Deicide - Til Death Do Us Part
Earache - MOSH358 - 28 April 2008
By Paddy Walsh
No one ever expected that
Deicide still had it in them to produce a modern classic in
The Stench of Redemption in 2006, and it holds up well to this day. Brutal, melodic and intense,
The Stench of Redemption caused many to restore their faith in a band who hadn't exactly set the world alight with their post
Once Upon the Cross output. The ejection of the Hoffman brothers from guitar duties seemed to imbue the band with a renewed vigour, banishing memories of the woeful period of
Insineratehymn and
In Torment, In Hell. Yes, much was forgiven in the
Deicide camp, and even mainman Glen Benton's ever ridiculous media outbursts seemed to decline, which leads us into 2008 and
Til Death Do Us Part which, judging from recent interviews, may just be
Deicide's swansong.
After innumerable songs about how Christians need to be disemboweled and how swell a guy Satan is, it appears that getting divorced has given Mr. Benton something new to write about. At last. Hence the name of the album and tracks such as 'Severed Ties'. Despite this,
Til Death Do Us Part is possibly Benton's most stilted vocal performance - he's seemingly content to growl along nonchalantly these days (occasional backing screams aside) - there's none of the demented cackling that made such an impact on the likes of 'Lunatic of God's Creation' or 'Satan Spawn the Caco-Daemon'. Instrumentally, however,
Deicide cannot be faulted these days. Like
The Stench of Redemption, Til Death Do Us Part is chock fulll of intense lead guitar melodicism, brutal breakdowns and an unmistakable groove. Former
Iced Earth axeman Ralph Santola again contributes incredible lead guitar work that at times plays like a more concise
Vital Remains, whilst Jack Owen creates an unmistakable groove both catchy and brutal. The title track is an immense example of this, whilst 'Severed Ties' features the kind of lead guitar breaks that would have been unthinkable with the Hoffmans on board. 'The Beginning of the End' is a melodic instrumental that proves an excellent scene setter for the album, whilst 'Not as Long as We Both Shall Live' takes the foot off the pedal so to speak, an ominous guitar lead winding its way through the song and climaxing into an cacophonous frenzy.
Til Death Do Us Part doesn't have the element of surprise that its predecessor had - nor can it quite match it in terms of songwriting - but it is nonetheless a worthy continuation of the newfound blackened muse that seemed to kick
Deicide up the arse after the woeful
In Torment, in Hell almost destroyed their legacy. Their debut,
Legion and
Once Upon the Cross will perhaps always stand as representing
Deicide at their pinnacle (particularly considering the decline in Glen Benton's vocals), but
Til Death Do Us Part, if indeed it is their parting gift to the metal world, is a suitable finishing piece.
Official Deicide Website
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