Deicide “The Stench of Redemption” CD

I have to admit, when I first heard that Deicide had lost the Hoffman brothers, I pretty much lost interest in the band. Not that I've ever been a huge Deicide fan or anything (I only own three of their records, granted those first two are classics), but anytime a group that's had the same lineup all along loses both guitarists at one time? That's a devastating blow. There's a hell of a lot of drama involved in that whole split, and there are a lot of questions surrounding this release in general. How much of the band's songwriting were the Hoffmans really responsible for? If Jack Owen quit Cannibal Corpse because he wasn't feeling the music anymore, why would he join Deicide shortly afterwards? If Ralph Santolla really is Catholic, would he actually be comfortable in a band like Deicide? All such queries can be answered with one simple statement...

Who fuckin' cares!?

One listen to "The Stench of Redemption", Deicide's eighth full-length (and second for Earache), makes several facts blatantly clear. First off, while "Scars of the Crucifix" was a very solid return to form for the band, "The Stench of Redemption" eclipses the shit out of it in every fucking way. This is easily the best album the band has released since "Legion" way back in 1992, and in terms of recording quality, this is by far and wide the most superb the band has ever sounded. Period. The mix is relatively balanced, the drums are crisp without sounding overly rigid, and the guitar tones are fucking phenomenal—significantly stronger than the clinical and lifeless feel of the last record. And the songs? Let's just say this does not bode well for the Hoffman brothers' arguments as to the significance of their contributions in the band's more recent years. In some ways it's one of those "the more things change, the more they stay the same" situations, because, yeah, this is definitely a different Deicide. However, it's not something I would consider a departure from the band's predetermined path at all. It's still immediately recognizable as Deicide. Benton's trademark vocal work is in place, the material is still generally fast and fierce with plenty of blasts... I mean, come on, it's fuckin' Deicide, you know? It's a vicious death metal record. But at the same time, the speed and technicality of the riffing feels more comfortable here, so the songs possess an energy that's been lacking in the band's material for a long time now.

Plus, Owen and Santolla, I mean... wow. Why has it taken so long for these guys to get the chance to show their true talents on a recording like this!? I could've centered this entire write-up around how amazingly impressed I am with their performances on this album. I can emphatically state without question that "The Stench of Redemption" contains the best solos I've heard on a metal record in probably the last decade. Every single track contains multiple leads between the two guitarists, and they each shred all over the fucking place—but in a manner that adds an awesome degree of melody, not to mention an epic aesthetic, to the structures. You can tell they took the time to really write the solos, and that's getting rarer and rarer these days. I'm loving it, and I damn sure hope this Deicide lineup remains intact.

I'm really hoping this record will win some people over—especially those that gave up on the band years ago, or never even cared in the first place! It really is that good. Downloading is bullshit, so buy a copy for yourself:

Earache
Relapse Records