Deicide

The Stench Of Redemption

[5/5] Deicide fans, listen up: The Hoffman brothers are gone-deal with it, because Glen Benton sure has. This eighth studio album from the Florida veterans features new guitarists Jack Owen (ex-Cannibal Corpse) and Ralph Santolla (ex-Death). The difference is audible on every song; the tired tremolo squeals that passed for guitar solos on Scars Of The Crucifix have been replaced by melodic, arpeggiated outbursts that actually up the songs’ energy level, rather than grinding everything to a masturbatory halt. Don’t get your hopes up about Benton altering his lyrical focus to complement the band’s newly rejuvenated music, though. The subject matter is the same old God-bothering bullshit. “Death To Jesus,” “Desecration,” “Homage For Satan,” blah, blah, blah. Isn’t this eeeeevil and scaaaaary, kids? No, it’s not, actually. But who cares? Benton’s vocals (double-tracked or otherwise) are mostly indecipherable. The Stench Of Redemption lives up to its title, musically speaking, and that’s enough. (EARACHE) Phil Freeman