Yes, the message of Satan rings loud and clear - destroy all the hypocrisy that exists between devoted followers of Christianity with all its inconsistencies. When the lord of darkness first made his decision to channel his message of evil across the land, he knew he would need to recruit one of the loudest, nastiest and fiercest heavy metal bands that could willfully do his bidding. He found it in Florida's "Deicide."

First established toward the waning years of the eighties, "Deicide" had begun, and continues, to produce death metal rage in its purist form, without superficial image-boosting gimmicks and production studio fillers - just a sincere desecration of their instruments, and forceful brutalization of unfulfilled religious faith. While no one can speak of "Deicide's" allegiance to the God of the underworld, or whether they have faith in any god at all, their motives leave little doubt of their intentions - question authority regardless of position. In this case, our perception of God, or specifically, misleading Christian beliefs.

"When Satan Lives" is a raging storm resulting from the Devil's sickened wrath upon the world. The fans that piled into Chicago's House of Blues couldn't have prepared themselves for what was in store for them when they first left their comfortable homes, and the same might be said for anyone daring enough to purchase this live version of that fateful performance. Its musical contents will more than likely destroy the speakers, irritate parents to no end, annoy the hell out of your neighbors for damn sure, and the girl bopping in her car stopped at the light next to you won't dare look in your direction.

As a band, there are few that can match "Deicide's" powerful playing. Glen Benton, bassist/vocalist, grunts and growls his way through seventeen total brushes with devilish might, while the Hoffman brothers dual riffing smashes and devours like a pick-axe and sledgehammer crashing heavily upon the skull, while keeping time to the mad-thrashing double-bass drum-kick firepower. The overuse of words like "brutal" don't come close to describing the merciless onslaught one's going to endure during this playback.

"When Satan Lives" features material that dates all the way back to their self-titled debut in 1990, and gives fans plenty to feast upon all throughout its ravaged course, without the burden of fumbling around with more than one disc! The hour-plus barrage begins crudely enough with "When Satan Rules His World," and doesn't wind down until the final notes of "Sacrificial Suicide" fade out, with plenty of chaotic mayhem mixed in, like "Bastard of Christ," "Serpents of the Light," "Once Upon the Cross," etc. "Deicide's" latest unearthly creation is a blood feast of mammoth proportions, and for God's sake don't forget to douse yourself with holy water after you're finished listening to it!