Deicide (album)

Deicide
Studio album by Deicide
Released	June 25, 1990 (1990-06-25)
Recorded	March 1990
Studio	Morrisound Recording, Tampa, Florida
Genre	Death metal
Length	33:35
Label	Roadrunner
Producer	Deicide, Scott Burns
Deicide chronology
Deicide (1990) Legion (1992)

Deicide is the debut album by Florida death metal band Deicide. It was released on June 25, 1990, by Roadrunner Records. The album contains all of their demo tracks, plus the songs "Deicide" and "Mephistopheles".

The album was recorded in the "B room" at Morrisound Studios in Tampa, Florida, where Deicide would record most of their subsequent works. Frontman Glen Benton has expressed dissatisfaction with the album's production quality, which he attributed to budgetary restrictions at the time.[1]

Deicide is considered a classic in the death metal genre.

Composition and lyrics

The music on Deicide is characterized by its "genuine, realistic rage" and “irrepressible anger.” Music journalist T Coles said "[the album] sounds like a journey into hell, as demons claw at your feeble limbs on your descent."[2][3][4]

The tracks on Deicide have been referred to as "evil anthems" with lyrics described as "Satanic nonsense."[5] While containing mostly Satanism or blasphemous lyrical themes,[2] "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, The Evil Dead.^[citation needed] Chris Krovatin of Kerrang! said the album "sounds believably dedicated to dying for the Devil."[6]

Glen Benton's vocals on the album have been called "absolutely hideous and tortured" and "pure evil." He has erroneously claimed that no effects were used on his vocals while recording the album, however vocals on several of the songs do actually contain pitch-shifted editing.[5][2]

The album's musicianship has been described as "shockingly tight," and has been noted for its “turbulent” rhythmic textures.[7] As is common by the genre's conventions, the album employs double-bass blastbeat drumwork. Deicide drummer Steve Asheim's sense of timing on the album has been described as "uncanny."[5]

The album has been said to contain elements of grindcore. Coles noted that the album is "an example of how death metal refined the nasty edge of grindcore but retained a sinister sound."[5][8]

Reception and legacy

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[9]
Classic Rock	[10]
Entertainment Weekly	A[11]
Kerrang!	(1990)[12] (2011)[13]

Deicide is considered a classic in the death metal genre, and is sometimes considered to be the bestselling death metal album of all time.[5][14] 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. The tracks "Dead by Dawn" and "Sacrificial Suicide" have been staples at every live performance.^[citation needed] Chris Krovatin of Kerrang! said, "Though Deicide’s later albums cemented their sound into what we now consider brutal death metal, it was the unhinged satanic rancor of their debut that made them a force to be reckoned with."[15]

Bradley Torreano from AllMusic praised Deicide's guitar riffs as "creative" and "memorable", saying the album "struck a chord that would, for good or bad, instantly inspire legions of like-minded groups."[9] Reviewing the album for Classic Rock in 2000, Darren Sadler said that the album "is still the quartet's finest hour".[10]

In 2024, readers of Metal Injection voted the album the fifth best debut album from a classic North American death metal act.[16]

Theron Moore of New Noise Magazine called the album "perfection in blasphemy."[17]

Track listing

All songs written by Deicide (Glen Benton, Steve Asheim, Eric Hoffman & Brian Hoffman).

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Lunatic of God's Creation"	2:42
2.	"Sacrificial Suicide"	2:51
3.	"Oblivious to Evil"	2:41
4.	"Dead by Dawn"	3:56
5.	"Blaspherereion"	4:15
6.	"Deicide"	4:02
7.	"Carnage in the Temple of the Damned"	3:33
8.	"Mephistopheles"	3:35
9.	"Day of Darkness"	2:05
10.	"Crucifixation"	3:55
Total length:		33:35

Personnel

• Glen Benton – vocals, bass
• Eric Hoffman – guitars
• Brian Hoffman – guitars
• Steve Asheim – drums
• Deicide – production
• Scott Burns – production

References

1. https://www.markprindle.com/benton-i.htm
2. Coles, T. Death Metal. Bloomsbury Academic. p. 54.
3. "The 15 greatest death metal albums of the '90s". Kerrang!. 2019-07-20. Retrieved 2025-01-18.
4. updated, Metal Hammer last (2020-03-26). "The 100 best metal albums of the 90s". louder. Retrieved 2025-01-18.
5. Deicide - Deicide | Album | AllMusic, retrieved 2024-12-30
6. "The 15 greatest death metal albums of the '90s". Kerrang!. 2019-07-20. Retrieved 2025-01-18.
7. "The 15 greatest death metal albums of the '90s". Kerrang!. 2019-07-20. Retrieved 2025-01-18.
8. Coles, T. Death Metal. Bloomsbury Academic. p. 56.
9. Torreano, Bradley. "Deicide - Deicide". AllMusic.
10. Sadler, Darren (July 2000). "Déjà Vu". Classic Rock. No. 16. Future plc. p. 79.
11. Sandow, Greg (July 6, 1990). "Music Capsules (Deicide, Deicide)". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on June 23, 2013. Retrieved April 2, 2013.
12. Kaye, Don (June 16, 1990). "Rekordz". Kerrang!. No. 294. Spotlight Publications. p. 24.
13. Travers, Paul (November 2011). "Deicide: Deicide". Kerrang!: 666 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die!. Bauer Media Group. p. 34.
14. Puzak, Chris. Blogcritics Music: Cannibal Corpse is top-selling death metal band Archived 2010-04-30 at the Wayback Machine
15. "The 15 greatest death metal albums of the '90s". Kerrang!. 2019-07-20. Retrieved 2025-01-18.
16. Kennelty, Greg (2024-05-20). "These Are The Best 10 Debut Albums From Classic North American Death Metal Bands, According To You". Metal Injection. Retrieved 2024-12-30.
17. Moore, Theron (2020-06-25). "Anniversary: Florida Death Metal Legends Deicide Celebrate Self-Titled Debut". New Noise Magazine. Retrieved 2025-01-14.