Back in the Nineties, when email and internet were still words unusual to many, I was producing Feedback fanzine with scissors and glue (cut and paste had a whole different meaning back then). I was on the mailing lists of various metal labels and was sent everything they released and alongside the likes of Century Media, Earache and Nuclear Blast was the wonderful Roadrunner. It was through them that I heard many bands for the first time (I raved over Slipknot before I saw them in any magazine and said they would be massive, but even I had no idea how big they would get), which is how I first heard Deicide. Now, I was much younger then, it was 30 years ago after all, and I did not really understand the “new” sub genres of metal, and while I could see where nu-metal was coming from, I was not a fan of thrash, death or black (to say my tastes have changed is something of an understatement). This led to the shortest album review I have ever written, and it is so concise I can still remember every word, “This album is shit. I am not going to waste my time or yours by writing about it”. Yes, it was about Deicide, and luckily for me my press contact at Roadrunner found it hilarious.
Fast forward to 2025, and here we have an eight CD boxed set which contains all their releases for Roadrunner, namely the first six studio albums, ‘Deicide’ (1990), ‘Legion’ (1992), ‘Once upon the Cross’ (1995), ‘Serpents of the Light’ (1997), ‘Insineratehymn’ (2000), and ‘In Torment in Hell’ (2001) along with the original two demos which were released in 1993 as ‘Amon: Feasting the Beast’ and the live ‘When Satan Lives (1998) which was recorded at the House of Blues in Chicago. The band was formed by drummer/composer Steve Asheim and guitarist brothers Eric and Brian Hoffman as Carnage, and when bassist/vocalist/lyricist Glen Benton joined they became Amon before changing the name to Deicide in 1989.
There is only one album missing from the original line-up, 2004’s ‘Scars of the Crucifix’ which was released on Earache, after which the Hoffman brothers left, so it is a virtually complete look at the first incarnation of the band which is still going today (both Asheim and Benton are surviving the journey). As well as the music this set contains a 68-page booklet with loads of photos, extensive liner notes from respected writer Dom Lawson, new interviews with producer Scott Burns and A&R legend Monte Conner, Akercocke drummer and Deicide superfan David Gray, as well as Cradle of Filth founding member Paul Ryan plus Steve Asheim himself. It is worth noting that the first two Deicide album are the #2 and #3 best-selling death metal albums of all time (Morbid Angel’s ‘Covenant’ is #1), which is quite something.
The issue I have with this release is nothing to do with the music, it is just I am not sure exactly who it is aimed at. I don’t believe the albums have been remastered or remixed, and there are no additional tracks, and I would have thought that most death metal fans will have most if not all of these albums already. As I said, my tastes have changed over the years and I already own all of these, so would I have gone out and bought this? The booklet is a wonderful read, and is absolutely fascinating, providing lots of information about which I was unaware, but I found that musically this was actually a disappointment as while I have the albums already, I had not listened to them one after another (82 songs, 4 ½ hours of music), which what I did this time, and they do tend to blue into each other somewhat.
Are Deicide as musically interesting and exciting as many of the other death metal acts from the same era, or is it mostly down to the publicity generated by Benton in particular? It is difficult to say some 35 years on from their formation, but there is no doubt they have had a huge impact on the scene and while this set may not be totally essential it still has a great deal going for it and if you have not previously come across the band, or are a rabid fan, then this is for you. 8/10 by Kev Rowland
