DEICIDE - Overtures Of Blasphemy

Released September 14/18 (Century Media)

Christian-baters Deicide are back in action with another full-length release of death-defying death metal, their twelfth in twenty-eight years. The receipt of a new batch of tunes from Glen Benton and his most recent hoard-of-hired-hands is always an event considering his uncompromising views and spotty recording track record. While the last two (2011's To Hell With God and In The Minds Of Evil from 2013) were generally enthusiastically received and perceived as an uptick in quality, neither succeeded in really grabbing this metalhead's fancy, neither receiving much playback after the usual near-term listening cycle.

Glad to report that Overtures Of Blasphemy seems to harken back to the Once Upon The Cross golden era, rather than the ultra-slam of more recent assaults. There's a mix of tempos to sink your teeth into, really succeeding in getting the ol' neck muscles going. Benton spews out his endless anti-Christian tirades as usual, but the mix of chunky and speedy riffage really works well here. The lead guitar work is another highlight, the addition of Mark English (and extraction of Jack Owen) seemingly raising the bar for extreme soloing.

Gotta say that I'm really digging this new one. It's consistently kicking my ass from note one to last blasphemed belch. 40 minutes (over 12 tracks) of prime-time death here.

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