Review by illusionist for Deicide - Deicide (1990)

I was not alive back in 1990, but I can imagine how - at the time - this release would have immediately made Deicide a household name in Death Metal circles by virtue of just how demonic it sounded. As if the disgraced angel himself wanted to make a record to capture his wrath at the injustice of God. Indeed, Deicide isn't just evil-sounding. Death Metal had accomplished that before. It's evil-sounding and angry as hell. Pissed off with a personality. Most of that comes down to Glen Benton's distinctive barked vocals. While Benton on this record overuses vocal manipulation effects that sound cheap and dated by today's standards to achieve this, it doesn't take away too much from the infernal feeling evoked across the duration. In my opinion, Benton and Deicide would go on to write more memorable songs and more enjoyable overall album experiences, but their debut nonetheless finds them immediately hitting the mark of the sound that would make them a unique act in Death Metal for years to come. In fact, it might just be their most visceral and potent dose.

If you already like Deicide and haven't heard this, it's definitely one you should check out. While some tracks blur together, others like "Deicide" and "Dead by Dawn" stand the test of time as surprisingly catchy genre classics, hinting at the knack for catchy-yet-evil songs they would refine further as the decade wore on. If you still haven't gotten into Deicide, this is as worthy of a place to start as any of their 90s albums.