Despite being one of the longest-running death metal/black metal bands from the U.S.,
Deicide had a bit of a hurdle in front of them before working on their eighth studio album, 2006's
The Stench of Redemption -- founding members Eric and
Brian Hoffman had exited the band. But growler/bassist
Glen Benton soldiered on with a pair of quite accomplished replacements --
Jack Owen (ex-
Cannibal Corpse) and Ralph Santolla (ex-
Iced Earth) -- resulting in a release that follows the same path as
Deicide's previous efforts. Featured are the grindcore-esque album-opening title track, the rapid-fire "Walk with the Devil in Dreams You Behold," and a barely recognizable cover of
Deep Purple's "Black Night." Despite the lineup juggle,
Deicide's trademark extreme metal sound has remained intact, as evidenced throughout
The Stench of Redemption. ~ Greg Prato