Metal Reviews

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Shit.

There are 3 good songs in this album. The first, the third and the last song. Nothing else is any good in it really.

I actually like this album. I bought it in late-2001, during which I already owned Reign In Blood, Seasons In The Abyss, Divine Intervention, and South Of Heaven. I was pretty well aware of its reputation as a nu-metal sellout. But I was curious to hear what Slayer would sound like playing such a style, so I bought it anyway. Surprisingly, it wasn't half bad. Bitter Peace is a great song. As are Stain Of Mind, Perversions Of Pain (probably the closest Slayer gets to their "classic sound" on this album), Scrum, and Screaming From The Sky. I even enjoyed the more groovy Death's Head, Overt Enemy, and Desire (despite its Korn-ish verses). And I don't care what anybody else says: I thought Love To Hate was an interesting attempt at a full-blown rap metal song (hey, it does have camp value, let's give it that).

I think a lot of what Slayer did on this album was the result of the success of their song Gemini (from Undisputed Attitude). With that song, they tried their hand at a slower and more groove-oriented style. Many felt it worked, and so they decided, "Hey, why don't we just make an entire album like that?" Kind of like when Queen made the Hot Space album after the success of Another One Bites The Dust.

So, yeah. Even with its muddy production and the the fact that Slayer strayed further from their roots than they ever did before or after, I still like this album. In fact, I think I'd even go as far as to say it's probably my favorite of the three Bostaph albums.

I thought you'd like it. It's really not amazing, as I said in the review, but it's worth more time than people give it. A better production would do wonders for it. Otherwise, God Hates Us All is much better.

One more note: I don't think it's entirely fair to criticize Slayer for downtuning on this album, since they've always used a somewhat downtuned style. Ever since Haunting The Chapel, at least.

Short: It sucks.

Good album. Thrashy Slayer sucks. They need groove to be good.

The review or the album?

Album.

No matter how shit the album, Zad will always write a good review.

Hell Awaits begs to differ.

not their best but its still slayer, sure i could do witout a few tracks but bitter peace and scrum!!!! and POINT!!!!!!!! and love to hate is actually not that that bad.... ill take this over load, re-load, the black album, risk, youthanasia, sound of the white noise, or any of those other more recent so called efforts of the big four!

wicked is boring
screaming from the sky is boring
desire............ good god!!!!
stain of mind is horrendous

4 bad tracks.... i know how to skip tracks people!!!!

Okay, any more than one thrashy Slayer album gets really old.

Aw cheers my man. I hope you all appreciate that The Goat always treats criticism of his reviews with the respect that it deserves.

Groove is the last Slayer needed.

I don't really care for this album, but its not that bad. Though I will say that its the first album I can think of where a Japan-only bonus track (Unguarded Instinct) is better than any song off the album proper.

Thankfully I have mellowed out over the years or I would have completely sledged this album. It is still shit, time does not cure a bad album, but I have learnt to live with it (in other words, I'll play it if I'm in the mood for Slayer and can't be bothered with any of their other albums (i.e. rare to never!)).

Hell, I'll even chuck on 'Bitter Peace' on the pub jukebox from time to time but, as far as it goes, 'Diabolus In Musica' is right at the bottom of the Slayer food chain.

Nice review Zad

Cheers man! Hope all's well with you, been a while since you last dropped by!

Hey, How have you been Zad? Degree all finished now?

I do drop by for the reviews on a weekly basis but don't do the forums any more. I'm at University in Aberystwyth studying English Literature these days so that takes up most of my time... Well that in addition to the boozing, partying and what-not! Ha, ha!

As the thread is about 'Diabolus In Musica', it's probably best to chuck something in about it. Ironically, your review did inspire me to listen to it for the first time in ages today. 'Bitter Peace' is still the best song on there, 'Point' and 'Scrum' aren't too bad but most of the the middle section from 'Stain of Mind' to 'Scrum' rank as some of the worst metal tunes I have ever heard.

Yep, it's still a bad album in my eyes hence the reason why I only gave it 30/100. I only gave it that simply for one great song and two half decent efforts.

Still hard at work on it, switched to Humanities in the end because Law is a bastard. And yeah, that middle section is a duffer.