By: Anders

Posted: Aug 18, 2006

After I had given this album the initial listens, I wasn't sitting with the Deicide album I had expected. To be honest I thought the band would be rather washed out and a pale shadow of what it once was. Though nothing was further from the truth, it is actually a good while since the band has been as vital and energetic as on "The Stench Of Redemption". The band’s last album "Scars Of The Crucifix" was quite good and satisfying, but now the band has taken it step further, at the same time as the have looked back at the band’s glorious past.

Deicide was aggressive and furious on "Scars Of The Crucifix", though the aggressiveness has been taken a level up, together with some astonishing musicianship. There shouldn't be any doubt about good Steve Asheim has become behind the drums, but damn he really shows all his skills on the record. His drumming is all over the place, the fastest and most brutal blastbeats pummels the listener one second, then goes into some insanely fast and technical fills, to go into some more groovy, yet still aggressive rhythm patterns. He has indeed come along way since the first Deicide album and is ranking in the top of death metal drummers as we speak. The 2 new additions to the band guitarists Jack Owen (ex-Cannibal Corpse) and Ralph Santolla (ex-Death and ex-Iced Earth) are both well known guitarists, and not many should be in doubt of their qualities, though the question was if the could adapt their styles to Deicide. The answer is a big yes, it has been a while since the guitar play has been as dynamic and powerful as it is on "The Stench Of Redemption". We actually have to go back to '97s "Serpents Of The Light" to find this well executed guitar play on a Deicide album. At times the new album does have strings to the before mentioned, in complexity and technicality of the guitars' extravaganza. Good and brutal main riffs, wicked solos, twisted and disharmonic leads and great melodies. The growl from Benton has also gotten a notch in the evil direction, there is a good deal of sheer power and force behind it, and the layered vocals the band has started to utilize again, work as well as they always have done.

The recording was done at Morrisound, and the band has received a well-executed death metal sound. Thick and heavy with an amazing crunchy guitar sound still leaving room for solos and leads. The vocals are the nice crown on top of it all, and the drums wreak the havoc in the right place, even though the toms might be drowned a bit out at times.

Deicide is back and hits hard, this is the album we all have been waiting for since '97, this is the natural predecessor to "Serpents Of The Light". No traces of modern elements, straight out of the highway Deicide with a good deal of complexity and amazing solos, delivered by Santolla. With tracks as 'Homage For Satan', 'Crucified For The Innocence', 'Not Of This Earth'  and 'The Lords' Sedation' this album is bound to become yet a Deicide classic. Even though we are presented with quite more melodies and much better guitar play than before and a hell of a lot extremely well executed melodic solos and leads, it all actually fits really well into the compositions and are making this album more varied and lasting than before heard from Deicide, a welcomed addition to the sheer brutality, which is very intact.

Rating: 9/10

Deicide website

Distributed in Denmark and kindly supplied by Target

Buy the album at

Buy merchandise at

Print