R/C Records - 1992
9/10
In 1990, Deicide put out what I consider to be one of the greatest death metal records ever recorded. But literally anything after that is hit or miss, with the misses being more frequent as we move away from the debut. Their second record, Legion, is what I’ve always seen as the only one that grows from the exact same roots, before they would begin evolving as other bands of the style hit the scene. With this in mind, I find it to be a fun one to revisit as well from time to time.
The easiest criticism off the bat could be that Legion feels like a bit of a carbon copy of the debut, made even shorter. The littlest bit of polishing comes through, and there are far fewer of the background growls that were extremely present before. Building a foundation on this is certainly strong, as the style hones in on simpler rhythms that push forward with deep riffing and speed picking. Pummeling drums that don’t pop through the surface too much are added, giving the same straightforward feeling from the percussion. It also wouldn’t be early Deicide without the Kerry King inspired fast and whiny solos that amazingly work better here than they do in some Slayer songs.
But what sets this apart besides a few small notes? Mainly, the songwriting brings forth a dash of diversity. “Holy Deception” is easily one of the best songs from the early era. This one builds on steadier riffs that work into a faster eruption alongside explosive vocals. I also love the descending feelings of “Dead But Dreaming,” having a chorus that stands out. Opener “Satan-Spawn, The Caco-Daemon” lets on some nasty, evil snarls to show the momentum that this will carry early on, and the more concise progressions on “Repent To Die” leave a great aftertaste.
Maybe not a significant step forward in terms of new inspiration, but the sophomore Deicide record absolutely holds up, even beside its perfect predecessor. Lost is the completely raw and unrelenting simplicity, but gained is a slightly tighter presence, and things remain as consistent as ever. There isn’t much else I could ask for in this context.
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