Torment In Hell” adopting more of a modern, groove-oriented character.
Following a partial return to form on 2004’s “Scars Of The Crucifix” and the subsequent departure of the Hoffman brothers from the fold, a different yet equally ferocious Deicide would emerge with the entry of ex-Cannibal Corpse guitarist Jack Owen and especially shred maestro Ralph Santolla to the fold, unleashing arguably the most consequential post-90s death metal offering in “The Stench Of Redemption” and kicking off the present era of the band.
The road since has naturally had its fair share of additional bumps and detours, but no one could suggest that at any point Glen, Steve, and company would ever compromise their principles or stray too far from the sound that has come to be associated with the Deicide name. That being said, the recent resurgence of interest in the primordial era of the band and particularly their 1992 sophomore opus “Legion” would lead the band to revisit the album while on the road following the loosening of Covid restrictions.
One wouldn’t be too far off base to conclude that this eventuality rekindled this fold’s interest in their own roots, thus having a heavy impact on the highly old-school character of their 13th and latest studio LP “Banished By Sin”. Very much a multifaceted affair, this soon-to-be-released opus carries with it the stylistic hallmarks of not only “Legion,” but just about every Deicide entry from the beginning up until the present to some degree, though the aforementioned sophomore album is pretty heavily favored in this entry’s overall execution and tone.
Pre-order “Banished By Sin” HERE.
Though some may have the impression of Glen Benton being a demonic sorcerer who simply sprang from a flaming hole in the ground of Florida in 1990, the man himself is very much a good-humored and affable fellow by every definition. Jonathan Smith was honored to catch up with this key figure in death metal’s genesis and development to discuss the soon-to-be-released Deicide album “Banished By Sin,” as well as the upcoming tour in support of the album, the road that brought the band to this point, and even Glen’s take on the current music scene.
Even the story of Deicide initially being invited to and ultimately declining to take part in the filming of the iconic scene from Ace Ventura: Pet Detective that ultimately went Cannibal Corpse was a topic of discussion. Through it all, Glen has stuck to his core philosophy of death metal being an intimate, up close and personal mode of extreme expression that works best when it sticks to its roots, and “Banished By Sin” is an album that conveys that very point while still showcasing the sub-genre’s range and capability of stirring the proverbial cauldron.
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