Reign In Blood

[ASBO]

SOH is more of an ambient album, where RIB was a response to the attitude that harder bands played faster. It's still one of the only smart fast albums created.

Otherwise, I agree fully with metal r.i.p's post.

[Divus_de_Mortuus]

Of other Slayer…

Seasons is the first Slayer album that lacks clear identity, and has an almost comical or happy sounding element at certain times. It has its inspired moments, as like the DLA says, it is the last album that shows any strength of spirit, but sometimes the faster parts just seem reactionary to criticisms of South of Heaven. I think it was the first album that was clearly influenced by what the fans and record labels wanted. And that clearly means that by this point, Slayer's fan base was infiltrated by idiots. It's a conflicted album. It's not entirely terrible but fails to meet the always high standard they were always known for. Seasons is best appreciated once in a while and not immediately after an earlier Slayer album.

Divine Intervention is even more conflicted. That album finds an aged Slayer frustrated that it doesn't just come as natural and as easy to them anymore. They do some goofy things in song writing in an attempt to give the album an individual identity and not be a remanufactured pseudo-Slayer album like Seasons was, while at the same time trying to replicate the emotions of previous albums. Like Morbid Angel's weaker efforts, there are some individual moments that in themselves are listenable by virtue of intrinsic talent of the musicians (and probably nostalgia on our parts) While this album often borders on the unlistenable, it clearly shows Slayer haven’t lost the inherent ability to write good riffs; they instead suffer from a loss of focus, and don’t have the energy or commitment to metal’s ideals to put forth the effort to write good compositions. I would say it is worth a cursory listen from time to time. I usually shelve it for about six months, dust it off, listen and think it’s not so bad, end up burning it, but usually inside a week I end up throwing the CDR out the window at speed.

In Diabolus in Musica, emotionally Slayer actually sound re-energized. Like a homosexual who has finally come out of the closet and no longer has to live a lie, Slayer are free to include modern elements inspired by the likes of Slipknot and Korn, which Slayer in their weakened state actually appreciate. Unlike Morbid Angel, Slayers absolute worst still has the ability to present superficially good, singular riffs in their signature style(Domination has some cool “Morbid Angel” riffs but Heretic shows Trey Azagthoth is in essence brain dead and can’t even copy his own sound anymore. He has clearly done more drugs than Slayer), but the playful hip-hoppyness and post-thrash clichés are beyond insulting. The rest of their career is a product of the same formula that went into Diabolus; Nu-metal + some superficially distilled element of "old Slayer". Honestly, you could transport Christ Illusion back to 1998 and Diabolus to 2006 and they would receive the same basic reception. I haven’t listened to any of these three enough to know which is best, but from what I remember, the most overtly offense rap-metal efforts are found on Diabolus.

[Humanicide]

Of other Slayer…

Seasons is the first Slayer album that lacks clear identity, and has an almost comical or happy sounding element at certain times. It has its inspired moments, as like the DLA says, it is the last album that shows any strength of spirit, but sometimes the faster parts just seem reactionary to criticisms of South of Heaven. I think it was the first album that was clearly influenced by what the fans and record labels wanted. And that clearly means that by this point, Slayer's fan base was infiltrated by idiots. It's a conflicted album. It's not entirely terrible but fails to meet the always high standard they were always known for. Seasons is best appreciated once in a while and not immediately after an earlier Slayer album.

Divine Intervention is even more conflicted. That album finds an aged Slayer frustrated that it doesn't just come as natural and as easy to them anymore. They do some goofy things in song writing in an attempt to give the album an individual identity and not be a remanufactured pseudo-Slayer album like Seasons was, while at the same time trying to replicate the emotions of previous albums. Like Morbid Angel's weaker efforts, there are some individual moments that in themselves are listenable by virtue of intrinsic talent of the musicians (and probably nostalgia on our parts) While this album often borders on the unlistenable, it clearly shows Slayer haven’t lost the inherent ability to write good riffs; they instead suffer from a loss of focus, and don’t have the energy or commitment to metal’s ideals to put forth the effort to write good compositions. I would say it is worth a cursory listen from time to time. I usually shelve it for about six months, dust it off, listen and think it’s not so bad, end up burning it, but usually inside a week I end up throwing the CDR out the window at speed.

In Diabolus in Musica, emotionally Slayer actually sound re-energized. Like a homosexual who has finally come out of the closet and no longer has to live a lie, Slayer are free to include modern elements inspired by the likes of Slipknot and Korn, which Slayer in their weakened state actually appreciate. Unlike Morbid Angel, Slayers absolute worst still has the ability to present superficially good, singular riffs in their signature style(Domination has some cool “Morbid Angel” riffs but Heretic shows Trey Azagthoth is in essence brain dead and can’t even copy his own sound anymore. He has clearly done more drugs than Slayer), but the playful hip-hoppyness and post-thrash clichés are beyond insulting. The rest of their career is a product of the same formula that went into Diabolus; Nu-metal + some superficially distilled element of "old Slayer". Honestly, you could transport Christ Illusion back to 1998 and Diabolus to 2006 and they would receive the same basic reception. I haven’t listened to any of these three enough to know which is best, but from what I remember, the most overtly offense rap-metal efforts are found on Diabolus.

Diabolus is shit, compressed and put onto a CD-R. fucking horrible album.

i found myself actually enjoying 2 or 3 songs on Christ Illusion, believe it or not. some of them show signs of the old spark that faded oh so long ago from Slayer's spirit.

but they will 99% surely never match their old days again.

[sgtcrom]

SOH and Seasons were the first Slayer albums I ever heard and not until '94 (my musical evolution has been pretty slow) and, to be honest with myself, those two are still my favorites. Divine Intervention, Reign In Blood and Show No Mercy are on the next tier down, but I still love RIB. Some of you guys are more analytical in your approach to music criticism than I am. I just know that RIB still makes me bang my head, turn up the volume and roll down my windows so everyone else can hear how much I LOATHE their shitty pump music.

In my listening experience, I either like just about everything a band puts out or I don't. If a band I like puts out something that doesn't reach me at first, then I blame it on myself and listen to the fucking thing until I "get it". As a result, I forced myself to listen to Divine Intervention until I got used to Bostaph's drumming style and, suddenly, it clicked for me.

Diabolis and GHUA were what I call 50/50 albums (50% filler, 50% good). Christ Illusion, with Lombardo back, works for me all the way through. I hope Dave sticks around. I like the way he can put a groove into metal drumming.

I actually think that an album or band being a gateway for someone's musical growth IS relevant here. There's no objective way to account for why an album appeals to your ear or not. It either does or it doesn't and it's usually based on something subjective, like when or where or with whom you first heard music that changed your life.

I'll give an example. Take a look at Steve Morse or, even better, Steve Vai. While neither of these guys are technically "metal", they're both highly skilled guitarists. They both have awesome technique. If music was objective, these guys would be everyone's favorites. "Wow, look how fast Morse is. . .and so clean!" -- "Man, Vai really knows his scales and modes and theory!"

Instead, and I hate to say this because I used to really idolize the guy, Steve Morse's music is so precise and clean and lightning fast that even live it sounds overproduced and soulless. Yawn. And, Steve Vai, don't even get me started. I despise Steve Vai's music (I'm sure he's a nice guy and all that). It's horrible. The poor, sad, yet technically precise and theoretically innovative motherfucker can't songwrite his way out of a wet paper bag.

Music is a language. Unlike spoken language, IMO, music can convey emotion directly. When speaking with words, it doesn't matter how fast you say something or how precisely you say it. It only matters if the meaning you're trying to get across actually gets across.

Slayer may not be the most innovative, precise or theoretically demanding band to listen to, but they sure know how to get their message across. It seems to resonate with a lot of people. It certainly resonates with me.

For me, Slayer confirms what Bill Hicks called "the voice of reason inside us all". I don't have any emotions that correspond to whatever fruit-loopy fantasy world Steve Vai is trying to convey. I definitely feel a lot of rage and disgust with the world at large, however, and Slayer provides a mighty good outlet.

[chrstphrbnntt]

"Man, Vai really knows his scales and modes and theory!"

I suspect anybody that really knows their theory would at least be able to make music that's interesting on a textural level -- Babbitt, Xenakis, Antheil, Brant. Vai is just boring.

Also, off-topic, but "South of Heaven" is the song that helped me "get" extreme metal.  The rest of that album is pretty lacking, but that song... life-affirming goodness.

[Divus_de_Mortuus]

Alive Undead is one of Slayer's most frightening songs ever.

[legion]

Reign in Blood is the best "metal" album ever released.

[ASBO]

Also, off-topic, but "South of Heaven" is the song that helped me "get" extreme metal.  The rest of that album is pretty lacking, but that song... life-affirming goodness.

South of Heaven is music and lyrics united perfectly.

Like Twilight of the Gods, or The Gates to the Kingdom of Darkness, or Snu Mikrokosmos Tegn.

[Relapse]

South of Heaven is music and lyrics united perfectly.

I think even those who despise this album can agree with this statement.

[Svmmoned]

I actually think that an album or band being a gateway for someone's musical growth IS relevant here. There's no objective way to account for why an album appeals to your ear or not. It either does or it doesn't and it's usually based on something subjective, like when or where or with whom you first heard music that changed your life.

Totally untrue in case of good music which is not produced to grab your certain emotions in certain situations (like radio music). Because such music will last only for a moment.

It only matters if the meaning you're trying to get across actually gets across.

Not the meaning itself? Only fact that it communicate well with you is important no matter what shit it actually express?

Slayer may not be the most innovative, precise or theoretically demanding band to listen to, but they sure know how to get their message across. It seems to resonate with a lot of people. It certainly resonates with me.

Will you agree with me that there's nothing worthy left to hear from them?

[ASBO]

It seems to me that if you start by listening to short attention-span music, you end up using that as the type you seek for the next ten years.

Where if you start by listening to the longer attention span stuff, you seek that out each time and end up appreciating more of it.

[shadowmystic]

I don't think the gateway theory is real so much as people don't realise that better music exists, when I was 14 I listened to Slipknot purely because I didn't know there was anything better, even at the time it seemed immature and irrelavant, but then again, so was I.  The first time I heard Pure Holocaust I was absolutely in awe, having been unaware that music of such quality existed at all.  People who still listen to Slipknot and CoF after becoming aware of Burzum and Morbid Angel are probably retards.

[oscar the cat]

This site should not go another month without a review of this crushingly beautiful album.

Raining blood
From a lacerated sky...

Poetry of the next level human (NLH)!

[Agni]

It seems to me that if you start by listening to short attention-span music, you end up using that as the type you seek for the next ten years.

Where if you start by listening to the longer attention span stuff, you seek that out each time and end up appreciating more of it.

is it that easy ?
I mean if you start 'metal' by trying to listening to Pink Frothy AIDS then you may never listen to metal ever again. I think the attention span is to be developed.

[ASBO]

I mean if you start 'metal' by trying to listening to Pink Frothy AIDS then you may never listen to metal ever again. I think the attention span is to be developed.

Pink Frothy AIDS is short attention-span music...