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Legion (Deicide album)
1992 studio album by Deicide From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Legion is the second studio album by American death metal band Deicide, released on June 9, 1992 by R/C Records.
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Background and recording
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According to Joe DiVita of Loudwire, a rumor exists that the album had to be retracked due to its extremely high tempos, causing it to be too short.[1]
Though the album remains a fan favorite, "Dead But Dreaming" is the only song from it to remain in the band's live set (as recently as 2010, the band has begun playing "Trifixion" and "Holy Deception" as well). When the Hoffman brothers quit the band, Eric Hoffman stated that one of the main reasons was Glen Benton refusing to play longer sets and being unable to perform the technical bass guitar riffing required for Legion's material.[citation needed] However, by Steve Asheim's account, the Hoffmans themselves struggled to play the album's material, and would make excuses for why it could not be performed. He recalled: "Whenever we tried playing those songs, it was a trainwreck. So it took for this long of time to pass to get some competent players in, who can actually for one thing, listen to the riffs and hear what is going on, secondly, get a tone to actually represent the record and play it correctly, and third, present it and get the band tight with that material again. You know, it took about six months of going through the material. [...] I don't know, people thought it was our fault, but clearly it wasn't, because we're pulling that shit off now and people are digging it saying it sounds good. So the proof is kind of right there on where the problem lied."[2]
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Music
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Kelly Simms of Invisible Oranges assessed that on Legion, Deicide deviated from the "extreme elements" that were abundant on their debut album and pursued a "more straightforward brutal aesthetic." The album's production is said to be "sharper and thicker" than its predecessor.[3] Frontman Glen Benton believes the album was "ahead of its time" and that the album's high tempos "caught everybody off-guard," self-describing the album's sound as "fuckin over the top."[4]
Legion is one of Deicide's most musically ambitious releases, and is considered to be more technical than its predecessor. It has also been noted for containing more blast beats than its predecessor.[5][6] Joe DiVita of Loudwire called the album "29 minutes of sheer technical chaos."[7] Unlike Deicide's first album, no pitch shifters or harmonizers were used on Benton's vocals. However, delay, reverb, and multi-tracking were among the studio manipulations used to achieve the vocal effects on the album.[citation needed]
The album's guitar riffs utilize excessive tremolo picking and palm muting, and have been described as "sinister" and "chunky" – as well as "hooky" and "catchy." According Zeke Ferrington of Gear Gods, "the scratchy distortion hides all the killer riffing behind a veil of obnoxious, high frequencies. All that you're really left with are chugging rhythms with no discernible pitch." Additionally, the album's guitar solos have been described as "chaotic." Benton's basslines follow the guitar parts of the Hoffmans.[8][3]
The first track, "Satan Spawn, the Caco-Daemon", features a backward message. At about twenty seconds, a voice can be heard repeating the song's title.[citation needed]
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Artwork
Deicide frontman Glen Benton claims to have designed the album's cover artwork. He said, "when I did the Legion album cover, computers were still fucking new. Nobody knew anything about three-dimensional artwork or any shit like that. And I was the first person to even fucking fuck with that."[9]
Reception and legacy
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Metal Storm said Legion is "in general a good album, some songs are well executed and with complex musical writing, but there are others that are just very simple and repetitive".[12]
Vincent Jeffries of AllMusic stated, "Legion stands out as a musically complex but familiar offering from the band. Live favorite 'Trifixion' is indeed one of the better cuts from the release, but it's easier to consider this disc (and most records like it) as a whole. Deicide's compositions and performances are solid and serious throughout". He also suggested, "newer death metal fans will do well to start off their collection with Legion".[10]
In 2022, Kelley Simms of Invisible Oranges wrote: "If their debut album was a game changer, then Legion did everything to top it. The songwriting was more cohesive and the musicianship really improved from its debut album. The band were at their tightest on Legion, as the tracks sound energetic, razor sharp, and scathing, while Asheim is a beast behind the kit. The legacy of Legion will live on as being one of the most evil, most brutal and most cohesive death metal albums ever created."[13]
Benton has commented on the record's positive retrospective reception, stating "Everybody fuckin' hated it, all the magazines hated it; now it's years later and everybody loves it."[14]
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Track listing
All songs written by Deicide (Glen Benton and Steve Asheim).
Personnel
- Glen Benton – bass, vocals
- Eric Hoffman – guitars
- Brian Hoffman – guitars
- Steve Asheim – drums
- Deicide – production
- Scott Burns – production, mixing
References
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