Deicide is a rather tumultuous death metal band, known mostly for their controversies in the nineties and the separation of the two founding members - the brothers Brian and Eric Hoffman -, following a dispute with bassist and vocalist Glen Benton.
A fourth member of Deicide, Steve Asheim, is also the drummer and has been a solid member since the beginning of the band (under the name Amon), in 1988.
When people hear "controversial death metal band" they usually think of Cannibal Corpse and the associated lyrics, but there is more than one way to generate controversy, and infighting is one of them... just ask Abbath and Demonaz of Immortal!
In a recent interview, for the release of his upcoming book The Death Metal Bible, heavy metal expert and author Antoine Grand spoke in great lengths to former members Eric and Brian Hoffman as well as current drummer Steve Asheim.
Steve Asheim and the Hoffmans Talk Glen Benton, Amon, Deicide
All three members were (separately? it isn't clear...) asked to comment on various topics, their favourite metal albums, and so on. But mostly, they were asked about what led to the break-up of Deicide.
Steve Asheim and Brian Hoffman
Drummer Steve Asheim, who is still currently with the band, sets out the tone of the interview.
Steve Asheim: It had really been like that since 1995 at least. The thing is that these guys [Brian and Eric Hoffman] and Glen [Benton] had never really liked each other -- ever. But I mean, when it broke down to the point where I had to be like the UN Peacekeeper, I was already used to being the one in the middle, and eventually it got to the point where that wasn't even working anymore. There was just total resentment and hatred toward each other from either side, and I think if I were to have just thrown up my hands and said "f[-]ck this", then for sure the band would have broken up.
Steve continues with anecdotes about how the Hoffmans would walk out on shows, or how Benton was often too drunk and intoxicated to rehearse properly so was left to "writing lyrics hung over [sic]".
But the killing blow comes from Brian Hoffman, once the guitarist of Deicide.
Brian Hoffman: The bottom line is, the bitterness comes from Glen because he resents the fact that I don't condone his serious [fentanyl] drug addiction. When faced with a decision like this it was very difficult for me, especially after all these years but I really had no choice. There is no reasoning with a person like this [...] He [Glen Benton] and didn't know any of the bass lines so Eric played them! This argument could go back and forth forever but the camera doesn't lie. I have some hilarious video footage of him in the studio trying to play the songs on the bass. [...] His addiction is now so bad that he rips off his own mother. [...] I wish Steve and whoever else who has to deal with this person who has no more bridges to burn, good luck. Maybe they could teach Glen how to play that bass.
He relates that Glen Benton couldn't play bass properly... and the bass lines had to be recorded by his brother Eric!
Eric Hoffman: "he was the worst bass player ever"
Eric Hoffman, perhaps lesser known in the extreme metal scene than his brother Brian, also shares a negative - albeit more nuanced - opinion of Glen Benton.
Eric Hoffman: I, Eric Hoffman, hired Glen Benton from a local music magazine. His name was 'Rock.' He was a terrible singer at the time, so we hired a friend of ours from DEGRADATION to sing. He was very good, but could not phrase the song properly. Then Glen tried to show him how the lyric phrasing should be since he wrote the lyrics and he did it in a growl. I said, 'That sounds like the devil, so act like you're the devil for a gimmick.' We then let the other singer go. [...] I never saw him once worship the devil. He was married in a church. It is all a show. His wife now left him and took all the money he stole from Deicide. [...] He did not play all his bass lines in the studio, could not do technical riffs. I recorded one of my songs 'The Pentecostal' on his bass. Steve has done almost all his bass lines on all previous albums. I actually had to buy him a bass because he was so unprofessional. [...] Every sound engineer said he was the worst bass player they ever heard. Scott Burns and Neil [Kernon] can tell that one someday.
Eric Hoffman concludes the exchange as follows.
Eric Hoffman: And there are other topics. No one said anything about his simulating sex sounds of him getting it in the rear on 'Torment In Hell'. That is why I did not do solos on that record. No more twinks for Satan.
With such animosity between all four members, every one blaming the other party for the break up, it's hard to see Deicide reforming one day with the original lineup.
The band itself has been on a steady downtrend into irrelevance since the mid 1990s, by which point they ran out of creative "juice".
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