by Greg Prato

Love 'em or hate 'em, you have to respect Deicide's willingness to remain true to their original musical vision. On Serpents of the Light, the band offers fans more of its infamous dark metal, complete with vocal growls from Glen Benton (who also plays the bass), perfectly in-sync dual guitar work (courtesy of Eric Hoffman and Brian Hoffman), and insanely metronome-perfect double bass drumming from Steve Asheim. Although such early-'80s metal bands as Venom and the Possessed helped invent this radically heavy sound, Deicide continue to expand upon death metal's groundwork. Admittedly, Deicide's music and heavily satanic lyrics aren't for everyone. The album's opening title track certainly sets the tone for the rest of the album, encompassing all of Deicide's musical trademarks. What follows is nothing less than a bloody musical onslaught -- you know what you're in for with song titles like "Blame It on God," "Slave to the Cross," "Bastards of Christ," and "This Is Hell We're In." Not music for the faint of heart.