Seasons In The Abyss

Slayer

American Recordings, 1990

http://www.slayer.net

REVIEW BY: Paul Hanson

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 05/21/2001

Home alone recently, I put into Slayer's Seasons In The Abyss. Why it's been a couple of years since I listened to this strikes me as a surprise for no other metal CD comes closer to perfection than this one.

You have Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman ripping riff after riff of pillar high guitar riffs. The opening riff of "War Ensemble" sets up the manic drum fills of Dave Lombardo. While that song is probably the most popular or well-known on this CD, it is the later songs, like "Dead Skin Mask" and "Skeletons Of Society" that define this release. "Skeletons" features ominous overdubbing of the lyrics that makes the song even more vicious.my_heart_sings_the_harmony_web_ad_alt_250

"Expendable Youth" is another gem, showcasing the double bass work of Lombardo. Lombardo, who has since gone on to be in Grip Inc. and (most recently) with Testament, added a pure musical element with his drums. It's not enough to gush over his double bass and his snare fills. If you listen to the patterns during a King or Hanneman solo, you can't help but feel his additional element.

The lyrics of Slayer have always been under scrutiny. According to a recent issue of Newsweek, members of a band called Hatred felt that Slayer's lyrics were telling the members of the band to go out and kill.

I have listened to this release since it came out in 1990. I have never heard a voice that told me to go kill. Are there objectionable lyrics? Sure. Am I going to quote them? No. If you have a weak mind, I recommend you don't listen to this release as the subjects Tom Araya wrote about include death and murder. Are they scary lyrics? Sure. "Temptation" stands out as a fluid dissertation on death and murder. Can I use the phrase "death and murder" one more time?

In conclusion, if you've not listened to this release in a while, I suggest you pull it out. Depending upon who you ask, Slayer was in their finest form with this release. With hauntingly tuned guitar riffs, lyrics that are interesting to listen to even if they are about death and murder (I got it!!), and the added musical element of Lombardo's drums, this is a stellar release.

Rating: A

User Rating: A-


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© 2001 Paul Hanson and The Daily Vault. All rights reserved. Review or any portion may not be reproduced without written permission. Cover art is the intellectual property of American Recordings, and is used for informational purposes only.