Glen Benton (born June 21st, 1967) 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.[1] He is also the studio vocalist for Vital Remains, and has performed live with them on a few occasions.
Biography
Benton was raised in Tampa, Florida where on July 21st 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), had been christened the band "Amon" after the Egyptian deity of the same name.[2] Within a month, Amon had recorded crude Feasting the Beast 8-track demo in Benton's garage and had started playing the occasional gig in the Tampa area.[3] In 1989, Amon recorded their second demo, Sacrificial, at Morrisound with producer Scott Burns. Benton reportedly stormed into Roadrunner Records' A&R man Monte Conners' office and presented him with the demo, saying, "Sign us, you fucking asshole!" The next day contracts were issued to the band.[4]
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 also shot a squirrel with a pellet gun during the interview (in context, it was Benton's way of preventing any further damage to his electrical system in the attic at the location the interview was held). Such bad publicity led to an attack on Benton inside a venue in Bradford, England, by an animal rights activist. A similar attack was attempted at a show in Stockholm, where a 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. [5] The tour was curtailed by these events.[6]
Benton is known for his interest in motorcycles, which can be seen in the video for the title track from Scars of the Crucifix. He also has one son, Daemon Michael Benton.
Satanism
Benton is known for his Satanic 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. [7]
Despite having claimed in an interview that he shares a "spiritual link" with Lucifer, who tells him "what to say and what to write about" [8], 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.[9] In early years, Benton was ostensibly a theistic satanist; he implied he had held the belief of the Christian God but worshiped 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 that it is an organized religion, promoting what he perceives to be "Hollywood Satanism".[10]
It's arguable that 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. [11]
Sacrificial Suicide controversy
The self-titled 1990 debut album of his group Deicide 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.[12]
Religious controversy
In the early-to-mid-1990s Benton was a frequent opponent guest to Christian radio shows, such as Bob Larson's "Talk Back" show.[13] 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, once returning the release form to be on Larson's show with Fuck You, his signature in blood and the scab he picked off from his forehead, where he burned the inverted crucifix.[13]
Discography
Guest appearances
References
- ^ Deicide
- ^ Mudrian, Albert (2004). In Choosing Death: The Improbable History of Death Metal and Grindcore, Feral House, ISBN 1-932595-04-X, pp. 90-91.
- ^ Mudrian (2004), as above.
- ^ Mudrian (2004), as above, p. 162.
- ^ Metal: The Definitive Guide by Garry Sharpe-Young
- ^ Deicide Interview by Shan Siva
- ^ YouTube - Steve Asheim Interview Deicide
- ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7R3IimbaQk0
- ^ "Former DEICIDE Guitarist Says GLEN BENTON Lied To The Public About Tour Cancellations", Blabbermouth.net (January 14, 2005). Retrieved on 2008-05-17.
- ^ Deicide
- ^ DEICIDE Frontman: Whenever ERIC HOFFMAN Posts Something On BLABBERMOUTH, We Know It's Him
- ^ "DEICIDE Frontman On JON NÖDVEIDT's Suicide: 'Only Cowards And Losers Choose That Option'", Blabbermouth.net (September 7, 2006). Retrieved on 2008-05-17.
- ^ a b "ROC's interview with Glen Benton". Retrieved on 2007-06-21.
External links
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