Published on Aug 16, 2004
Back in the ’80s, none rivaled Slayer when it came to the title
of “most dangerous band.” Not Motley Crue, not even NWA. With their
breakneck speed, gruesome artwork and Satanic lyrics, moralists had
you convinced that listening to even one track would turn you into
a depraved devil worshipper who would freely sacrifice neighborhood
animals.
Listening to Slayer now, it’s hard not to view their angle as
cartoonish. Hell, some of their CDs have turned into great rage
soundtracks while you are stuck in a stifling traffic jam or
working in a kitchen during a brutal dinner rush. That said, you
still don’t question the band’s no-bullshit attitude. In the same
year that Metallica embraced mainstream with the “black” album,
Slayer unleashed
Seasons In The Abyss.
Their previous album,
South Of Heaven, was more subdued than
Reign In Blood (still, that’s like saying speed is more
subdued than cocaine). The slower grooves, combined with the fact
that the band hand to follow-up a classic album resulted in mixed
reviews. With
Seasons In The Abyss, the band came back with a hardened
aggression. Armed with a great duo (producer Rick Rubin and
co-producer Andy Wallace), Slayer aimed for the jugular with the
first track, “War Ensemble” and for the most part, never let up in
the ensuing 40 minutes.
The signature buzz saw of Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King are all
over
Seasons In The Abyss. Lyrically, the band members share
equal time in the songwriting. If you need to know a theme for the
album, you can make an educated guess with song titles like “Dead
Skin Mask,” “Skeletons of Society” and “Blood Red.” It’s no wonder
Rick Rubin took to these guys — he’s a purist and in the world of
metal, there was no band more pure in its power than Slayer.
That’s not to say that all of the songs are straightforward
thrashers. “Skeletons of Society” experiments with multiple
harmonies and virtually all of the songs have an infectious hook
attached to the apocalyptic nihilism. Much credit deserves to go to
the band, especially Tom Araya’s throaty delivery and great bass
skills, but Rubin and Wallace deserve equal credit. Their work on
other seminal ’90s albums like Johnny Cash’s
American Recordings and Nirvana’s
Nevermind show that while shock may go a long way, the music
must endure.
The Slayer trifecta of
Reign In Blood,
South Of Heaven and
Seasons In The Abyss have aged far better than virtually all
of Slayer’s peers. While the band is still able to scare the crap
out of non-initiates, their musicianship ultimately makes the final
impression when it comes to evaluating the band’s importance in the
metal world. If this is hell’s soundtrack, I’ll take
Seasons In The Abyss over Creed’s
Weathered any day.