There was a time when Deicide represented the absolute outer limits of what American death metal could tolerate. Thirty years later, with the benefit of hindsight and the antics of certain Norwegian black metal musicians who took their lyrics far too literally, Glen Benton's inverted cross and anti-Christian tirades no longer carry quite the same shock value. Age and perspective have made Deicide seem less dangerous than they once did. The music, however, remains every bit as punishing.
At Hellfest, the band's blunt-force approach lands with all the subtlety of a hammer striking an anvil. This is not the sort of pit where strangers embrace and celebrate diversity. There are no good vibes and no kumbaya singalongs. A Deicide crowd behaves less like a community than a cult, and those unwilling to submit to the ritual risk being chewed up and spat out by the faceless beast surging beneath the Altar stage.
Benton himself appears considerably more approachable than the man who terrified Christian talk shows in the nineties, but his conviction remains intact. Whether or not anyone can decipher a word he growls is almost beside the point. Deicide has always been about atmosphere, power and unwavering commitment to the bit. And when the band finally leaves the stage, all that remains is carnage in the Temple of the Damned.
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TesseracT @ Main Stage 2 (Photos, setlist)
Point Mort @ Warzone (Photo)
Queensrÿche @ Main Stage 1 (Photos, review, setlist)
Stoned Jesus @ Valley Stage (Photos, review, setlist)
Bloodywood @ Main Stage 2 (Photos, setlist)
Accept @ Main Stage 1 (Photos, review, setlist)
Sepultura @ Main Stage 2 (Photos, review, setlist)
Helloween @ Main Stage 1 (Photos, review, setlist)
Opeth @ Main Stage 2 (Photos, review, setlist)
Iron Maiden @ Main Stage 1 (Photos, review, setlist)
DAY FOUR
Scour @ Temple Stage (Photos, review, setlist)
Eyehategod @ Valley Stage (Photos, review)
Six Feet Under @ Altar Stage (Photos, review, setlist)
Corrosion Of Conformity @ Valley Stage (Photos, review)
Possessed @ Altar Stage (Photos, setlist)
Agnostic Front @ Warzone - (Photos, setlist)
Acid Bath @Valley Stage (Photos, review, setlist)
Marduk @ Altar Stage (Photos, setlist)
Napalm Death @ Altar Stage (Photos, review, setlist)
Down @ Valley Stage (Photos, review, setlist)