Glen Benton
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Glen Benton |
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Glen Benton is an American heavy metal musician best known as the frontman of Florida-based death metal band Deicide, although Benton himself does not accept the "death metal" terminology.[1] He is also the studio vocalist for Vital Remains, and has performed live with them on a few occasions. He has also performed guest vocals for other death metal groups, most notably Napalm Death on the song "Unfit Earth" from the album Harmony Corruption and Cannibal Corpse on "A Skull Full of Maggots" from Eaten Back to Life and "Vomit the Soul" from Butchered at Birth. He also appeared on the Roadrunner United 25th anniversary album, he performed vocals in the popular song "Annihilation by the Hands of God".
Interests
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 has been sighted riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle from Swanley to Gravesend in Kent.[citation needed]
Beliefs
Benton is known for his Satanic and anti-Christian beliefs, and credits an aunt for sparking his interest in the occult at a young age. To this end, he had, in the early-to-mid-1990s, a small side-career as an oppositionist call-in guest to Christian radio shows, such as Bob Larson's "Talk Back" show.[citation needed] Larson continually invited Benton to his talk show but Benton always declined, once returning the release papers to be on Larson's show signed "Fuck you" in blood.[citation needed]
The nature of his 'Satanism' is obscure and has become a subject of much controversy in recent years, primarily due to allegations of ex-Deicide guitarist Eric Hoffman, in which he dismissed Benton's Satanism as an act. In early years, Benton was ostensibly a devil-worshipper; he implied he had accepted the belief of the Christian God but worshipped the devil 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 organised religion promoting what he perceives to be "Hollywood Satanism".[2] In recent years however, his 'Satanism' would appear to have mellowed down to vehement anti-Christian atheism, as some opinions he expressed recently would appear to contradict his motives in earlier years. Furthermore, 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. He did not carry out this suicide however, explaining he had conceived these premonitions — and claimed that they were the subject of the song — while he was in a state of drunkeness during an interview.[3][4]
He is also known for having burned an inverted cross into his forehead.[citation needed] He has stated in interviews that it was made from a cross pendant he wore on a necklace as Satan's protection. He claimed that bad things would happen to him if he forgot to wear his cross. "I burnt the fucker in my forehead so I'll always have it on me, and I can never be touched by the Righteous One. By penetrating my soul, I'm protected forever."
External links
- Deicide (official site)
- Interview with Glen Benton, Rock Out Censorship, November 1992
- Deicide: sons of Satan, The Metal Forge, 2006-10-16