Review: Deicide – Crucifixation – The Early Years
The first two albums in Deicide’s blasphemous, unrelentingly devilish oeuvre are among the highest-selling in death metal history. They are then also, for better or worse, two of the most influential.
The early 1990s was a pivotal period for the genre. In one corner, bands such as Atheist, Pestilence, and the godfather of them all, Chuck Schuldiner and his Death ensemble, set out to redefine what ‘death metal’ stood for. They developed their sound in terms of technicality (fusing elements of jazz and prog metal) and subject matter, turning their gaze to social and philosophical themes. While these groups sought to distance themselves from the gore-fuelled imagery of the genre’s 80s origins, others doubled down.
The likes of Morbid Angel, Obituary, and Cannibal Corpse also upped the ante on the technical front, but threw a tonne of gasoline on the already raging satanic fire that fed their lyrics. Exploding onto the scene in 1987, Deicide led the pack in a frightening fashion. Vocalist and bassist, Glen Benton, infamously branded an upside-down crucifix into his forehead; any doubt that their message was purely for the shock factor was then surely put to rest.
Deicide’s self-titled debut was unleashed to the masses in 1990. At just over 30 minutes in length, it’s a blistering tour de force that makes Slayer’s Reign in Blood seem a tad tame. One of the main reasons for this is Benton’s harrowing vocal performance. Like a man possessed, his roars not only feel capable of conjuring the devil, but you begin to believe he could be the fallen angel himself. The band’s tight performance accentuates a darkly delicious collection of excellent riffs that tumble frantically through high-octane rhythmic rapids, with Steve Asheim’s frantic blast beats cascading things ever deeper into a wild, yet precise madness.
Two years later, Legion proved that Deicide wasn’t to be a mere flash in the pan. Album opener, ‘Satan Spawn, the Caco Daemon’, is as hair-raising as anything that came before. Stylistically, the band’s second record is very much a continuation of their debut, yet at a little under 30 minutes in length, it’s just as fresh and relentless.
The remastering work on Crucifixation – The Early Years gives these genre classics a powerful facelift. Completing the set is Amon: Feasting The Beast, a rare compilation of demos that is sure to please fans. That these records have stood the test of time, devoid of the B-movie horror gimmicks that many of their peers will forever brandish, is a testament to the band’s earnest evil nature. Jump right in, if you dare.
DISC ONE – DEICIDE
1 Lunatic of God’s Creation
2 Sacrificial Suicide
3 Oblivious to Evil
4 Dead By Dawn
5 Blaspherereion
6 Deicide
7 Carnage In The Temple of the Damned
8 Mephistopheles
9 Day Of Darkness
10 Crucifixation
DISC TWO – LEGION
1 Satan Spawn, The Caco- Daemon
2 Dead But Dreaming
3 Repent To Die
4 Trifixion
5 Behead The Prophet (No Lord Shall Live)
6 Holy Deception
7 In Hell I Burn
8 Revocate The Agitator
DISC THREE – AMON: FEASTING THE BEAST
1 Lunatic Of God’s Creation
2 Sacrificial Suicide
3 Crucifixation
4 Carnage In The Temple of the Damned
5 Dead By Dawn
6 Blaspherereion
7 Feasting The Beast (Intro)
8 Sacrificial Suicide
9 Day Of Darkness
10 Oblivious to Nothing
Order from Cherry Red Records
Dan Aston | Now Spinning Magazine
would love to know what year it says on the white disc, the Deicide “Self Titled” Album. I wonder is it the 1998 remaster? does it have a number or a year on it, I can tell from that.