The interview was conducted in London in 2006, before the release of The Stench of Redemption. It was published in the Norwegian magazine Scream Magazine and has never previously been released in English or published online.
DEICIDE is back with their eighth studio album, The Stench of Redemption. I head to London to talk with the band’s two original members, Glen Benton and Steve Asheim – two guys who are absolutely not afraid to speak their minds.
I’ve heard plenty of rumours that DEICIDE’s frontman Glen Benton isn’t the easiest person to interview. You don’t have to look any further than a few years back in Scream Magazine when Bjørn Nørsterud did an interview with Benton to get that confirmed. Surprisingly, though, DEICIDE turned out to be the easiest band I’ve ever interviewed. You’d be hard-pressed to find more talkative guys than Glen Benton and Steve Asheim. The first thing Benton asks me is what I think of their new record, to which I honestly reply that it’s not quite as good as their early albums, but much better than their most recent ones. Steve then jumps in to share his thoughts on The Stench of Redemption.
Steve: “I think the more you listen to it, the more you’ll discover. What probably happened, since you like the older albums more, is that you heard those when they were brand new. People tend to get attached to what they grow up with. This new album is superior in terms of technique, songwriting – everything that goes into making a record. So I think over time, the more you hear it, the more you’ll come to like it, and it’ll become a new classic. A Deicide classic. We both think it’s the best record we’ve ever made. All the elements of what makes a good album came together at the right time and place. The quality of the music, the production, the playing – everything. I even listen to it myself and think, ‘Wow, I wish all our albums had been made this well.'”
Back at Morrisound Studios again – that seems to be the right place for you?
Glen: “We like it there and we’ve used it for years. We’re just really familiar with it by now. We started recording there in ’89, so it’s been nearly 20 years. In the end, it really comes down to the musicians anyway. After the writing and rehearsing, the rest is mostly technical formalities.”
Steve: “We started going there because it’s a world-class studio with great producers. There’s no reason to go anywhere else when we have a perfect studio close by. It’s nearby, we can go home every day instead of messing with hotels and travel. We get a great product at a good price.”
And you produced it yourselves this time too?
Steve: “Of course. We brought in Neil Kernon for the last record, and he was a good guy, but why hire a producer when you end up producing the damn thing yourself anyway?”
The Stench of Redemption 666 EP was released exclusively through iTunes on June 6th, 2006 – why release an EP in front of the real album?
Glen: “That was the label’s idea while we were in the studio. We had no idea how long it would take to finish. I blame the label – I don’t make up that crap, they do. I mean, if you’re going to set a release date like that without even asking the band if it’s possible, that’s on them. I don’t just open my mouth and promise release dates like that.”
Steve: “If they hadn’t tried to do something with a special date like 06.06.06, they would’ve been clueless. So either way, they were going to release something, and they just took a few tracks to sell online. But whatever, it’s two bucks, cheaper than anything you’d get in a store. And the publicity was insane – CNN, big newspapers, everyone picked it up. So they did good with that.”
Glen: “We knew the album wouldn’t be ready by that date anyway, so blaming the label is fair. But it was still a cool thing to be part of. That kind of thing only happens once every hundred years – it’s like friggin’ Halley’s Comet or something, comes around every 70 years or whatever, ha ha… if you miss it, you miss it.”
The biggest change on the new album is the absence of the Hoffman brothers, your long-time guitarists. When I ask why they left, Benton doesn’t hold back:
Glen: “Because they just gave up. Gave up on everything it takes to be in a band – friendship, playing, everything. All because of a couple hundred bucks from album royalties. When we moved from Roadrunner to Earache, the royalty structure changed. They stopped getting paid for songs they hadn’t written. Me and Steve wrote most of the material, so because of their lack of input, they didn’t get much. At Earache, you get paid for what you actually do, and since they only contributed to a couple songs, they didn’t get paid much. When me and Steve got paid for the songs we’d written, they got pissed. They wanted money for songs we had written.”
Steve: “They’d learn the songs we’d already written and act like they’d helped create them. You explain the legal stuff, show them the rules, but it still wasn’t enough. We didn’t need their approval for earning money from our own work.”
Glen: “Then they start talking shit about me, saying my lyrics suck and all that – so fuck that, man! They’ve insulted me for years. Now it’s my turn, ha ha! You want the truth? I’ll give you the truth. I’m the fucking truth machine! Their lawyers quit because they had no case. They tried to get back in touch and asked if we could meet and talk about playing together again. Hell no! Ha-ha!”
Steve: “To hell with that! That’s the best you’ve got? Come on!”
Glen: “We could’ve taken legal action on a ton of things, but we didn’t. But if they try one more thing, we’ll crush them.”
Steve: “We haven’t heard much from them lately. They just talk to each other. Last time I talked to them, I asked why they’re wasting time shit-talking on Blabbermouth instead of starting a band, making a record, touring. But they haven’t. I don’t even think they own guitars anymore – sold off their gear.”
Glen: “They’ve had legal issues too. I don’t think they ever thought I’d tell my side of the story. But me and Steve are DEICIDE. We’ve always done the work. They quit, and now they’re trying to destroy DEICIDE. Why destroy something you helped build? They acted like jealous housewives. Even said we couldn’t be DEICIDE without them. They claimed they were DEICIDE, not me.”
Have they tried to claim the band name?
Glen: “They tried, but they couldn’t. I’ve had DEICIDE trademarked for over ten years. They tried to get their names on the paperwork, but that means nothing. I could sue them for attempting to forge documents. When this is over, they’ll be kissing my balls and removing their names.”
Steve: “Even if you ignore the legal stuff – how could they think DEICIDE could exist without Glen Benton? Really?”
They never realised how replaceable they were. Thought they were rock stars. They didn’t care about fans, wouldn’t talk to them or sign autographs, acted like they were larger than life – now they’ve had a reality check.
Glen Benton
Glen: “They never realised how replaceable they were. Thought they were rock stars. They didn’t care about fans, wouldn’t talk to them or sign autographs, acted like they were larger than life – now they’ve had a reality check. We’ve got two killer guitarists now – they’re spontaneous, emotional, not mechanical. You’ll hear real feeling on this album.”
Steve: “You can feel the vibe. There’s talent there. Before, I’d show the Hoffmans a riff, and I was just happy if they could play it. Now, I give it to Jack and Ralph and they build on it. Half of Scars of the Crucifix, Brian didn’t even play. He was out of it, and it sounded like shit. They didn’t care anymore. They were dragging DEICIDE down.”
Glen: “The guitars used to just be there – nothing special. Now they have purpose. I was ready to quit DEICIDE, but when they finally left (claps hands), I was thrilled to start fresh. If they walked in now, I’d leave. I don’t want to be around them. The racism bullshit and ignorance they brought – I’ve had enough of that for 14–15 years. I’m getting older and have better things to deal with. I’ll never play with them again.”
(Benton starts mocking the Hoffmans with a stupid voice: “We’ll never play with you again, man!” then laughs)
“I said ‘Great!’ and promised myself I’d never work with them again. The backstabbing, the label drama – all gone now. We’ve got positive energy instead of negative, and only good things can come from that. When I played with Vital Remains and Dave – an amazing guitarist – I got a taste of how it could be. That’s how DEICIDE should sound.”
Steve: “If this album sells well, they’re gonna be so bitter. It’s hilarious. I doubt they’ve jammed with anyone since leaving, so I don’t get how they thought they could keep going as DEICIDE.”
Glen: “I saw Eric in a bar once – he dyed his hair black to look like Dave Suzuki. A week later he shaved it off. Looked pathetic. If he’d come up and talked to me, I would’ve sent him straight to the hospital. But now, no more smashed backstage rooms or fights. The roadies quit, the stage manager quit, no one wanted to work with them. We couldn’t get anything done. But in the past couple years, we haven’t cancelled a single show.”
Though you did cancel your Oslo and Trondheim shows in 2004…
Glen: “Oh right. The Hoffmans never showed up at the airport. We brought Dave and Jack. Steve’s dad died around that time too. Once we got to Europe, the agent tried to rip us off, and the bus company threatened to kick us off unless we paid some $20,000 bill. We had to go back to the States. Sometimes, you just have to do that. But since then, we haven’t cancelled a single gig. That was just a bad business decision.”
Your new guitarists – Jack Owen (ex-Cannibal Corpse) and Ralph Santolla (ex-Iced Earth, Death) – aren’t exactly unknowns. How did they come into the picture, and how’s it working out?
Steve: “Jack stepped in first when the Hoffman thing started. When Dave Suzuki left (Dave Suzuki from Vital Remains, who served as a session guitarist for a period.), Ralph was Jack’s first choice. We’d known Ralph for years through the Hoffmans. These guys are pros – they know the industry and act like adults. We don’t have time for amateurs. You couldn’t ask for better guys. Jack’s got tons of experience, and every good guitarist looks up to Ralph. He’s the master.”
Glen: “He’s a freak, but I’d rather be around him than idiots on steroids who tape up the tour bus with nonsense. This is the perfect group now – better than I dared hope for. Jack is more reserved, Ralph is a loudmouth like me. If they weren’t on this album, it would’ve been a completely different record. You need chemistry – both musically and personally. You have to handle the truth without getting offended. The Hoffmans couldn’t take criticism. They thought they sounded great, bought a ton of gear, but still sounded like shit. They didn’t understand EQ at all. If you don’t know how to use EQ, you’re a real boob.”
(Glen explains how to set up a stereo properly – same idea with amps.)
“They must’ve tried 30 amps and all sounded terrible. Not surprising when you don’t know how to set them up. You try for 20 years to find your sound and still fail – you’ll never find it.”
Steve: “Scott Burns handled a lot of the guitar tone on Once Upon the Cross. He set it and said it would work. On Serpents of the Light, there was so much arguing he just gave up and let them do it their way. And you hear that on the album – it could’ve sounded so much better.”
DEICIDE’s lyrics once again focus on hatred for Christianity.
Glen: “Why not? Someone’s gotta sing about it – that’s just who I am. I’ve tried writing about other things, but I can’t. I just sit down and the words come out. I find the title first, then the rest follows. Can you picture me singing about anything else? The words just flow out – there’s nothing I can do about it.”
(Benton launches into a hilarious mock performance of songs about everyday stuff.)
You’ve got a song called “Homage for Satan” – sounds like a tribute to Satan?
Glen: “Ha ha, that was my way of giving back. Saying thanks. When I first heard the riff, the first thing that popped into my head was (sings) ‘Homage for Satan.’ When that’s the first thing you think of, what can you do?”
When it comes to Satanism, are you serious or not?
Glen: “Well, a bit, yeah – but I’m not walking around laughing maniacally. It’s mostly about hating Christianity. They call me a Satanist because I don’t believe. I’m in opposition. Christians are so fucking annoying. I want to go where my friends are, and they’re all freaks – so obviously we’re all going to Hell. They say this world is Hell – because we have bodies and can feel pain. But when we die and become pure energy – you’ve seen Ghost, right? That’s what I want to be – a ghost flying around messing shit up. Ha ha.”
You’ve dissed Roadrunner Records in past interviews. But your appearance on the Roadrunner United album made me wonder if the relationship wasn’t as bad as it seemed?
Glen: “Honestly, nothing was really wrong. The Hoffman brothers were convinced Roadrunner ripped us off, and that created a lot of drama. They made threats and called them up. I don’t have a relationship with Roadrunner, but we fulfilled our contract and moved on. The Hoffmans were obsessed with Roadrunner being the enemy. Then we moved to Earache – now that’s apparently the enemy. Roadrunner’s still cool with us. The Hoffmans think everyone’s wrong except them.”
(Interview ends abruptly due to a scheduled BBC interview.)
Steve later comes over to tell me that if all goes to plan, DEICIDE will return to Norway soon.
Steve: “In January, with Vader. It’s gonna be cold – but we’re coming.”
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