Review by Jeger on June 17, 2024.

The mighty Deicide! Cross torchers and blasphemers of the notorious Tampa, Florida, USA death metal scene alongside the infernal Morbid Angel. While Cannibal and Obituary butchered ‘em, our boys here dedicated their craft to the destruction of all that is holy. Is Deicide’s music about Satanism? Not at all, just teenaged pissed off at God for having to get dressed up to go to church on Sunday vibes… 

Long gone is the Legion era and never has that level of aggression, technicality and speed been matched since. And to expect that type of in-the-zone play at this point in Deicide’s career would be asking too much. As long as these crusters are still pumping out proper death metal albums that are discernible as Deicide records, that’s all that should matter at this juncture. At least that seems to be the popular stance. It’s all been done, so, for Deicide, the focus is just old-fashioned, dense-as-lead, riff-dominated slobber-knockers like their previous Overtures Of Blasphemy LP or their latest album, Banished By Sin, unleashed on April 26 via Reigning Phoenix Music. 

Definitely FFO Once Upon The Cross era Deicide with a splash of dynamics here and there, mainly in the form of Bible-shredding leads and intricate riffing patterns, but more than anything else, Banished By Sin is a meat and taters death metal record: pure torque, gravitational bass grooves and jackhammer rhythms that split and splinter sheeply cranial matter in savory, mid-tempo’d bruisers like 'From Unknown Heights You Shall Fall' and 'Bury the Cross… With Your Christ'. Both equally savage and compositionally segmented; one brutal passage interjected solidly before another as opposed to an uber-technical death metal salad. Deicide throw a welcomed curve ball in 'Faithless' - a myriad of varying riffing techniques explored from power chugs to more linear passages that intertwine serpentinely through each thud of the kick drum and every pop of the snare. Definitely Deicide at their apex as of late. 

I will say that Glen’s vocals age like a vintage, and the double-layered vox assault that incurs here is just ear candy: maniacal shrieks and hearty bellows that rise just as they so bestially emanated from Glen’s caveman gullet into an atmosphere crimson and warm as sacrificial blood. Much to bang your head to here, but not so much in the way of breaking ground and I’m sure that was the intention going in. Unfortunately, the result, aside from a few eyebrow-raisers here and there, is a pretty boring and a fairly predictable death metal album. You can sense every change in tempo and every solo as they come, and you can forget about any kind of classic aesthetic. Only Autopsy seem to have that down these days. With Banished By Sin, Deicide flash heavy but altogether worn steel - a stock USDM record - every bit as forgettable as Cannibal Corpse and Obituary’s new ones. 

Don’t we all wish that just one of these legendary Tampa death metal bands would get back to the business of creating some old school USDM? I guess that’s left up to the newcomers… With each one of these plastic records that get released by bands like Deicide, a small part of the greatness that is the Tampa scene dies. Great stuff for people who are just discovering death metal but fodder for us veterans who grew up during the late 80’s - early 90’s and remember those first pure days when shock, awe and defilement defined the movement. A Christian would listen to Banished By Sin and not think too much of it… Not much impact, zero intimidation and definitely not enough to arouse His Infernal Majesty. Still plenty of teenagers pissed off at God though! What an elite demographic… 

Rating: 6.5 out of 10

Review by Michael on April 25, 2024.

Deicide had many goddamn ugly covers in their discography but with the new one for Banished By Sin they even top Once Upon The Cross or Serpents Of The Light. Maybe “Banished By Ugliness” would be the better title if you only judge the album by its cover. But- what an unbelievable coincidence - the upcoming Kerry King album is “blessed” with almost the same cover. I don't know how this happened, in an interview chief Satanist Glen Benton stated that he worked with his Apple devices to create something modern and that he doesn't give a fuck what the people are thinking about that. That's a statement…I would like to know what Leonardo DaVinci would say these days to AI. And I really don't know if Glen Benton himself really did the cover or (and here's another coincidence) a guy at Reigning Phoenix Music where both bands are currently signed at.

Well, okay, fuck the cover and come to the music. And this is much better than the first impression I got. In the press info it was said that the new album goes back to the 90s, the debut Legion and Once Upon The Cross was mentioned too. I wouldn't agree 100% to this because first of all the band has evolved since then and second with a change of 50% in the line-up I guess you will never be able to go back in time. But this isn't a bad thing. Deicide did in their past some generic and boring albums (In Torment In Hell and Till Death Do Us Part were imo pretty underwhelming) and I got disappointed back then. But since 2011 they really did some strong efforts and I guess this is what you might call the second spring. The new freshness has a lot to do with the new line-up, Taylor Nordberg is a great guitarist and can create some really cool and catchy music and also Kevin Quirion (who is in the band since 2011) writes some super brutal shit if you for example know his other band Order Of Ennead. Together they wrote 12 super fast, neck breaking and brutal songs that don't have to hide behind some classic tracks like anything from Legion for example. Though they are different in some cases.

First of all the guitar leads are totally different from their early works because they are much more technical and sophisticated. Also the tempo is much faster than in the past. 'Woke From God' is maybe one of the best examples of it. This song feels like you are lying tied on the street and you get run over by a car going 300 mph again and again. I guess Kataklysm used the term “Hyperblast” when they still were cool and this describes it perfectly. Deicide managed it very well, finding an adequate balance between brutality, melodic parts and catchiness. The title track is another good example. Here we find all that we want. Pummeling, fast drums, ultra-brutal riffs, double-layered vocals (and Glen sounds as evil and pissed-off as ever) and really sick guitar leads. After all these years they still know how to please and to catch the fans. The album turned out really entertaining and musically this whole thing is one of the best albums since 2000. I mean they don't invent the wheel again or show any innovations in their song-writing but, let's be honest, who would like to have that? And talking about innovations, I guess it is innovation enough having a look at the cover. In Germany we have a term: “cobbler, stick to your last!” I guess this matches quite well here.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Review by Vladimir on June 11, 2024.

Cloven Hoof? THE Cloven Hoof? Back with a new album you say? Well I'll be damned. I was actually pretty surprised to realize that the legendary UK heavy metal band Cloven Hoof returned this year with a new devilish release, in the form of their tenth full-length album Heathen Cross, which came out on May 31st, 2024 via High Roller Records. Just when I thought this year couldn't get any better with oldschool traditional heavy metal, after so many influential and crucial bands releasing their new albums this year, this one managed to prove me so wrong and boy was I hooked from the beginning I saw it. Should we consider taking a nice trip to the cursed hilltop, with Sabbat stones and a burning Heathen Cross in the middle, while being haunted by an ominous figure in the dark? Hell yes!

Heavy, wild, melodic and catchy, those are the words that precisely describe what you are going to get with the Heathen Cross, as Cloven Hoof delivers a powerful heavy metal performance from the very get-go, leaving no time to waste and just immediately jumping straight into action. As much as this album is incredibly heavy and melodic, it also has some superb epic moments as well, introduced on 'Do What Thou Wilt', an Alister Crowley inspired track that states his famous lines "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law", and it surely cranks the energy up to 10. Ever since the band's inception, they became quite synonymous with the use of various lyrical ideas that stretch from fantasy, occultism and science fiction as well, all of which have inspired the general flow of every song, and this album is packed full of mood swings when it comes to the overall output. It's incredible how the overall performance on each song manages to capture the moment, especially on the most epic and melodic songs on the album, because that's when things get really interesting and it keeps you excited all the way through with such high anticipation. Outstanding examples such as 'Darkest Before The Dawn' and 'Vendetta' definitely shine on with their might and glory like the fire upon the Heathen Cross, but there are also some more evil and wicked bangers like 'Curse Of The Gypsy' and the atmospheric 'Sabbat Stones'. Sadly, all good things must come to an end, and in this case we have a solid conclusion to the album in the form of 'The Summoning', a good banger that places the last stone on the hilltop, rightfully concluding the journey of the Heathen Cross.

As far as the songwriting goes, it's moderately dynamic in terms of maintaining a nice balance with simplicity while still delivering a variety of eye-catching ideas that really give a nice punch to this album as a whole. For heavy metal veterans such as Cloven Hoof, I find it very hard to believe that they are 45 years old as a band, because their performance on this album, as well as all the provided riffs, melodies, guitar solos and choruses, sounds so unbelievably fresh that you would think that this is a newly formed band, while in reality being one of the key players in the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal. It really goes without saying that the result is a matter of dedication and being passionate in what you do, which is a seldom seen these days where you get a lot of mediocrity and uninspiring outputs that really aren't worthy of your attention, but in the case of Cloven Hoof, it's the exact opposite. What stood out to me about the album, apart from the amazing songwriting, is the cover art done by Alexander von Wieding, which showcases an ominous witchfinder looking figure, that reminded me of characters such as Solomon Kane and Caleb from Blood video games, and I think that the overall artstyle and depiction perfectly matches the vibe of Heathen Cross.

Overall, I very much enjoyed Heathen Cross as a whole, mostly due to its incredibly engaging and entertaining musical output which gave me a pretty good time all the way through. It's got a very uplifting feel to it which will definitely satisfy your appetite for some traditional heavy metal hunger, and I think Cloven Hoof successfully delivered on that aspect. Considering how many fresh ideas and strong songs can be found on this album, it would be a cardinal sin to miss this one out. If you are someone who really loves these guys, or anything that came out of the NWOBHM, I suggest you stop wasting your time and check it out.

Rating: 8.6 out of 10

Review by Vladimir on June 11, 2024.

Cloven Hoof? THE Cloven Hoof? Back with a new album you say? Well I'll be damned. I was actually pretty surprised to realize that the legendary UK heavy metal band Cloven Hoof returned this year with a new devilish release, in the form of their tenth full-length album Heathen Cross, which came out on May 31st, 2024 via High Roller Records. Just when I thought this year couldn't get any better with oldschool traditional heavy metal, after so many influential and crucial bands releasing their new albums this year, this one managed to prove me so wrong and boy was I hooked from the beginning I saw it. Should we consider taking a nice trip to the cursed hilltop, with Sabbat stones and a burning Heathen Cross in the middle, while being haunted by an ominous figure in the dark? Hell yes!

Heavy, wild, melodic and catchy, those are the words that precisely describe what you are going to get with the Heathen Cross, as Cloven Hoof delivers a powerful heavy metal performance from the very get-go, leaving no time to waste and just immediately jumping straight into action. As much as this album is incredibly heavy and melodic, it also has some superb epic moments as well, introduced on 'Do What Thou Wilt', an Alister Crowley inspired track that states his famous lines "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law", and it surely cranks the energy up to 10. Ever since the band's inception, they became quite synonymous with the use of various lyrical ideas that stretch from fantasy, occultism and science fiction as well, all of which have inspired the general flow of every song, and this album is packed full of mood swings when it comes to the overall output. It's incredible how the overall performance on each song manages to capture the moment, especially on the most epic and melodic songs on the album, because that's when things get really interesting and it keeps you excited all the way through with such high anticipation. Outstanding examples such as 'Darkest Before The Dawn' and 'Vendetta' definitely shine on with their might and glory like the fire upon the Heathen Cross, but there are also some more evil and wicked bangers like 'Curse Of The Gypsy' and the atmospheric 'Sabbat Stones'. Sadly, all good things must come to an end, and in this case we have a solid conclusion to the album in the form of 'The Summoning', a good banger that places the last stone on the hilltop, rightfully concluding the journey of the Heathen Cross.

As far as the songwriting goes, it's moderately dynamic in terms of maintaining a nice balance with simplicity while still delivering a variety of eye-catching ideas that really give a nice punch to this album as a whole. For heavy metal veterans such as Cloven Hoof, I find it very hard to believe that they are 45 years old as a band, because their performance on this album, as well as all the provided riffs, melodies, guitar solos and choruses, sounds so unbelievably fresh that you would think that this is a newly formed band, while in reality being one of the key players in the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal. It really goes without saying that the result is a matter of dedication and being passionate in what you do, which is a seldom seen these days where you get a lot of mediocrity and uninspiring outputs that really aren't worthy of your attention, but in the case of Cloven Hoof, it's the exact opposite. What stood out to me about the album, apart from the amazing songwriting, is the cover art done by Alexander von Wieding, which showcases an ominous witchfinder looking figure, that reminded me of characters such as Solomon Kane and Caleb from Blood video games, and I think that the overall artstyle and depiction perfectly matches the vibe of Heathen Cross.

Overall, I very much enjoyed Heathen Cross as a whole, mostly due to its incredibly engaging and entertaining musical output which gave me a pretty good time all the way through. It's got a very uplifting feel to it which will definitely satisfy your appetite for some traditional heavy metal hunger, and I think Cloven Hoof successfully delivered on that aspect. Considering how many fresh ideas and strong songs can be found on this album, it would be a cardinal sin to miss this one out. If you are someone who really loves these guys, or anything that came out of the NWOBHM, I suggest you stop wasting your time and check it out.

Rating: 8.6 out of 10

Review by Vladimir on June 11, 2024.

Cloven Hoof? THE Cloven Hoof? Back with a new album you say? Well I'll be damned. I was actually pretty surprised to realize that the legendary UK heavy metal band Cloven Hoof returned this year with a new devilish release, in the form of their tenth full-length album Heathen Cross, which came out on May 31st, 2024 via High Roller Records. Just when I thought this year couldn't get any better with oldschool traditional heavy metal, after so many influential and crucial bands releasing their new albums this year, this one managed to prove me so wrong and boy was I hooked from the beginning I saw it. Should we consider taking a nice trip to the cursed hilltop, with Sabbat stones and a burning Heathen Cross in the middle, while being haunted by an ominous figure in the dark? Hell yes!

Heavy, wild, melodic and catchy, those are the words that precisely describe what you are going to get with the Heathen Cross, as Cloven Hoof delivers a powerful heavy metal performance from the very get-go, leaving no time to waste and just immediately jumping straight into action. As much as this album is incredibly heavy and melodic, it also has some superb epic moments as well, introduced on 'Do What Thou Wilt', an Alister Crowley inspired track that states his famous lines "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law", and it surely cranks the energy up to 10. Ever since the band's inception, they became quite synonymous with the use of various lyrical ideas that stretch from fantasy, occultism and science fiction as well, all of which have inspired the general flow of every song, and this album is packed full of mood swings when it comes to the overall output. It's incredible how the overall performance on each song manages to capture the moment, especially on the most epic and melodic songs on the album, because that's when things get really interesting and it keeps you excited all the way through with such high anticipation. Outstanding examples such as 'Darkest Before The Dawn' and 'Vendetta' definitely shine on with their might and glory like the fire upon the Heathen Cross, but there are also some more evil and wicked bangers like 'Curse Of The Gypsy' and the atmospheric 'Sabbat Stones'. Sadly, all good things must come to an end, and in this case we have a solid conclusion to the album in the form of 'The Summoning', a good banger that places the last stone on the hilltop, rightfully concluding the journey of the Heathen Cross.

As far as the songwriting goes, it's moderately dynamic in terms of maintaining a nice balance with simplicity while still delivering a variety of eye-catching ideas that really give a nice punch to this album as a whole. For heavy metal veterans such as Cloven Hoof, I find it very hard to believe that they are 45 years old as a band, because their performance on this album, as well as all the provided riffs, melodies, guitar solos and choruses, sounds so unbelievably fresh that you would think that this is a newly formed band, while in reality being one of the key players in the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal. It really goes without saying that the result is a matter of dedication and being passionate in what you do, which is a seldom seen these days where you get a lot of mediocrity and uninspiring outputs that really aren't worthy of your attention, but in the case of Cloven Hoof, it's the exact opposite. What stood out to me about the album, apart from the amazing songwriting, is the cover art done by Alexander von Wieding, which showcases an ominous witchfinder looking figure, that reminded me of characters such as Solomon Kane and Caleb from Blood video games, and I think that the overall artstyle and depiction perfectly matches the vibe of Heathen Cross.

Overall, I very much enjoyed Heathen Cross as a whole, mostly due to its incredibly engaging and entertaining musical output which gave me a pretty good time all the way through. It's got a very uplifting feel to it which will definitely satisfy your appetite for some traditional heavy metal hunger, and I think Cloven Hoof successfully delivered on that aspect. Considering how many fresh ideas and strong songs can be found on this album, it would be a cardinal sin to miss this one out. If you are someone who really loves these guys, or anything that came out of the NWOBHM, I suggest you stop wasting your time and check it out.

Rating: 8.6 out of 10

Review by Vladimir on June 11, 2024.

Cloven Hoof? THE Cloven Hoof? Back with a new album you say? Well I'll be damned. I was actually pretty surprised to realize that the legendary UK heavy metal band Cloven Hoof returned this year with a new devilish release, in the form of their tenth full-length album Heathen Cross, which came out on May 31st, 2024 via High Roller Records. Just when I thought this year couldn't get any better with oldschool traditional heavy metal, after so many influential and crucial bands releasing their new albums this year, this one managed to prove me so wrong and boy was I hooked from the beginning I saw it. Should we consider taking a nice trip to the cursed hilltop, with Sabbat stones and a burning Heathen Cross in the middle, while being haunted by an ominous figure in the dark? Hell yes!

Heavy, wild, melodic and catchy, those are the words that precisely describe what you are going to get with the Heathen Cross, as Cloven Hoof delivers a powerful heavy metal performance from the very get-go, leaving no time to waste and just immediately jumping straight into action. As much as this album is incredibly heavy and melodic, it also has some superb epic moments as well, introduced on 'Do What Thou Wilt', an Alister Crowley inspired track that states his famous lines "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law", and it surely cranks the energy up to 10. Ever since the band's inception, they became quite synonymous with the use of various lyrical ideas that stretch from fantasy, occultism and science fiction as well, all of which have inspired the general flow of every song, and this album is packed full of mood swings when it comes to the overall output. It's incredible how the overall performance on each song manages to capture the moment, especially on the most epic and melodic songs on the album, because that's when things get really interesting and it keeps you excited all the way through with such high anticipation. Outstanding examples such as 'Darkest Before The Dawn' and 'Vendetta' definitely shine on with their might and glory like the fire upon the Heathen Cross, but there are also some more evil and wicked bangers like 'Curse Of The Gypsy' and the atmospheric 'Sabbat Stones'. Sadly, all good things must come to an end, and in this case we have a solid conclusion to the album in the form of 'The Summoning', a good banger that places the last stone on the hilltop, rightfully concluding the journey of the Heathen Cross.

As far as the songwriting goes, it's moderately dynamic in terms of maintaining a nice balance with simplicity while still delivering a variety of eye-catching ideas that really give a nice punch to this album as a whole. For heavy metal veterans such as Cloven Hoof, I find it very hard to believe that they are 45 years old as a band, because their performance on this album, as well as all the provided riffs, melodies, guitar solos and choruses, sounds so unbelievably fresh that you would think that this is a newly formed band, while in reality being one of the key players in the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal. It really goes without saying that the result is a matter of dedication and being passionate in what you do, which is a seldom seen these days where you get a lot of mediocrity and uninspiring outputs that really aren't worthy of your attention, but in the case of Cloven Hoof, it's the exact opposite. What stood out to me about the album, apart from the amazing songwriting, is the cover art done by Alexander von Wieding, which showcases an ominous witchfinder looking figure, that reminded me of characters such as Solomon Kane and Caleb from Blood video games, and I think that the overall artstyle and depiction perfectly matches the vibe of Heathen Cross.

Overall, I very much enjoyed Heathen Cross as a whole, mostly due to its incredibly engaging and entertaining musical output which gave me a pretty good time all the way through. It's got a very uplifting feel to it which will definitely satisfy your appetite for some traditional heavy metal hunger, and I think Cloven Hoof successfully delivered on that aspect. Considering how many fresh ideas and strong songs can be found on this album, it would be a cardinal sin to miss this one out. If you are someone who really loves these guys, or anything that came out of the NWOBHM, I suggest you stop wasting your time and check it out.

Rating: 8.6 out of 10