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Class 6(66)
Slayer: South of heaven
01/04/06 || Lord K Philipson
Released: 1988
Introduction
Most people see “Reign in blood” as Slayer’s finest piece ever. I can understand that, and I also fully understand the impact that very album had on the world in general and the metal-scene in particular, but I disagree. “South of heaven” is the slayers’ finest moment, and judging from anything they release nowadays this will continue to be a fact. I’ve seen Slayer quite a bunch of times in my life (the most fun one was to sit on stage besides Hanneman and watch the show, invited by their tour manager becoz I look so good), but the first time was right after the release of this album. I remember it like it was yesterday (sure I do…). Everyone who doesn’t love the fuck out of this album deserves to be fucken shot. Again, again, again and again.
Songwriting
9. All classics. From the title track to the ending track, “Spill the blood”. There’s but one song that prevents this from being a 10 and that is the cover of Judas Penis’ “Dissident Aggressor”, but as that one, after all, is a cover I should make it a ten anyways. So I change my mind. It’s a fucken 10. Or a 9. At least there’s no chance in hell it’s an 8, that’s for sure.
Production
8. Very dry though. Slayer pretty much always had quite dry productions, but in some weird way it works. For them. I can just imagine how powerful Slayer would actually sound if they decided to go with a real good production for once, adding some heavy-assed distortion to the axes is a starter. At least Slayer’s got a unique sound, no one can take that away from them. But they deserve better and would sound a hella lot better with some real sound-wizard behind the knobs, I don’t doubt that for a second. Maybe one of these days…
Guitars
8. The rhythm guitars are ace and the solos are crap. That’s how it always was. That’s fucken Slayer. One thing Slayer always lacked is a good guitarsound. This is no different. And as mentioned, for once in their lives they should use some fucken serious distortion on their shit. There’s nothing cool about having a clean guitar sound if there’s no punch in it.
Vocals
9. Tom could still do those high-pitched screams here. They are on the border of being power metal, but Tom gets away with it. Becoz he’s fucken Tom Araya. There’s not one fucken guy in the world that sounds like Tom. You gotta love Tom. Tom tom.
Bass
7. Actually quite audible at times, and it’s graced with a very warm sound to it. Slayer was never about bass, they always depended on crappy solos and catchy riffing, topped with Tom’s vocals and Lombardo’s drumming. I believe Tom is quite a terrible bassist beneath the surface. Don’t tell him I said so. Kerry King might wanna do some wrestling-moves on me if he finds out. And I don’t wanna floor lil’ Kerry.
Drums
10. Another one of the very few drummers who you instantly know is playing when you hear him, Dave Lombardo. Dave is the master of groovy fills. Dave is The Man. There are not many drummers around who actually manage to make the drums as memorable as the guitars, and even the songs themselves. Dave is one of them.
Lyrics
8. There’s two lines that I love as hell on this album:
“Bastard sons beget your cunting daughters
Promiscuous mothers with your incestuous fathers”
That is fucken poetry at large. I have to use “cunting daughters” in one of my lyrics these days. Slayer’s stuff isn’t always rhyming, and I really dig that.
Cover art
8. It’s so ugly it’s beautiful. That’s a fucken skull on crack-cocaine if I ever saw one. Slayer sure got the hots for having hideous-as-shit covers on their releases and if it wasn’t Slayer – it wouldn’t work. But now we are talking Slayer and for some reason those ass-covers really turn out outstanding. It must be magic. Black magic.
Logo
8. You so know it, this is a classic fucken logo. I need not go any further into explaining that.
Booklet
I wish. I have never seen the booklet coming with the CD since I just own the LP. That gets a 6 though.
Overall and ending rant
9,5. You may believe it, but Satan wouldn’t lie.
