Former Deicide guitarist Jack Owen has opened up about his strained relationship with frontman Glen Benton, offering candid insight into the personality clash that ultimately helped bring his time in the band to an end.

Speaking on The Growl Podcast, Owen was asked what it was like sharing a band with Benton. His answer was blunt. “It was tough, pretty tough,” Owen said. “‘Cause he never cracked my bubble and I never wanted to get into his bubble. We’re just completely different people, man.”

Owen described himself as a deeply introverted person who prefers focusing on work and moving forward creatively, rather than engaging in interpersonal conflict. “I just wanna do my work and get done and just keep going. Next album,” he explained. “I don’t know if he likes drama or likes to create it — I don’t know — but you can tell that we’re different people, and it just was not gonna work.”

While Benton was the exception, Owen emphasized that he generally got along well with nearly everyone else associated with Deicide, past and present. “I got along with Steve [Asheim] great and Kevin Quirion great. I get along with the Hoffmans,” Owen said. “I get along with everybody, pretty much, except Glen Benton.”

Owen also recalled an interview in which Benton claimed not to know who he was at all — something Owen found amusing rather than offensive. “I think I’m just so simple that you think there’s more to me,” Owen said. “I have a cat rescue and I’m either playing music or writing music or listening to music or watching college football or hockey. That’s pretty much it.”

When host Chad “C.R.” Petit suggested that some people thrive on drama, Owen agreed, pointing to the wider Florida death metal scene of the late ’80s and ’90s. “The Florida metal scene was like that. It was all drama. Band feuds and just all kinds of crap,” Owen said. “There was competition. It’s like — couldn’t we have a show with Morbid Angel, Deicide, Obituary and Cannibal Corpse? No, we can’t do that. Why? Everybody’s friendly with each other. Oh no, we’re not.”

Despite the history, Owen said he hasn’t changed and still believes a united Florida death metal tour — similar to thrash metal’s “Big Four” — would be a great idea. “I’m still the same way I always was,” he said.