DEICIDE's BENTON Says HOFFMAN Brothers Are Not Returning To Band

DEICIDE frontman Glen Benton spoke to Denmark's Antenna webzine on Thursday (Nov. 25) about the departure of the Hoffman brothers and the group's new lineup, among other topics. Several excerts from the interview follow:

Antenna: There have been some speculations on why the Hoffman brothers are missing. Could you explain why they are not here?

Glen Benton: "Explain why they are not here? Eric and Brian have been doing nothing but cancelling shows on us and walking of tours and we can't continue to do that anymore. And they have issues, personal issues that I and Steve [Asheim, drums] can't deal with anymore so I would say it's for the best".

Antenna: Do they rejoin the band when you return home?

Glen Benton: "No".

Antenna: Is it permanent?

Glen Benton: "Yeah".

Antenna: I'm aware of your collaboration with Dave Suzuki (VITAL REMAINS) but how did you hook up with Jack Owen (ex-CANNIBAL CORPSE)?

Glen Benton: "Jack, he stepped up to the plate. Nobody else would. It's hard to find people who can learn these songs as quick as these two did and they learned them quickly like within 24-48 hours so they are still learning songs. I mean with the Hoffmans a set was like 35 minutes and it's like we got the set up to an hour and a half already so we're doing songs… it like we got tired of the bullshit if you know what I mean, not wanting to do the long sets, not playing their leads, not showing up, bullshitting us, lying to us, telling us to come to the airport and not showing up and other bullshit so we are tired of it. I mean more news will come out. We're going to do another record the replacements have already been picked for that so hey man lets just keep going. I think it's better now because on-stage I'm a lot more… I'm able to do what I'm got to do without having that fucking problem which I say the Hoffmans are 'because they are a problem. We don't have that anymore and these two tear those guys apart and it's great. Dave shreds Eric's leads and Jack shreds Brian's leads and it's just great, it's even better so it's only going to get better. It's always been the problem having those two and their problem creating a problem so now that you have that out of the equation it's only positive good things that going to come about. They would rather sit at home and be broke and miserable than come out here and entertain the fans and they talk a big fucking game about this, that and the other. The bottom-line is whose here and whose not. They had every opportunity to do this tour and they didn't want to do it. They would rather stay home with their old ladies."

Antenna: They have basically been the problem all the time or what?

Glen Benton: "Every tour we have ever cancelled, the Hoffmans. Every show we had to cancel, the Hoffmans. So how long can we keep letting that go on to a point where they destroy me and Steve's career too? So we're not let that going to happen anymore. So we take the bull by the horn and get rid of the problem and we'll make things better."

Antenna: I read about your show in Oslo, Norway a few days ago on a message board and people seemed to agree that the band played tight and brutal.

Glen Benton: "[Dave applauds in the background while Glen laughs] Yeah man, it's only going to be better, okay? Eventually my plans are for the next DEICIDE record are to have Dave and Tony [Lazaro] from VITAL REMAINS playing guitar on the album. Tony will be coming in on it too. Jack's got his own band that he does so we're going to go and just pretty much combine DEICIDE and VITAL REMAINS. So that's basically our plan. Tony Lazaro, Dave Suzuki, Steve and myself. Look out we're fucking going to destroy people. It's only going to be better and I can't wait to shove it down a lot of people's throats. It's going to be good."

Read Glen Benton's entire interview with Antenna at this location. A live review and several photos of the band's appearance in Aarhus, Denmark on November 25 have been posted online at this location.