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Deicide: Serpents of the light
30/09/08 || Daemonomania
In our ongoing effort at GD to obsessively chronicle everything that has ever happened to Mr. Glen Benton since birth, this review of yet another Deicide album will be added to our already burgeoning catalogue of Bentonia. I can’t wait to finish writing it so I can continue burning this red-hot cross attached to a clothes hanger into my forehead until the scarring becomes permanent.
“Serpents of the light” is from Deicide’s dreaded mid-period, where the intensity of their early classics had faded away into a more routine, let’s get an album out there its 1997 type attitude. Some might say Deicide have never emerged from that period, but of course we all know those people are horribly wrong. Besides, what Floridian death metal innovator didn’t go through a rough patch where their albums were so-so? Uh, Death I guess because Chuck died, and Morbid Angel always did push the envelope, and Monstrosity never put out anything too uninspired – oh well, let’s ignore that idea for now.
Instead, we’ll go back to 1997 and revel in the joy of Bentonians worldwide as his mighty troupe Deicide released another platter of bladder splatter for the masses to enjoy. The cover art was ugly, the Deicide logo was spiky, and the music was pretty good. Yes, many of the tracks sounded exactly the same. Yes, if a song was entitled “Blame it on god,” you were guaranteed to hear blame it on god! in the chorus. Probably repeated two or three times. And yes, the album clocked in at just over thirty minutes. But any follower of Glen the Great knows this is par for course. Expect the expected.
I hear the call of music historians everywhere: delve into the creation of “Serpents of the light!” Your wish is my command. Mr. Benton stayed up all night, a lone candle burning, stroking his beard and writing his odes to Satan in great flurries of penmanship and wordsmithery. Steve Asheim practiced on his kit with one hand while his other arm was tattooed. The Hoffman brothers drank beer, did some skeet shooting, and forgot until the last minute that they had to go in and record another album. The production team at Morrisound worked hard to make this one sound a lot like every other disc Scott Burns had worked on, and succeeded greatly. Maybe that’s being unfair, this is a bit more raw than most of death metal at the time. Some say that Deicide was influenced in their production choices by the rising tide of black metal at the time, others say they were inspired by the life and achievements of Nelson Mandela. No one is really sure.
Whatever their Muse, most agree that “Serpents” was a crowning jewel amid a period that saw Glen and friends struggling. The sheer, undeniable catchiness of many of these tracks is a testament to well-written hooks and well-executed vocal patterns. The drumming was nothing to sneeze at either – competent but not overpowering. It may be easier to remember a lot of the material because a lot of it sounds very similar. The groove is omnipresent, also aiding Bentonians in their quest to memorize everything His Glenness hath wrought. His bass lines were a bit hard to hear, but hey, welcome to Morrisound.
So there you have it. Like “Back in black,” the highlights are many because a formula was discovered and followed. The title track, “Blame it on god,” “I am no one,” and “The truth above” are all killers. Besides “Father baker’s” (as opposed to mother broilers) every opus has that certain something that will have you growling the chorus in no time flat. In a sea of Deicide output, this is a good one to pick up. It would take a few years before “Scars of the crucifix” would come along and kick this gang into high gear again. Great work Glen. You continue to be an inspiration to us all. Please continue to lead the faithful in your ongoing mission to destroy religion through confused lyrical content and mixed-quality death metal. Thank you sir. Thank you so much.
7 children named Ben Glenton in His honor out of 10.
- Information
- Released: 1997
- Label: Roadrunner
- Website: www.deicide.com
- Band
- Glen Benton: vocals, bass
- The Brothers Hoffman: guitars
- Steve Asheim: drums
- Tracklist
- 01. Serpents of the Light
- 02. Bastard of Christ
- 03. Blame It on God
- 04. This Is Hell We’re In
- 05. I Am No One
- 06. Slave to the Cross
- 07. Creatures of Habit
- 08. Believe the Lie
- 09. The Truth Above
- 10. Father Baker’s
