DEICIDE's GLEN BENTON blasts 'crybabies' over AI artwork controversy: 'We gave all the wrong people a voice'

In a new interview with Belgium Jasper, DEICIDE Bassist/Singer Glenn Benton Once again, the controversy over the cover artwork for the band's latest album has been resolved, “put away from sin”. Released on April 26 by Reign of Phoenix Music, the LP features art that some believe was created by artificial intelligence (AI). When the cover artwork was first unveiled in February, speculation about its creation sparked a backlash from fans on social media, with memes mocking it and DEICIDE.

Benton Said (as quoted BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “For me, I'm an artist. I come from a family of artists. I love art. I go to museums. I'm involved. For me, it's deeper than what's on the surface.

“We live in a day and age of bandwagon years — everyone's ready to jump on the next bandwagon — and I knew that was going to upset people,” he continued. “And that's the whole point of it, man. Art is going to make you think, and that's where I'm at. I'm not going to lose my artistic creativity just because someone finds it offensive or I'm their cousin. Not used to draw anime or whatever I mean, it's about the art, man.

“If you ask an artist to draw something for you and they do it in a way where it's really controversial, you've done your job, man.

“We gave voice to all the wrong people – that's all I can say,” Benton added “There are some people who really don't need to be heard in society, and we gave those people — the unhappy, the angry, the mean, the anxious, the self-loathing — we gave them all a way out. Diya, and it's just a sad commentary on life right now.

“And me [DEICIDE drummer] Steve [Asheim], every time we do a record, it's, like, 'Okay. How long will it be before they say that to me or they say that we are this?'

“You know what? Bad press is good press,” Glenn said. “I learned that on my first album. So if people are talking and people are upset, listen, man, you did a good job. And so I [see it]. I don't need to read all the crappy comments. Youtube Or wherever else it is known that I have done something. [worthwhile]”

Benton discussed earlier “put away from sin” Artwork in an interview with The Brutally Delicious Podcast last month. At the time, he said: “Well, people don't realize that the album covers we did were done with Photoshop And some with AI, but this is a more advanced version. It's like this 'Legion' [DEICIDE‘s second album, released in 1992] – When I did. 'Legion' Album covers, computers were still new. No one knew anything about three-dimensional artwork or anything like that. And I was the first person to fuck with it when I designed it. 'Legion' album cover. Now I've been into computers and have been since they all came out. So I may be ahead of most people when it comes to computers. I have two iMacs and a MacBook Pro and an iPad Pro. So I'm a bit of an expert on the whole computer era. Photoshop And all that stuff and that.

“I like to do something different and provocative,” Glenn explained “And I know the whole AI thing, everybody [up in arms about it]… But it was meant to stir. People don't understand. It's modernizing it… it's a sign of the times we're in. People just can't — their first [reaction] is, like, 'Oh, he's trying to put all of us artists out of work. And I'll be pulling penises in men's bathrooms for the rest of my life.' So everyone is up in arms and thinking it's finally the end of the world. And it's really funny, man. It is just a form of art and expression. So I think people should really stop being ridiculous and just accept it for what it is, man. It is a sign of the times.

“I don't do the same album artwork over and over again, and I don't use these scribble artists to make these logos that you can't read or make out,” Benton added. “I'm not into this shit. The Rembrandts And shit, man. You know? I design the artwork around the whole thing, man. And I don't take other people's feelings or their ideas or I sit here and think, 'Well, what's this blue-haired kid in Nebraska going to think about the album cover?' I do what I do because I love it, and I don't care what anyone else thinks. So if it bothers people… and it really does like these bandwagon little shitheads. They all want to jump on the bandwagon, 'Boohoo.' But here's the thing, how hypocritical it is because my art was being stolen. [through illegal downloading] And stepped into the 90s. Metallica They saw him coming and tried to stop him. But for artists, all these buffoons and all these fools, these were the same people who were stealing my art at that time. So where were you all to defend my art being stolen and profited from? So, I just covered an album, really, that just focuses on the whole modern-day modernity and, really, it's just a reflection of the age that we're in right now. I can't spend my days trying to explain it. I have a saying: I don't try to make a fool dumb and I don't try to make a dumb fool. So I just let him do his thing and piss people off. I have had a good time with it. This is hilarious. Yep, that's it, man. It's meant to shake the shit pedal, and that's what I do.”

Earlier this month, Ahem Also addressed. “put away from sin” artwork controversy, telling the Heavy Demons radio show: “Well, from what I understand, the label said, 'Hey, we want to get a cover that's reminiscent of the first record,' kind of A medal or something like that, along with the work… Glenn There's a guy in it—I think he's from Sweden, and he's a jewelry designer, and he's an artist, because obviously, he has to make jewelry, he has to design artwork for whatever. happens. Anyway, so he asked this guy, 'Hey, make a medal for the artwork for the record. And then we can tie it with jewelry that we're also going to sell.' And so was this man. So when people get really excited about how this AI is developed, I mean, we had a human artist design this thing. An artist, he uses computer software to design it, and whether he ran it through a program to clean it up, I don't know. I mean, some people who know more about art than I do, it seems like there's a real problem with that.”

Steve continued: “Everybody's up in arms about the whole thing. And I don't really understand why. I mean, I guess I see about the point, 'Hey, an artist who paints He could have been compensated.' Well, you know what an artist was paid for this artwork, I mean he's not an artist, I don't know what people like about a bitch I like it too.

“But anyway, that's my take on it,” Ahem added “And I think it's great. I've heard a lot of people say it's a bitch. I've heard a lot of people say, 'I don't see what the problem is. Is.'

“Anyway, we've created huge artwork banners for Live. So anyone who hates it will really love it.”

Last February, DEICIDE Released the second single from “put away from sin”called a song. “cut out your tongue”. was recorded on the track. Smoke and mirrors With Engineer Jeremy KillingWhile mixing and mastering was done by hand Josh Wilber.

DEICIDE Cooperated with David Brodsky From My Good Eye: Music Visual For a visually arresting video “cut out your tongue” Which complements the cheeky sketches of the track.

To close 2023, DEICIDE Celebrated Christmas with another cheeky song called “Bury the cross…with your Christ”.

In August 2022, Benton told “The Garza Podcast” That DEICIDE's new music is “really anthemic stuff. It's really cool, man. There's a lot of stuff, mixed in there. SteveOur prog is man, man; He's a progressive rock guy. He really likes to write black metal riffs and progressive stuff. He's an amazing talent, man. He plays the piano. He can strum the guitar. He is a drummer. Yes, he can do it all.”

Benton He said next DEICIDE The album was written in 2021 before he and his bandmates agreed to go on tour to celebrate the 30th anniversary. DEICIDE's sophomore album, “Legion”.

DEICIDE Played his first show with new guitarist. Taylor Nordberg (absence, Inhuman condition) on May 21, 2022 at the Rickshaw Theater in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

two years ago, Nordberg Talk about how he got off. DEICIDE gig in an interview with “The Zack Moonshine Show”. He said: “In 2019, my band absence visited with DEICIDE In America and we got to know the boys and we got along very well. And I actually found that out Glenn Life is, like, two streets away Jeremy [Kling, THE ABSENCE drummer] And I, where we live. So Jeremy And Glenn Became good friends and ride bikes all the time. It's a funny little thing, to think about. But long story short, [previous DEICIDE guitarist] Chris [Cannella]I believe he is the head of A&R. Dan Guitar So he's focusing on that right now. I heard they needed to play guitar, so I learned a couple of songs, made a couple of videos, and Glenn Saw them and liked what he saw. So we did some practice, and bang bang boom, here we are.”

Canela Left gracefully DEICIDE in January 2022 after a three-year run.

Chris Joined DEICIDE After the guitarist's departure in 2019 Mark English..

English Became a member of DEICIDE In 2016, after the long-time guitarist's exit Jack Owen.

Image credit: Jean Smirnoff