I’ve been a fan of Slayer since first hearing their classic LP Reign In Blood in the summer of 1989. Since then I’ve picked up all of their material and have become a rather large fan of the band. Their material from Show No Mercy to Reign In Blood is arguably the best thrash metal ever recorded. In 1988, the band took a sudden change in direction, with the sound of their South Of Heaven album, going for a more slower paced, eerier, heavier sound. The 90’s saw the release of Seasons In The Abyss, then the departure of long-time drummer Dave Lombardo in 1991, followed by 1994’s Divine Intervention, which turned out to be nothing more than a poor rehashing of Reign In Blood, and 1996’s forgettable punk tribute album Undisputed Attitude. Just when it seemed all was lost, Slayer came out with their first collection of original work in four years Diabolus In Musica. The album is best described as South Of Heaven with a 90’s edge to it. It is a much slower paced, lower tuned album than their previous material, which almost gives me the impression that the band may be getting too old to crank out the speedy stuff anymore. The rhythm is uncomplicated, and little skill is required to play the music. The ultimate reflection of Slayer’s downward spiral is Tom Araya’s rap-vocals on "Love To Hate". Overall the album is nothing amazing, certainly not as good as their past material, apparently they’ve already begun work on new, faster material for a new CD, but, after hearing the very radio-friendly Diabolus In Musica, I’m almost wishing the band called it quits today. Fans of early Slayer will just keep replaying those albums over and over, the thrash metal band of the 80’s is dead, the 90’s Slayer is here, tired, old and ready to be slayed. Fans of South Of Heaven and Divine Intervention, should get a kick out of this album, fans of the earlier material will most likely hate this one. Not as bad as Metallica’s Load, but they’re slowly getting there.



Written By: Teufel