Stench of Redemption

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