26 Facts About Glen Benton

Glen Michael Benton was born on June 18,1967 and is an American musician, best known as the lead vocalist, lyricist and bassist for the Florida death metal band Deicide.

Glen Benton is known for his extremely low and powerful growls, high shrieks, and overtly anti-Christian lyrics.

Glen Michael Benton was born in Niagara Falls, New York but was raised in Clearwater, Florida.

Glen Benton described himself as "the kid in the mirror rocking out with a tennis racket", naming Chuck Berry, The Beatles, Little Richard, Elvis Presley and The Rolling Stones as his earliest inspirations.

Glen Benton eventually began creating music by experimenting with his father's guitars, claiming to have been heckled by his "douche bag brother" in the process.

Glen Benton decided he wanted to become a metal vocalist during a night spent tripping on psychedelics and listening to the album Seven Churches by Possessed.

Glen Benton had his tonsils removed when he was 24 years old, following the release of Deicide's second album Legion.

Glen Benton toured Europe with Deicide two weeks later while still recovering from the surgery.

Since 1990, Glen Benton has recorded and released thirteen full-length studio albums with Deicide.

Glen Benton believes modern heavy metal bands lack the theatric personalities in their frontpeople that inspired him during his youth, such as Ozzy Osbourne and Elvis Presley.

Glen Benton recalls being referred to as "the evil little bastard" by family members while he was growing up.

Glen Benton is notorious for an inverted cross he has repeatedly branded into his forehead over the years, beginning when he was 22.

Glen Benton estimated that he had burned the cross into his skin twelve times, adding that the most recent time he was able to see veins and bone from his skull.

Glen Benton eventually stopped this practice after his mother begged him to.

The nature of Glen Benton's 'Satanism' is obscure and a subject of controversy, particularly due to allegations by former Deicide guitarist Eric Hoffman, who dismissed it as insincere and spurious.

In early years, Glen Benton was ostensibly a theistic satanist; he implied he had held the belief of the Christian God but worshipped Satan instead.

However, Glen Benton's claims are generally considered to have always been tongue-in-cheek, as his purported "Satanism" has since largely been defined as vehement anti-Christian atheism complemented with theatrics suitable for the band.

Additionally, Glen Benton has called himself a "showman," and has stated that there is no ideological agenda in Deicide, and that the music is foremost.

Hence, his beliefs have been questioned by followers of Anton LaVey's Church of Satan, an organization which Glen Benton has denounced as an organized religion.

Glen Benton had a religious upbringing with a Catholic father and a Lutheran mother.

Glen Benton is known for his Satanist and anti-Christian beliefs, and Deicide's lyrical content rarely deviates from blasphemous topics.

Glen Benton describes himself as "more of a rhythm player," and composes many of his contributions in Deicide on the guitar.

In May 2015, Glen Benton was endorsed by ESP guitars, and has been using a custom-made EX bass with a reverse headstock and EMG pick-ups since then.

In 1992, newspapers reported that Glen Benton had expressed an interest in, and participated in, the slaughter of live rodents such as rats and squirrels.

Glen Benton has expressed vehement antireligious sentiment throughout his career, which he has stated began during his childhood.

Glen Benton has an interest in motorcycles, which can be seen in the music videos for the Deicide songs "Scars of the Crucifix" and "Conviction".