deathrashed: Deicide - Once Upon the Cross (1995)

Information

Artist – Deicide

Album – Once Upon the Cross

Label – Roadrunner Records

Released – April 17th, 1995

Type – Full-length

Genre – Death Metal

Additional

Notes

Overview

Once upon the Cross is the third studio album by American death metal band Deicide, released on April 17, 1995, through Roadrunner Records. Featuring nine tracks characterized by aggressive riffing, blast beats, and overtly blasphemous lyrics targeting Christianity, the album solidified Deicide's reputation for Satanic themes and confrontational style within the death metal genre. Produced by Jim Morris at Morrisound Recording, it includes standout songs such as the title track "Once upon the Cross," which mocks the crucifixion of Jesus, and "Kill the Christian," emphasizing anti-religious sentiments. The album received mixed reviews, with some critics and fans praising its intensity and others critiquing deviations from the band's earlier raw sound, though it remains a benchmark for extremity in extreme metal.

Production History

Background and Context
Deicide, formed in Tampa, Florida, in 1987 by vocalist/bassist Glen Benton alongside guitarists Eric and Brian Hoffman and drummer Steve Asheim, had solidified its core lineup following the release of their second album, Legion, in 1992. This stability allowed the band to build on the technical and aggressive style established in their self-titled debut, positioning them as key players in the burgeoning Florida death metal scene.

Roadrunner Records sought to capitalize on the band's momentum during the mid-1990s surge in death metal's underground appeal, retaining the unchanged lineup to ensure continuity.

Recording Process
Recorded and mixed at Morrisound Recording during 1994, production credits were shared between the band and engineer Scott Burns, who oversaw the sessions to achieve a dense, aggressive sound through precise layering of distorted guitars and percussion.

Key to the recording's intensity were Asheim's double-bass drumming patterns and structural stability despite budgetary and timeline limits. This allowed them to complete principal tracking and mixing in a compressed period without significant technical accidents, allowing iterative riff refinement over extensive overdubs.

Musical and Thematic Elements

Style and Instrumentation
The album adheres to core guitar-centric instrumentation. The production exhibits enhanced clarity in guitar tones and drum separation relative to their debut, resulting in empirically heavier riff stacking.

Lyrics and Blasphemous Content
Authored primarily by Benton, the lyrics form a cohesive assault on Christian theology, systematically inverting scriptural narratives to elevate satanic rebellion. Motifs of crucifixion mockery and divine betrayal intensify the stance against Christianity, viewing moral hierarchies as antithetical to individual sovereignty and rooted in historical fabrications.

Release and Commercial Aspects

Promotion and Distribution
Released on April 18, 1995, primarily in CD format for distribution within the underground death metal scene via specialty retailers. Promotion emphasized Satanic controversy and leveraged the band's uncompromising stance.

Chart Performance and Sales
The album debuted on the Billboard Heatseekers chart, reaching position 23 in early May 1995. It sold approximately 1,000 copies in its first week, reflecting the niche appeal of underground markets. By March 2004, SoundScan reported total U.S. sales of 86,895 units. The release solidified the band's position, evidenced by modern reissues.

Critical Reception
Some listeners compared it unfavorably to Legion, dismissing repetitive riff patterns and short track lengths as monotonous. Initial listeners expecting technical evolution expressed disappointment in the simplified, groove-oriented approach.

Long-Term Evaluations
Retrospective analyses reveal polarized opinions. Enthusiasts credit its role in solidifying the Florida scene's raw sound, while detractors view it as an early harbinger of mid-tempo repetition. Platforms like Encyclopaedia Metallum show an average 80% approval, praising heavy riffs as an entry point with enduring playback value amid lineup instability.

Controversies and Backlash

Religious and Cultural Objections
The release intensified criticisms from Christian organizations, who viewed the cover art and lyrics as deliberate desecrations promoting Satanism. Groups like the American Family Association condemned the record for allegedly inciting public denunciations.

Benton and bandmates maintained the content constituted artistic expression and a critique of historical abuses by organized religion, emphasizing First Amendment protections. Benton later clarified the inverted cross represented rebellion against perceived hypocrisy.

Intra-Metal Community Disputes
The album exacerbated ideological tensions between death metal and the Norwegian black metal contingent, who prioritized atmospheric occultism over technical precision. Figures like Euronymous critiqued the genre's polished production and major label associations as compromising death metal.

Reissues and Enduring Appeal
In January 2023, Once Upon the Cross was reissued as a two-disc set paired with Serpents of the Light, featuring remastered tracks that improved audio clarity. This edition, released by Snapper Music, catered to collectors. The album's enduring appeal stems from its status as a live staple, demonstrating sustained fan demand for its blistering riffs and anti-religious themes into modern tours.

Videos

Once Upon the Cross (Live at Rescoue Rooms, 2002)
Interview + Once Upon the Cross, Australia 1995
They Are The Children Of The Underworld (When London Burns, 2004)
Trick or Betrayed (Live Montreal, 1995)
Kill the Christian (When London Burns, 2004)

Trivia

- The intro samples in tracks 1 & 5 were taken from the 1988 film The Last Temptation of Christ.

Recording

Produced by Deicide and Scott Burns.
Recorded and mixed at Morrisound Recording, Tampa, FL.
Mastered at Sterling Sound, New York, NY.
All music written by Deicide.

Identifiers

Barcode: 016861894924
Matrix / Runout (variant 1): SONOPRESS K-5562/ RR89492 A DS3
Mastering SID Code (variant 1): IFPI L023
Mould SID Code (variant 1): IFPI 0776
Matrix / Runout (variant 2): SONOPRESS K-5562/ RR89492 A DS3
Mastering SID Code (variant 2): IFPI L023
Mould SID Code (variant 2): IFPI 0710
Matrix / Runout (variant 3): SONOPRESS K-5562/ RR89492 A DS3
Mastering SID Code (variant 3): IFPI L023
Mould SID Code (variant 3): IFPI 0736
Matrix / Runout (variant 4): SONOPRESS K-5562/ RR89492 A DS3
Mastering SID Code (variant 4): IFPI L023
Mould SID Code (variant 4): IFPI 0709
Label Code: LC 9231
Rights Society: STEMRA

Tracklist

1. Once upon the Cross – 03:35 >

Once upon the cross
Fear him, fear him, fear him.... Satan
Nazarene in the valley of persuasion
To receive last temptation from Lord Satan
"Take a bite" said the serpent, "eat of it"
Without no choice to do so, you cannot resist
Impaled crucifixion
Compassion forgot
Enternal damnation
Once upon the cross
Blashpemy laughs at thee
Jesus you've been deceived
Struggling on the cross
Gagging to breathe
Despise you god, question why
You were retrieved by the angel of light
Once upon the cross
Kill him, kill him, kill him.... Satan
Nazarene screaming on his crucifixion
Prophecy in it's final contradiction
When you die is when the lie will be believed
Upon the cross, before the world to see
Once upon the cross

2. Christ Denied – 03:39 >

Congregation congregated in his house of god
Entombed by their almighty savior
Revelations misinterpreted ignite his flame
Removed from the human equation
Retreat to death in burning flesh
His dead disciples and their son of god
Incineration of their prophecy
Destroyed in failure
You're unannounced and you're unobserved
No longer worshipped in his world
Apocalypse on insanity
Self destruction of hypocrisy
Suffering is yours, no tomorrow
Killed with reason, unbelieved in
In conception, you were warned
Resurrection, christ denied
Congregation immolated with his bastard son
Confused by the rules of engagement
Impregnating you defamated your grace with god
Refused are the gates to salvation

3. When Satan Rules His World – 02:55 >

Open the door Jehovah you whore
I am the servant of who rules this world
Archnemesis of your light
One look at me and you know he is I
Run away when confronted with Satan
Always here and forever will be
Your concern for my Lord is becoming
Defecate on your book of belief
Door to door soliciting war
Feeble man with salvation as sword
Disturb and see you will die
For I am of Him in his world you're confined
Why try? World dies, christ hides
When Satan rules his world
Disease, run free, killing
When Satan rules his world
Religion, infliction, obscene
When Satan rules his world
Witness, dismissed, executed
When Satan rules his world

4. Kill the Christian – 02:58 >

You are the one we despise
Day in day out your words compromise lives
I will love watching you die
Soon it will be and by your own demise
Buried in hypocrisy
Lacerate your faith in god
Morally diseased
On the cross of Calvary your body bashed, defeated, stabbed
Blessing as you hate
Loyal to your enemies
Monetary faith
As him you'll pay for the lies of your prophecy
Satan wants you dead
Kill the christian, kill the christian
Kill the christian, kill the christian
Kill the christian, kill the christian
Kill the christian
Armies of darkness unite
Destroy their temples and churches with fire
Where in his world will you hide
Sentenced to death, the anointment of christ
In due time your path leads to me
Put you out of your misery
The death of prediction
Kill the christian
Kill the christian...dead!

5. Trick or Betrayed – 02:24 >

They will say that he loves you, he don't
From their bible they're controlled
His descent they expect in our life
They'll be waiting till they die
Disembark from their path of belief
If in turn will set you free
Cannot live with the fact that they're wrong
That there is no truth in god
Trick or betrayed
Their faith ends in pain
Rip up their bible before is too late
Time we undo unity
For it is for fools
In this world we don't need
Trick or betrayed
I think you should know
They know it's true
That their book is a hoax
Join us to see through the light
Christ is a scheme and will ruin your life
Trick or betrayed
Why insist on the cross died for us
His infliction never was
They assume that his death brought them life
To be dead will change their minds
When you see what you feel is not real
Disappointment is revealed
Cannot live with the fact that they're wrong
There is no such thing as god

6. They Are the Children of the Underworld – 03:09 >

In the creation of Anu were spawned
Born Of the Earth before the age of god
With word unwrit, nowhere they're known
Evade destruction in their world below
Their hands reach for our place outside
Bestow their suffering on human life
Nothing will stop them from re-entering
Return to hatred in the heart of man
They are the children of the underworld
Before the heavens they were on the Earth
To desolation and were never heard
"Cry rebirth"
Lords of the plague, seven are they
Born in the mountain Of Mashu's magic
Spirits of hate, they have no name
Withered and wicked, the liars in wait
In the creation of Anu were spawned
With deadly vengeance from the ancient gods
Their place on Earth, their race unknown
Beyond the knowledge of the elder ones
Provoking with our blood to rise
The seven offspring for the sacrifice
Reclaim the power of the crown of death
Enter the body from the temple dead

7. Behind the Light Thou Shall Rise – 02:57 >

Disemboweled on the altar jesus christ
Entrails in the pentagram circle
Spill his blood and reversing catholic hymn
Invocate the onslaught of Satan
Master Lord Lucifer
From behind the light thou shall rise
Drink ourselves as you feed
His offering of purity
Bible bleed, hell on Earth has been achieved
Thou will fail before Lord Satan
Casting sin, pissing on their crucifix
Stepping forth into his creation
Master Lord Lucifer
From behind the light thou shall rise
Walk His Earth, invade in pain
His christians become the enslaved
What was once is never more
Infernal Lord Father restored
Blinding priest in disbelief
Revenge onto god he has sworn

8. To Be Dead – 02:39 >

Destroy the corpse and release my mind
The secrets contemplate the other side
It won't be long until the death of me
A spirit conscious of reality
To be dead is to always be
Close my eyes and retun to sand
To be dead is to always dream
Coherent thought but unseen by man
Invisible to human sight
The consequences in his afterlife
Across the line from the ignorant
Inside my mind I do not know sin
To be dead is to always be
Open-eyed in a sleeping mind
To be dead is to always dream
I'm prepared for my turn to die
Inflicting sorrow on the enemy
And to everyone who doubted me
My constant presence will torment the soul
As I stand watching in the other world
To be dead is to always be
Untied from the living flesh
To be dead is to always dream
Unforgiven when I meet with death

9. Confessional Rape – 03:53 >

Father integrity, perverted secrecy
Molesting innocent children you're trusted with
What is vowed you cannot live, unbound by celibence
Indulge in sacrilege, to serve unto Satan
Manipulate through threats of god's hate
Abhorrently extorted
Molest the faith, confessional rape
Denial is aborted
Exploit the flesh of chreistian descent
Incesting consent
Alter your life from behind the light
Master Lord Satan decides
Father hypocrisy, exerting fantasy
Persuading innocent children to where you live
What is vowed does not exist, you are in debt to sin
Apologize and plead, begging god for mercy

Total length: 28:09