Deicide – S/T LP

Deicide’s self-titled 1990 debut is more than just one of the genre’s top-selling releases, it stands as a seismic artistic and philosophical declaration. To call its stance on organised religion “uncompromising” is almost an understatement, as the band takes aim not only at Christianity but also at cult figures like Charles Manson (“Lunatic of God’s Creation”) and Jim Jones (“Carnage in the Temple of the Damned”). Yet amidst the darkness, the tongue-in-cheek nod to The Evil Dead in “Dead by Dawn” offers a rare flash of sardonic levity on what is otherwise a relentlessly blackened album.

The fury of Glen Benton’s venomous vocals and bass work pairs with the Hoffman brothers’ searing dual guitar attacks, delivering riffs and leads that remain among death metal’s fiercest. Still, the true driving force might be drummer Steve Asheim, whose double-kick onslaught and blastbeat precision remain jaw-dropping decades later. Brutal, blasphemous, and undeniably groundbreaking, Deicide is the record that redefined what death metal could be.