Deicide - Till Death Do Us Part

Florida’s finest amp up the violence

For some years now, American death metal has taken a back seat in intensity and innovation to the genre’s Polish and Swedish new wave, as well as to the growing US grindcore scene. Morbid Angel are on the nostalgia circuit, while Obituary have produced a series of average albums. Only Deicide and Cannibal Corpse are anywhere near the top of their game after almost two decades on the road, with the former returning to their lethal mid-90s form two years ago with The Stench Of Redemption. Fortunately, they’ve maintained that ferocity with Till Death Do Us Part, inspired by frontman Glen Benton’s tumultuous private life.

Like Stench, this is infused with anger and pushed into new levels of extremity by the blastbeats of primary songwriter Steve Asheim, but all this vitriol is kept carefully in check by the classy, melodic solos of ex-Iced Earth shredder Ralph Santolla. The horrific assault of Asheim’s fastest songs might have been intolerable if it hadn’t been for Santolla’s measured, dexterous approach. A couple of slower, more doomy songs add light and shade, and all the disparate elements fuse to make Till Death Do Us Part one of Deicide’s best albums to date.

Earache | tbc

Reviewed by Joel McIver
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