Deicide
Legion

So, the saying "third time's a charm" is really true...
After the infamous failures of Judas Priest/Obituary, I hope I'm not stealing this review from someone, but since on DeBaser there is only the Live in London by MaledettaPrimavera (great, anyway) about Deicide, it's intolerable that the metal reviewers don't give due justice to an album that has made, is making, and will make history like this one.
So I get back to work.
“Legion”: yet another test for Deicide, who had stirred souls with the previous “Deicide”, leaving critics and deathsters speechless and with no other desire than to anticipate the times to see, burning with curiosity as they were, what the successor of the album would be like with an uncontrollable desire to headbang in time with demonic rhythms.
Before delving into the details of the album, I want to announce two things:
1-The album is very, very violent; nonetheless, it is an absolute masterpiece in the early '90s Death Metal scene;
2-Glen Benton is a satanist with mental issues who has no smarter purpose in life other than to “Burn in Hell” (if he's happy…), “Have my revenge” (Baura Baura I want the babbaaaaa!), “Not take the plane to avoid feeling close to God” (in fact, when he plays concerts in Europe or outside his Florida, he always arrives exhausted, try doing all those km on foot) and engage in pleasant dialogues with us
on topics mainly concerning the interesting and engaging themes of:
-Satan
-Satan
-Satan
-666 UURGGHHHH AHAHAHAH THE BEAST MASTER SATAN, RISE!!!!!! UUURGHHHAHAHAHA!
As you may have understood, I can do nothing else for this poor man, burned by alcohol and the much-desired hellfire that he believes frightens us, leading us to call dear mom at the top of our lungs so she can tuck us in, other than to feel strong compassion for him and his bitter fate in his much-coveted Hell (where, unless he becomes a priest, which I highly doubt, he will indeed end up, with his utmost joy).
But I cannot fail to admit that Glen Benton is a musically important figure for the evolution of Death Metal as well as a great singer and a good bassist: and anyway his Deicide are authentic pioneers of late '80s/early '90s Death Metal without whom Death Metal would never have been heard of (but don't touch Chuck Schuldiner).
With “Legion” the god-slayers probably marked what would have been their best work: an album that, when compared to the recent, pathetic “In Torment In Hell” (the originality of the titles is always in vogue in the Benton household), seems to have Godzilla (just to stay on theme, since the word “God” is in it) against an ant.
Violence, uncompromising speed, excellent technique, absolutely irregular timings, and diabolical lyrics (and really original, you know!…kidding, unfortunately…) make this album a cornerstone (given the recent issues with the Dwarves, better avoid the word “Masterpiece”) of Death Metal.
The brothers Eric and Brian Hoffman are responsible for an absolutely exceptional performance, with hyper-technical solos at absurd speeds, promptly accompanied by an excellent Steve Asheim in great form who thus confirms himself in the Olympus of Death Metal time-keepers, (wait, I got lost, better repeat the main verb…ah, yes, here it is) and by Glen Benton who, about playing the bass, knows his stuff (always with that damn pick in his hand though…oh well) and singing too, masterfully dominating everything with his unique, characteristic, and unmistakable catacombal voice.
The lyrics range from “Satan lives” to “Satan reigns” to the more original “I want to die for Satan” (if you're happy…) and the more complicated and undoubtedly elaborate “All Christians will be killed and the legions of Satan will take over the slaughtered Christians.” As you might have realized, it won't be for the lyrics that you'll buy the CD.
But it will be instead for the music, exceptional, magnificent, brutal, and extremely violent as Deicide had accustomed us in the first albums: here lies Benton’s trademark, with the unmistakable songwriting typical of the four deicides.
If it weren’t for the lyrics, absolutely useless and exchangeable for a long delirium full of sick visions from a diseased mind, the album could be not among the top five, but without a doubt, among the top ten best Death Metal albums residing in my modest home.
Tracks like the brutal opener “Satan Spawn, The Caco-Daemon” and other milestones like “Repent To Die”, “In Hell I Burn” and the final “Revocate The Agitator” (not listing them all would be an injustice) make us fully understand the great compositional ability of the four.
A must-have!