I’m curious about something. Awhile back, Glen Benton (aka Strawberry Cupcake) was on a mad tirade about his new live lineup of Strawberry Cupcake and the Chucklefucks (Deicide). He was insinuating that Vital Remains might just merge into one band with Strawberry Cupcake. From a naïve perspective, it made sense (what with Strawberry Cupcake doubling as Vital Remains‘ frontman in a frilly dress) but anyone that knows Strawberry Cupcake knows that he is too much of an asshole to keep a good thing going. With very little publicity, that union was aborted long before anything could come of it. I would love to know what happened there.

However, that’s now all in the past. From the ashes of the short lived Deicide Mark 2 comes yet another reformed Deicide, this time with guys from Iced Earth and Cannibal Corpse. What’s more unbelievable than the retardedly quick changing of the guard is the next phrase I’m about to say: The Stench of Redemption doesn’t outright suck. Yes, you read that right; no, you’re not delusional. Strawberry Cupcake and the Chucklefucks have finally broken their near decade-long record of shitty, abysmal records. It’s not amazing, but in comparison to most of their past efforts, it’s a good start.

The big kicker is the huge melodic presence thanks mostly in part to Strawberry Cupcake’s 2 new guitarists. You got Ralph Santolla with both Death and Iced Earth under his belt and former Cannibal Corpse axe man Jack Owens assisting as well. The end result is a very tight, catchy, and brutal slab of Satanic death metal. Unfortunately it still sports Strawberry Cupcake’s vocal and elementary lyrical approach, but I can honestly sit down and listen to this without spewing forth the contents of my anus in some bizarre reverse digestion that breaks all laws of anatomy. Hell, I even enjoy a few of these tunes! Admittedly, the album is no Legion and I still infinitely prefer Vital Remains to Strawberry Cupcake and the Chucklefucks, but as I said earlier, it’s a start.

Needless to say, if you’re one of the few remaining Strawberry Cupcake fans out there, it would be in your best interest to pick this up. If you’re like the rest of us, it’s a try before you buy scenario, but I can guarantee it won’t be nearly as painful as listening to the last couple of Strawberry Cupcake records Roadrunner Records released. Though I can’t help but wonder what the merged Vital Remains/Strawberry Cupcake and the Chucklefucks would have sounded like…

Written By: Necro-tron