Glen Benton
Encyclopedia
Glen Benton is an American heavy metal
musician best known as the vocalist and bassist for the death metal
band Deicide
, although he prefers not to use the 'death metal' terminology. He is also the studio vocalist for Vital Remains
, and has performed live with them on a few occasions. He is known for very low guttural growls as well as very high shrieks.
where on July 21, 1987, after guitarist Brian Hoffman replied to Benton's advertisement in a local music magazine, Deicide was formed. Within days the band, consisting of Benton (bass/vocals), Hoffman, Hoffman's brother Eric (guitars) and Steve Asheim
(drums), was named "Amon", after the Egypt
ian deity
. Within a month, Amon had recorded the crude Feasting the Beast 8-track demo in Benton's garage and had started playing the occasional gig in the Tampa area. In 1989, Amon recorded their second demo, Sacrificial, at Morrisound
with producer Scott Burns
. Benton reportedly stormed into Roadrunner Records
' A&R
man Monte Conner
s' office and presented him with the demo, saying, "Sign us, you fucking asshole!" The next day contracts were issued to the band.
Benton is known for his interest in motorcycle
s, which can be seen in the video for the title track from Scars of the Crucifix. He also has two sons, Daemon Michael Benton and Vinnie Benton.
and anti-Christian beliefs and views of "today's corrupt religious systems". He is renowned for an inverted cross he has repeatedly branded into his forehead over the years. According to Steve Asheim
, this act was likely in response to previous press attention the band received when Brian Hoffman burned an inverted cross into his arm with a cigarette.
Despite having claimed in an interview he shares a "spiritual link" with Lucifer
, who tells him "what to say and what to write about", the nature of Benton's 'Satanism' is obscure and a subject of controversy, particularly due to allegations by former Deicide guitarist Eric Hoffman, who dismissed it as insincere and spurious. In early years, Benton was ostensibly a theistic satanist
; he implied he had held the belief of the Christian God but worshipped Satan instead. Thus, his beliefs have been put to question by followers of Anton LaVey's
Church of Satan
, which Benton has blasted on the grounds it is an organized religion, promoting what he perceives to be "Hollywood Satanism".
It's arguable Benton's claims have always been tongue-in-cheek
. Most have since defined Benton's 'Satanism' as vehement anti-Christian atheism complemented with theatrics suitable for the band. In the July 2008 issue of Revolver Magazine, Benton stated there was no ideological agenda in Deicide and the music was first and foremost, in response to a question by an observer.
featured a song entitled "Sacrificial Suicide", in which Benton was alleged to have claimed that in order to achieve a life opposite that of Jesus
he planned to commit suicide at age 33. This claim that he would commit suicide at the age of 33 continued throughout the 1990s. However, he passed that age in 2000 and did not commit suicide. In 2006, he stated that these statements had been "asinine remarks" and that "only cowards and losers" choose to kill themselves.
's "Talk Back" show. Though a serious discussion rarely took place on the program, the exchanges between the two mainly consisted of taunts from Benton and tongue-in-cheek
teasing. Larson continually invited Benton to his talk show but Benton often declined.
organization. A similar attack was attempted at a previous show in Stockholm
, where a supposed small fire bomb was set to detonate during Deicide's set. The attempt failed to injure anyone, however, the bomb did go off and damage the venue. It is reported to be an M-80. The tour was curtailed by these events.
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
musician best known as the vocalist and bassist for the death metal
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
band Deicide
Deicide (band)
Deicide is an American death metal band formed in 1987. Their first two albums, Deicide and Legion, are ranked second and third place in best-selling death metal albums of the SoundScan era.-As Amon/Carnage :...
, although he prefers not to use the 'death metal' terminology. He is also the studio vocalist for Vital Remains
Vital Remains
Vital Remains is an American death metal band from Providence, Rhode Island formed in 1988.- History :Created in 1988 by guitarist Paul Flynn, Vital Remains' first line-up consisted of guitarist Butch Machado, vocalist Mike Flynn, bassist Tom Supkow, and drummer Chris Dupont. Searching for better...
, and has performed live with them on a few occasions. He is known for very low guttural growls as well as very high shrieks.
Biography
Benton was raised in Tampa, FloridaTampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
where on July 21, 1987, after guitarist Brian Hoffman replied to Benton's advertisement in a local music magazine, Deicide was formed. Within days the band, consisting of Benton (bass/vocals), Hoffman, Hoffman's brother Eric (guitars) and Steve Asheim
Steve Asheim
Steve Asheim and is the drummer and primary songwriter for the death metal band Deicide. Asheim is endorsed by Ddrum, and is known to collect guns, which can be seen in Deicide's DVD When London Burns. Asheim also plays guitar which he also played on the album Till Death Do Us Part. On November...
(drums), was named "Amon", after the Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian deity
Amun
Amun, reconstructed Egyptian Yamānu , was a god in Egyptian mythology who in the form of Amun-Ra became the focus of the most complex system of theology in Ancient Egypt...
. Within a month, Amon had recorded the crude Feasting the Beast 8-track demo in Benton's garage and had started playing the occasional gig in the Tampa area. In 1989, Amon recorded their second demo, Sacrificial, at Morrisound
Morrisound Recording
Morrisound Recording is an audio recording facility in Temple Terrace, Florida, owned and operated by brothers Jim and Tom Morris. Since its opening in 1981, Morrisound has been responsible for the popularization of genres such as heavy metal and death metal, but of course caters to every genre of...
with producer Scott Burns
Scott Burns (producer)
Scott Burns is an American computer engineer and an ex-music producer of death metal music, resident at Morrisound Recording studio in Tampa, Florida in late 1980s and 1990s.-Biography:...
. Benton reportedly stormed into Roadrunner Records
Roadrunner Records
Roadrunner Records is an American record label that concentrates primarily on heavy metal bands. It is currently a subsidiary of Warner Music Group.-History:...
' A&R
A&R
Artists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
man Monte Conner
Monte Conner
Monte Conner is a producer and A&R person for Roadrunner Records. He has worked with numerous bands including, Slipknot, Trivium and King Diamond.- Discography :#Trivium - The Crusade#Stone Sour - Come WhatMay#Jerry Cantrell - Degradation Trip...
s' office and presented him with the demo, saying, "Sign us, you fucking asshole!" The next day contracts were issued to the band.
Benton is known for his interest in motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
s, which can be seen in the video for the title track from Scars of the Crucifix. He also has two sons, Daemon Michael Benton and Vinnie Benton.
Satanism
Benton is known for his SatanicSatanism
Satanism is a group of religions that is composed of a diverse number of ideological and philosophical beliefs and social phenomena. Their shared feature include symbolic association with, admiration for the character of, and even veneration of Satan or similar rebellious, promethean, and...
and anti-Christian beliefs and views of "today's corrupt religious systems". He is renowned for an inverted cross he has repeatedly branded into his forehead over the years. According to Steve Asheim
Steve Asheim
Steve Asheim and is the drummer and primary songwriter for the death metal band Deicide. Asheim is endorsed by Ddrum, and is known to collect guns, which can be seen in Deicide's DVD When London Burns. Asheim also plays guitar which he also played on the album Till Death Do Us Part. On November...
, this act was likely in response to previous press attention the band received when Brian Hoffman burned an inverted cross into his arm with a cigarette.
Despite having claimed in an interview he shares a "spiritual link" with Lucifer
Lucifer
Traditionally, Lucifer is a name that in English generally refers to the devil or Satan before being cast from Heaven, although this is not the original meaning of the term. In Latin, from which the English word is derived, Lucifer means "light-bearer"...
, who tells him "what to say and what to write about", the nature of Benton's 'Satanism' is obscure and a subject of controversy, particularly due to allegations by former Deicide guitarist Eric Hoffman, who dismissed it as insincere and spurious. In early years, Benton was ostensibly a theistic satanist
Theistic Satanism
Theistic Satanism, sometimes referred to as Traditional Satanism, Spiritual Satanism or Devil Worship, is a form of Satanism with the primary belief that Satan is an actual deity or force to revere or worship. Other characteristics of Theistic Satanism may include a belief in magic, which is...
; he implied he had held the belief of the Christian God but worshipped Satan instead. Thus, his beliefs have been put to question by followers of Anton LaVey's
Anton LaVey
Anton Szandor LaVey , born Howard Stanton Levey, was the founder of the Church of Satan as well as a writer, occultist, and musician...
Church of Satan
Church of Satan
The Church of Satan is an organization dedicated to the acceptance of the carnal self, as articulated in The Satanic Bible, written in 1969 by Anton Szandor LaVey.- History :...
, which Benton has blasted on the grounds it is an organized religion, promoting what he perceives to be "Hollywood Satanism".
It's arguable Benton's claims have always been tongue-in-cheek
Tongue-in-cheek
Tongue-in-cheek is a phrase used as a figure of speech to imply that a statement or other production is humorously intended and it should not be taken at face value. The facial expression typically indicates that one is joking or making a mental effort. In the past, it may also have indicated...
. Most have since defined Benton's 'Satanism' as vehement anti-Christian atheism complemented with theatrics suitable for the band. In the July 2008 issue of Revolver Magazine, Benton stated there was no ideological agenda in Deicide and the music was first and foremost, in response to a question by an observer.
Sacrificial Suicide
The self-titled 1990 debut album of his group DeicideDeicide (band)
Deicide is an American death metal band formed in 1987. Their first two albums, Deicide and Legion, are ranked second and third place in best-selling death metal albums of the SoundScan era.-As Amon/Carnage :...
featured a song entitled "Sacrificial Suicide", in which Benton was alleged to have claimed that in order to achieve a life opposite that of Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
he planned to commit suicide at age 33. This claim that he would commit suicide at the age of 33 continued throughout the 1990s. However, he passed that age in 2000 and did not commit suicide. In 2006, he stated that these statements had been "asinine remarks" and that "only cowards and losers" choose to kill themselves.
Religious beliefs
In the early-to-mid-1990s Benton was a frequent opponent guest to Christian radio shows, such as Bob LarsonBob Larson
Bob Larson is an American radio and television evangelist, currently based in Scottsdale, Arizona. Larson has authored numerous books on the subjects of rock music and Satanism, written from a Christian perspective.-Life and career:...
's "Talk Back" show. Though a serious discussion rarely took place on the program, the exchanges between the two mainly consisted of taunts from Benton and tongue-in-cheek
Tongue-in-cheek
Tongue-in-cheek is a phrase used as a figure of speech to imply that a statement or other production is humorously intended and it should not be taken at face value. The facial expression typically indicates that one is joking or making a mental effort. In the past, it may also have indicated...
teasing. Larson continually invited Benton to his talk show but Benton often declined.
Animal abuse allegations
In 1993, newspapers reported that Benton had expressed an interest in, and an active participation in, the burning of live rodents such as rats and squirrels. During an interview with NME Magazine, Benton shot a squirrel with a pellet gun (in context, Benton explained it was to prevent any further damage to his electrical system and other contents in the attic of his home where the interview was held). Such bad publicity led to an attempted bomb attack on Benton during their Legion tour at the International 2 in Manchester, England, by an animal rightsAnimal rights
Animal rights, also known as animal liberation, is the idea that the most basic interests of non-human animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of human beings...
organization. A similar attack was attempted at a previous show in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, where a supposed small fire bomb was set to detonate during Deicide's set. The attempt failed to injure anyone, however, the bomb did go off and damage the venue. It is reported to be an M-80. The tour was curtailed by these events.
With Deicide
- As Amon; Feasting the Beast demo (1987)
- As Amon; Sacrificial demo (1989)
- DeicideDeicide (album)Deicide is the eponymous debut album by American death metal band Deicide. The album contains all of their demo tracks plus the two songs "Deicide" and "Mephistopheles"...
(1990) - LegionLegion (album)-Credits:*Glen Benton - Bass, Vocals*Brian Hoffman - Guitar*Eric Hoffman - Guitar*Steve Asheim - Drums...
(1992) - Amon: Feasting the Beast compilation (1993)
- Once Upon the Cross (1995)
- Serpents of the Light (1997)
- When Satan Lives live album (1998)
- Insineratehymn (2000)
- In Torment in Hell (2001)
- The Best of Deicide compilation (2003)
- Scars of the Crucifix (2004)
- When London BurnsWhen London BurnsWhen London Burns is the first DVD released by death metal band Deicide. In the extras you can learn a little more of the recent history of the group with the thirty minute documentary entitled Behind the Scars, which tells a little of the particularities involving the production of the album Scars...
DVD (2006) - The Stench of Redemption (2006)
- Doomsday L.A.Doomsday L.A.Doomsday L.A. is the second live DVD released by Deicide. It was released shortly after the Doomsday L.A. live EP was released on iTunes...
live EP/DVD (2007) - Till Death Do Us PartTill Death Do Us Part (Deicide album)-Personnel:*Glen Benton – bass guitar, vocals*Jack Owen – Lead & rhythm guitar*Ralph Santolla – Lead & rhythm guitar*Steve Asheim – drums, guitar*Produced By Steve Asheim*Engineered By Jim Morris*Mixed & Mastered By Steve Asheim & Jim Morris...
(2008) - To Hell with GodTo Hell with GodTo Hell with God is the tenth studio album by the American death metal band Deicide. The follow-up to Till Death Do Us Part , it was originally intended to be released in 2009 before being pushed back to a 2010 release, and was finally released on February 15, 2011 through Century Media Records.On...
(2011)
With Vital Remains
- DechristianizeDechristianize (album)The fifth album by U.S. death metal band Vital Remains was released on August 22, 2003. The lyrics deal with the Dechristianization of France during the French Revolution...
(2003) - Icons of EvilIcons of EvilIcons of Evil is the sixth album by Vital Remains. It was released in April 2007. The sample in "Where is Your God Now" is taken from the Mel Gibson film The Passion of the Christ as well as the film, The Exorcist....
(2007)
Guest appearances
- CancerCancer (band)Cancer was a British death / thrash metal band formed in Ironbridge, Telford, Shropshire in 1988. Over the course of their career they released five full-length albums, including one for the major label East West, breaking up in 2006.-Biography:...
, Death Shall RiseDeath Shall RiseDeath Shall Rise is the second album by the British death metal band Cancer. It was released in 1991 by Vinyl Solution.- Track listing :All tracks by Cancer# "Hung, Drawn and Quartered" – 3:25# "Tasteless Incest" – 4:54# "Burning Casket" – 4:02...
(1991); backing vocals on "Hung, Drawn and Quartered" - Cannibal CorpseCannibal CorpseCannibal Corpse is an American death metal band from Buffalo, New York. Formed in 1988, the band has released eleven studio albums, one box set, and one live album...
, Eaten Back to LifeEaten Back to LifeEaten Back to Life is the debut album by American death metal band Cannibal Corpse. It was released on 17 August 1990 through Metal Blade Records. The album was banned in Germany and other countries because of the violent cover and the extreme nature of the lyrics. Glen Benton of Deicide and...
(1990); backing vocals on "Mangled" and "A Skull Full of Maggots" - Cannibal CorpseCannibal CorpseCannibal Corpse is an American death metal band from Buffalo, New York. Formed in 1988, the band has released eleven studio albums, one box set, and one live album...
, Butchered at BirthButchered at Birth-Personnel:* Chris Barnes – vocals* Jack Owen – guitar* Bob Rusay – guitar* Alex Webster – bass* Paul Mazurkiewicz – drums* Glen Benton – guest vocals on track 6...
(1991); backing vocals on "Vomit the Soul" - Napalm DeathNapalm DeathNapalm Death are a death metal band formed in Birmingham, England in 1981. While none of its original members remain in the group, the lineup of vocalist Mark "Barney" Greenway, bassist Shane Embury, guitarist Mitch Harris and drummer Danny Herrera has remained consistent for most of the band's ...
, Harmony CorruptionHarmony Corruption-From the Mentally Murdered EP:*The song Mentally Murdered is a different recording than the version found on From Enslavement to Obliteration-Bonus LP 'Live I.C.A...
(1990); backing vocals on "Unfit Earth" - TransmetalTransmetal (band)Transmetal is a thrash metal/death metal band formed in Yurécuaro, Michoacán, México in 1987 by Javier and Juan Partida. Transmetal have been one of the most important bands in Latin America....
, Dante's Inferno (1993); backing vocals on "Dante's Inferno" and "Hymn for Him" - Roadrunner UnitedRoadrunner UnitedRoadrunner United was a project organized by the heavy metal record label Roadrunner Records to celebrate its 25th anniversary. It culminated in an album released worldwide on October 11, 2005, entitled The All-Star Sessions...
(2005); vocals on "Annihilation by the Hands of God" - Roadrunner UnitedRoadrunner UnitedRoadrunner United was a project organized by the heavy metal record label Roadrunner Records to celebrate its 25th anniversary. It culminated in an album released worldwide on October 11, 2005, entitled The All-Star Sessions...
Live Concert DVD (2008); vocals on Obituary'sObituary (band)Obituary is an American death metal band formed in 1984 in Tampa, Florida under the name Executioner, then changed the name's spelling to Xecutioner, and later changed their name to Obituary in 1988. The band comprises vocalist John Tardy, drummer Donald Tardy, guitarists Trevor Peres and Ralph...
"The End Complete" and Deicide'sDeicide (band)Deicide is an American death metal band formed in 1987. Their first two albums, Deicide and Legion, are ranked second and third place in best-selling death metal albums of the SoundScan era.-As Amon/Carnage :...
"Dead By Dawn".
External links
- Deicide (official site)
- Deicide: sons of Satan, The Metal Forge, 2006-10-16
- Cruciblekk's Chronicles -- The Official Source