After lengthy delays and setbacks, Deicide have finally returned with To Hell With God, which is their 10th studio release, and their long awaited follow up to 2008’s Till Death Do Us Part.
Working once again with the same line-up that has produced the band’s last couple of releases (Including vocalist/bassist Glen Benton, guitarists Jack Owen and Ralph Santolla and drummer Steve Asheim), To Hell With God is exactly the sort of album you would come to expect of Deicide.
But that’s not to say that To Hell With God is a carbon copy of recent Deicide releases. On the opening title track, Deicide have obviously made some attempts to step up the technical aspect of their performance, which demonstrates their ability to deviate from the familiar bludgeoning death metal sound of their past, without compromising one bit, on their brutal sound. Benton’s vocals also seem to sound a little more inspired than some of their more recent efforts, with the demonic guttural growl boasting a little more venom than usual. But what really stands out is the production. Mark Lewis (The Black Dahlia Murder and Chimaira) has really given the band a crisp and clear sound, without losing any of the crushing impact of the band as a whole. It’s a whole new sound for Deicide, but one that definitely works in their favour.
Save Your is another stand out favourite with its speedy delivery, Asheim’s thundering drum interjections throughout the song and the classy touch of the melodic guitar leads, while the sheer blitz of Witness Of Death, Servant Of The Enemy and Hang In Agony Until You’re Dead are masterfully balanced against tracks such as Conviction, the slightly progressive influenced Empowered By Blasphemy, the slower paced Into The Darkness You Go and the superb closing anthem How Can You Call Yourself A God.
To Hell With God isn’t a monumental change from what you would normally expect of Deicide, but it does have enough surprises to keep things interesting for long time fans.
Century Media Records/E.M.I. Music Australia
JUSTIN DONNELLY
