Band:	Deicide
Album:	When Satan Lives
Style:	Death metal
Release date:	1998
Guest review by:	Proseac

01. When Satan Rules His World
02. Blame It On God
03. Bastard Of Christ
04. They Are The Children Of The Underworld
05. Serpents Of The Light
06. Dead But Dreaming
07. Slave To The Cross
08. Lunatic Of Gods Creation
09. Oblivious To Evil
10. Once Upon The Cross
11. Believe The Lie
12. Trick Or Betrayed
13. Behind The Light Thou Shall Rise
14. Deicide
15. Father Baker's
16. Dead by Dawn
17. Sacrificial Suicide

I'll be very honest from the start. I've never been a fan of "live" albums. Nonetheless, there have been some really good "live" albums from some really fantastic metal bands (e.g. ICED EARTH's Alive in Athens, IRON MAIDEN's Live After Death, etc.) that have left me believing that there are really "live" albums worth it's release. Having said that, this "live" release by Deicide contains all the elements of why I am NOT a "live" album fan in the first place.

Recorded in the House Of Blues in Chicago, this album contains materials from their first four albums and by all means, the set-list is impressive, with versions of fan favorites like the songs "Dead by Dawn," "Lunatic of God's Creation,"' and "Deicide" performed in their gory glory live. This should set fans raving and pumped up right?

Unfortunately, the impressive set of songs does not make up for what is lacking in this album. Firstly, I found that the production leaned too much on to the sludgy side. The Hoffman brother's guitar riff interplay sounds muffled. Glen Benton's vocals are in his usual low growl and grunt without much variation or mood. The only redeeming quality if probably with Asheim's drumming that is fast, violent and precise, but even that sounds subdued on most parts through the album.

What made Deicide so enjoyable for me in their studio albums were always the cutting crunch of the guitar riff interplays that comes out of the speakers like shards of glass, the brutal and insanely fast drumming that's pounding through my ears and the vocal work that varies from the death grunt to the insane shriek that brings out the theme of Deicide so well. These were apparently all missing from their "live" album which leaves me with very little room to credit this album.

Being objective, part of the appeal of "live" recordings for me is also about how the band interacts and wields the energy of the crowd. A good "live" recording should always capture that essence. Once again, this album is also lacking on that front. Throughout, the listener is only greeted with the band bludgeoning through the set and minimal crowd reactions captured to exhibit the pulsing energy level, making this whole album a rather drab affair overall.

In all, this album has been a disappointment for me. This is definitely one album that most, except the most hardcore Deicide fans, can live without.