Till Death Do Us Part (CD - 2008)

One of death metal's original practitioners, Deicide have remained true believers in their own grisly anti-religion since 1987. The band is as heavy as ever 21 long years after forming, and the band's 2008 release, TILL DEATH DO US PART, is a prime example of classic full-bore Florida death action. Their hateful assault is still bolstered by devastatingly precise instrumental chops, and songs like the frantic "In the Eyes of God" sound like a dozen boxers on a speed bag in hell. Original members Glen Benton and Steve Asheim lock in on bass and drums respectively to create a scouring rhythm section, and Benton's trend-setting subterranean growls seem to promise madness and oblivion. The secret guitar melodies hidden among the chaos, however, are what make TILL DEATH DO US PART more than just a generic death metal album, as all the speed and complexity serve superior song craft.

Just four years after being placed on life support (again) by most critics due to the departure of long-serving twin guitarists Eric and Brian Hoffman, Deicide's career appears to be very much back on track, as if any other scenario were possible for a band whose leader -- Glen Benton -- once branded an inverted cross into his forehead. Their third album for Earache, Till Death Do Us Part, even addresses this refusal to surrender with its title, then attempts to live up to PR billings describing it as Deicide's "fastest, most brutal album ever!" Needless to say, fans will never reach an agreement on whether this is true, but all will invariably consent that it's pretty darn fast, pretty darn brutal -- just not during the slow-building instrumental opener, "The Beginning of the End," nor the terrific ensuing title track. The latter's mid-paced menace is nevertheless an album highlight, in advance of some truly devastating, inexorable death metal sprints like "Hate of All Hatreds," "Severed Ties," and "Angel of Agony." Another strike against these (and other decapitating cuts like "In the Eyes of God" and "Worthless Misery") in terms of the "most ever" claim is that recently added guitarists Jack Owen and Ralph Santolla solo with inherent musicality, rather than pursuing the scorch and shriek, Slayer-like technique preferred by the Hoffmans before them, but some listeners may actually prefer the added contrast their melodic sensibilities provide. All speeds -- fast, sort of fast, and really, really fast -- get a little airtime on the album's arguable climax, the sensory holocaust "Not as Long as We Both Shall Live," and perhaps as some kind of insurance against future six-string shenanigans, even drummer Steven Asheim is invited to join in on the lead guitar action now and then, really taking charge for "Horror in the Halls of Stone." By the time concluding instrumental "The End of the Beginning" puts the icing on Deicide's latest blackened cake, fans may just be looking at this storied band's most consistent and satisfying release in over a decade. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia minimize