Deicide Scars of the Crucifix
Earache MOSH273CD 20/02/04
By Paddy Walsh
Deicide have never been the most consistent of bands. In fact, most people would agree that they havent even released a decent album since 95s Once Upon the Cross . There was Serpents of the Light, which wasnt altogether bad (with a semi-decent title track at least), but suffered from weak production. Next up was "Insineratehymn, boasting even worse production, a lacklustre vocal effort from Glen Benton, and linear, boring song writing. The proverbial icing on the cake came with 01s In Torment, In Hell, probably the bands worst release to date. Deicide were considered by most at this stage a dead duck, a group that should have perhaps quit while they were ahead, and who had now descended into self-parody. The band themselves blamed poor treatment from Roadrunner as an excuse for these rushed sounding albums, probably the worst excuse for poor output in music history!
But I digress. It is now 2004, and Deicide have since signed to Earache, who - these days - are much more death metal friendly than Roadrunner. Scars of the Crucifix is their first non-Roadrunner album, and when you first hear it you might start believing Deicides past excuses. It is indeed their best release since Once , going someway to rectify past mistakes, and nearly recapturing the pure feeling of evil that once emanated from their unholy rumblings. The thin production that plagued recent works has been banished, and replaced by a thick, full, and satisfyingly loud sound, pretty much how you would expect a death metal album to be. Glen Benton - someone I always regarded as one of the best death-vocalists in the business - is on top form here. His growls are constantly overdubbed by the kind of piercing screams and yells that used to make their early material sound so downright frightening. He even utilises that background high pitched roar thing that was all over their debut on a few of these tracks, namely Mad at God and Conquered by Sodom. Perhaps his stint with Vital Remains (whose Dechristianize was the best death metal release of 2003 in my opinion) made him realise his vocal strengths again.
As for the songs themselves, well, theyre a mixed bag. The album clocks in at just under the half hour mark - a good thing with this kind of music, as it stops that initial wallop from waning, and with nine tracks each is pretty short, also a good thing. Opener Scars of the Crucifix is an absolute ripper of a song, its chugging guitar riff grinding along nicely with Benton sounding insane on top of it. The strangest thing about it, perhaps, is a rather melodic solo, certainly unusual for a band who seemed to be on a mission to recreate the solos from Reign in Blood their entire careers! The sound of Deicide taking yet another leaf out of the Vital Remains book perhaps? Fuck your God is another highlight, boasting excellent riffs and a superb mosh friendly breakdown midway through the song. When Heaven Burns has one of those cool scream incessantly over a riff bits in it, and Mad at God is a winner because of the aforementioned vocal style thats put in over the solo.
Scars of the Crucifix is not a landmark death metal album. The band has progressed very little since their inception, using the same ideas and themes that appeared in their debut. The lyrics about hell, Satan and killing Christians are clichéd in the extreme, and may put off those looking for death metal with a bit more substance. But then Deicide have never strived to be state of the art, merely one of the most evil bands around, and Scars of the Crucifix achieves its aim of being brutal yet catchy. A return to form then? Well pretty much, fans of Deicide couldnt really ask for much more. If youre a newcomer to this band, might I suggest you seek out their debut, Legion or Once Upon the Cross before this, as it shows Deicide at its best. However, Scars of the Crucifix is still a welcome return to form for a band many thought were well past its peak.
8/10
Official Deicide Website
Official Earache Website
Earache MOSH273CD 20/02/04
By Paddy Walsh
Deicide have never been the most consistent of bands. In fact, most people would agree that they havent even released a decent album since 95s Once Upon the Cross . There was Serpents of the Light, which wasnt altogether bad (with a semi-decent title track at least), but suffered from weak production. Next up was "Insineratehymn, boasting even worse production, a lacklustre vocal effort from Glen Benton, and linear, boring song writing. The proverbial icing on the cake came with 01s In Torment, In Hell, probably the bands worst release to date. Deicide were considered by most at this stage a dead duck, a group that should have perhaps quit while they were ahead, and who had now descended into self-parody. The band themselves blamed poor treatment from Roadrunner as an excuse for these rushed sounding albums, probably the worst excuse for poor output in music history!
But I digress. It is now 2004, and Deicide have since signed to Earache, who - these days - are much more death metal friendly than Roadrunner. Scars of the Crucifix is their first non-Roadrunner album, and when you first hear it you might start believing Deicides past excuses. It is indeed their best release since Once , going someway to rectify past mistakes, and nearly recapturing the pure feeling of evil that once emanated from their unholy rumblings. The thin production that plagued recent works has been banished, and replaced by a thick, full, and satisfyingly loud sound, pretty much how you would expect a death metal album to be. Glen Benton - someone I always regarded as one of the best death-vocalists in the business - is on top form here. His growls are constantly overdubbed by the kind of piercing screams and yells that used to make their early material sound so downright frightening. He even utilises that background high pitched roar thing that was all over their debut on a few of these tracks, namely Mad at God and Conquered by Sodom. Perhaps his stint with Vital Remains (whose Dechristianize was the best death metal release of 2003 in my opinion) made him realise his vocal strengths again.
As for the songs themselves, well, theyre a mixed bag. The album clocks in at just under the half hour mark - a good thing with this kind of music, as it stops that initial wallop from waning, and with nine tracks each is pretty short, also a good thing. Opener Scars of the Crucifix is an absolute ripper of a song, its chugging guitar riff grinding along nicely with Benton sounding insane on top of it. The strangest thing about it, perhaps, is a rather melodic solo, certainly unusual for a band who seemed to be on a mission to recreate the solos from Reign in Blood their entire careers! The sound of Deicide taking yet another leaf out of the Vital Remains book perhaps? Fuck your God is another highlight, boasting excellent riffs and a superb mosh friendly breakdown midway through the song. When Heaven Burns has one of those cool scream incessantly over a riff bits in it, and Mad at God is a winner because of the aforementioned vocal style thats put in over the solo.
Scars of the Crucifix is not a landmark death metal album. The band has progressed very little since their inception, using the same ideas and themes that appeared in their debut. The lyrics about hell, Satan and killing Christians are clichéd in the extreme, and may put off those looking for death metal with a bit more substance. But then Deicide have never strived to be state of the art, merely one of the most evil bands around, and Scars of the Crucifix achieves its aim of being brutal yet catchy. A return to form then? Well pretty much, fans of Deicide couldnt really ask for much more. If youre a newcomer to this band, might I suggest you seek out their debut, Legion or Once Upon the Cross before this, as it shows Deicide at its best. However, Scars of the Crucifix is still a welcome return to form for a band many thought were well past its peak.
8/10
Official Deicide Website
Official Earache Website
