In a way, we’re thankful to whoever tried to ram Christianity down Glen Benton’s throat during his childhood, as the end result was a chip on his shoulder the size of the Rock of Gibraltar, leaving the rest of us with some of the sickest death metal to have ever existed. That dude hates God. While we at The Hard Times are obligated to feel the same way about our Lord and Savior, we can hardly see ourselves turning that hatred into the 13 studio albums of pure, visceral abhorrence that Benton has blessed us with (lol.) So put on your boots and leather jacket and find a slightly less conspicuous place on your body on which to brand an upside-down crucifix (chances are you work in IT along with 70% of death metal fans and your boss wouldn’t like it,) and get ready to rank the Deicide albums from least to most-blasphemous. Let’s go!
13. In Torment in Hell (2001)
The first thing we noticed on listening to “In Torment in Hell” was how grimy the production sounds, and not in a good way. Overall, the songs kind of feel rushed and slapped together, which doesn’t mean the album’s a complete loss. The title track has some catchy riffs, and the vocal phrasing on “Child of God” would make Beelzebub himself buzz with joy. Give this one a listen only after you’ve visited their others and graduate into a seasoned Deicide fan. Until then, consider yourself still fashioned in the image of God. You fucking poser.
Play it again: “Lurking Among Us”
Skip it: “Imminent Doom”
12. Till Death Do Us Part (2008)
This one is largely reviled among Deicide fans, which is a shame considering how fucking evil the album art is. It’s not unlistenable by any stretch of the imagination, but it definitely won’t stick with you the way most of their other works will. On the whole, it’s just not as catchy as their other releases, and gets kind of plodding at times. Toss it on when doing your homework, as it’ll provide some good background noise but won’t be so sick that it distracts you from your differential equations.
Play it again: “In the Eyes of God”
Skip it: “Worthless Misery”
11. Insineratehymn (2000)
Can we immediately pan an album based on our reaction to its punny title alone? Trust us, we really, really want to with this one, but unfortunately, it’s actually pretty fun to listen to (for the most part.) It’s got kind of an emphasis on grooves, which sometimes works (“Suffer Again”) and sometimes doesn’t (“Halls of Worship.”) Much like “Till Death Do Us Part,” it feels kind of plodding at times, but there are still enough catchy riffs and Christ-hammering vocals to keep the diehards happy. Toss it on in the car while driving Grandma to church to make her reevaluate the last 80 years of her life.
Play it Again: “Worst Enemy”
Skip it: “The Gift That Keeps on Giving”
10. Banished by Sin (2024)
The latest album by the fearsome God-haters is pretty standard fare. We enjoyed it, but there weren’t a whole lot of standout moments here. The production is pretty good, with the exception of the vocals being a little high in the mix. Some of the trem-picked riffs hearken back to the far-superior “The Stench of Redemption” (more to come on that,) but the hooks and earworms that draw so many to Deicide are few and far between on “Banished by Sin.” You can definitely have a good time with this release, but you’re probably going to have a better time with most of their others. Also, that album cover gets a thumbs down on both quality and basic human decency.
Play again: “Sever the Tongue”
Skip it: “Woke from God” (we read the lyrics so you don’t have to…ugh)
9. Overtures of Blasphemy (2018)
Now that is an album cover! We have no clue what’s going on here, but we’d love to park our hefty asses on one of those oversized fingers and knock out some articles for you freaks. Speaking of heft, “Overtures of Blasphemy” feels large and weighty from the get-go, with that heavy-ass riff playing under Benton growling “cauterize the blood of Christ!” Really doesn’t get much more evil than that. This is twelve songs of straightforward Deicide, with not much worth complaining about. Invite your neighbors over and toss this on at the barbeque. It should spark some interesting conversation.
Play it again: “Flesh, Power, Dominion”
Skip it: “Compliments of Christ” (come on now, we’re not here to compliment the guy)
8. In the Minds of Evil (2013)
“In the Minds of Evil” sounds fantastic. These songs are fast, catchy, evil as fuck, and overall just very fun to listen to. Steve Asheim keeps up the vicious pummeling on the skins that death metalheads are rabid for, and former Cannibal Corpse shredder Jack Owen turns in a fantastic performance in his unfortunate swansong with the band. Just listen to “Beyond Salvation” and try not to bang your fucking head off. Jesus Christ hears this and shakes his fist in impotent rage. Keep up the good work, Glen.
Play it again: “Kill the Light of Christ”
Skip it: “Misery of One”
7. Scars of the Crucifix (2004)
The last album with the founding Hoffman brothers is a beast, and we mean that both figuratively and in the Book of Revelation sense. We’ve got heavy-as-fuck drumming, killer guitar solos, unbelievably evil layered high and low vocals, and even warring motorcycle gangs in the absolutely befuddling music video for the title track. What more can death metal fans (primarily those living in Florida) ask for? “Enchanted Nightmare” in particular is an excellent example of all of these (sans the Harley-riding bad boys, unfortunately.) So rev up your hog and give this one a listen; just do us all a favor and leave the Blue Lives Matter sticker at home.
Play it again: “The Pentecostal”
Skip it: “Fuck Your God” (that one was on the CIA’s infamous “Torture Playlist,” so we think it’s been played enough)
6. The Stench of Redemption (2007)
Hell yeah! We’re sad to see the Hoffman brothers go, but Jack Owen and the late, great Ralph Santolla breathe some new life into the band with “The Stench of Redemption,” and the end result was pretty cool. Santolla’s solos in particular give these tunes a bit of a medieval, Andy LaRocque quality that fits much better than one would expect. Just watch the music video for “Homage for Satan” if you want to see some zombies fuck up a priest to a guitar solo that sounds befitting of a traveling bard. Play this one for your “I listen to everything but country and rap” friends to test the limits of their claim.
Play it again: “Desecration”
Skip it: “Never to Be Seen Again”
5. Serpents of the Light (1997)
Whaaaa….? One of the first four Deicide albums is not in the top four? Hear us out. “Serpents of the Light” is a fantastic album from top to bottom, and the only death metal album we can think of that has the term “holy shit” in its lyrics. This is a groove-laden collection of headbang-worthy blasphemy, and it’s not difficult to see why so many fans top their lists with it. We love it, but we just feel it’s outshined by the four albums below. If that infuriates you, feel free to call us posers in the comments. Just don’t call us Christians, as that would be crossing a line.
Play again: “Blame It on God”
Skip it: “Creatures of Habit”
4. To Hell with God (2011)
2011’s “To Hell with God” proved that Deicide was coming into the 2010’s swinging, and showed itself to be their most pummeling release of the new millennium. Crushing, evil, and catchy (godDAMN that title track will get stuck in your head,) in such a way that we were able to overlook the appalling pun in “Save Your,” this one goes hard from start to finish. It even has a cooler version of that childhood prayer from “Enter Sandman” in “Servant of the Enemy.” Also, bonus points for the music video for “Conviction,” which is like “James and the Giant Peach” if it had been about beating the shit out of Jesus. We’d probably remember that movie a lot better if that was the case.
Play it again: “Hang in Agony Until You’re Dead”
Skip it: The album cover. It goes for “hellish Sermon on the Mount,” but we ended up with “PC first-person-shooter game cover from the ’90s”
3. Self-Titled (1990)
No skippable tracks from here on out, folks. This is one of the hardest death metal debuts in history, and WOW, does it rip. Play “Sacrificial Suicide” for anyone who doesn’t listen to death metal, and they’ll run cowering in fear. Benton relies primarily on high vocals here, and the rapid fire of his growls hearkens back to Tom Araya on “Reign in Blood.” The Slayer influence isn’t just restricted to the vocals, as you can detect Kerry King’s residual stank all over that opening solo to “Dead by Dawn.” This is a must-have for anyone who’s even casually interested in death metal, and if you don’t have it, you might as well apply for seminary school.
Play it again: “Blasphereraion”
Skip it: the opening clip of “Carnage in the Temple of the Damned.” We’d rather remember Powers Boothe from his role in “Sudden Death.”
2. Legion (1992)
Fast, ludicrously technical and (have you sensed a pattern yet?) unspeakably blasphemous, 1992’s “Legion” is a death metal staple. You very well may consider it your number one, and we can’t argue with that. From the bleating of goats in the first track to the heart-attack inducing vocals closing out “Revocate the Agitator,” this one does not let up, and it’s a wonder they were able to play any of these songs live, let alone the whole album in its entirety during their 2022 tour. Just listen to Steve Asheim’s drumming on “Behead the Prophet (No Lord Shall Live).” Are his feet fucking serious? We had more to say about this album, but we’re just going to sit here and shake our heads in disbelief for the next few minutes.
Play it again: Yep
Skip it: Satan’s actual voice cameo in “Trifixion,” but only if you scare easily.
1. Once Upon the Cross (1995)
“Once Upon the Cross” slowed things down just a hair from their previous two releases and substituted the speed for a focus on catchy hooks, and it sure as shit was a success. It might not be quite the exemplar of technicality of its predecessors (though it’s still quite impressive,) but “Once Upon the Cross” is a shining beacon of songwriting perfection in death metal, and it proved that the genre can be catchy while still terrifyingly evil. Just listen to Benton growl the song title in “Behind the Light Thou Shall Rise” and try not to swear your allegiance to the Dark Lord. Yeah, that’s what we thought. We’ll see you at the next Black Mass.
Play it again: All of it, including the several cameos by Willem Dafoe
Skip it: Only if you want to get into Heaven.