Deicide’s 1992 European tour took an unexpected and dangerous turn when an explosive device detonated during their Stockholm concert. The attack, which occurred during Gorefest’s performance, forced authorities to evacuate the venue and raised serious security concerns for the remainder of the tour.
Details of The Deicide Concert Bombing Incident
Deicide’s 1992 European tour took a dangerous turn when an explosive device detonated during their Stockholm concert. The bomb went off behind a fireproof door at the rear of the stage while Gorefest —one of Deicide’s tourmates— was performing.
The blast was strong enough to dislodge the door from its hinges. It then forced authorities to evacuate the venue, but Deicide managed to perform three songs before that.
Despite the seriousness of the situation, frontman Glen Benton downplayed the bombing, saying, “It wasn’t really much of a bomb. I do more damage in the morning to my toilet. All it did was knock the f*ckin’ door off its hinge.”
No one was injured, but the attack left many questions unanswered, and multiple groups were suspected of being responsible.
Who Was Behind the Attack?
Several theories emerged about the motivation behind the bombing.
- Benton initially blamed the Norwegian black metal scene, which was known for its anti-death metal sentiment at the time. The early ’90s Norwegian black metal community often criticized bands like Deicide for being commercially successful and not ‘true’ to Satanic ideals.
- Another major theory pointed to animal rights activists. According to Louder, a group called Animal Militia had been issuing threats to Deicide for months. Their anger stemmed from Benton’s past comments and actions regarding animals.
- Radical Christian groups were also suspected, as Deicide frequently faced backlash for their anti-Christian lyrics and imagery.
No group ever claimed responsibility, though.
The Animal Rights Controversy
Benton had a longstanding history of provoking animal rights activists. In 1993, he admitted to burning live rodents and was photographed shooting a squirrel in his attic during an NME interview. He claimed the act was to protect his house’s electrical system, but it fueled outrage among animal rights organizations.
The Animal Militia even issued a direct warning to Benton and Deicide, “Not even Satan himself will protect you once you set foot in England.”
Following the Stockholm attack, security concerns only escalated, and Deicide faced more threats throughout the tour.
Deicide Concert Bombing Impact
The bombing had immediate effects:
- Atrocity canceled their performance entirely.
- Deicide’s set was cut short to only four songs, performed under full house lights due to security concerns.
- In December 1992, a separate bomb threat in Manchester forced another venue evacuation, further complicating the tour.
The true perpetrators were never identified despite multiple investigations.
