SLAYER · South Of Heaven | CD

Jewelcase CD.

Background information about 'South Of Heaven'

By 1988, Slayer had already cemented their legacy with Reign in Blood – a landmark so brutal it redefined thrash metal. So what do you do when you've reached the absolute peak of speed and aggression? You pivot. South Of Heaven is that pivot, and it remains one of the most brilliantly executed curveballs in metal history.

Instead of trying to out-blast themselves, Slayer slowed the tempo, tightened the grooves, and let the menace simmer. The title track opens with a clean, almost sinister guitar melody before crushing you with that monolithic riff – it's Slayer at their most controlled, and somehow even more threatening. Tracks like Behind The Crooked Cross and Mandatory Suicide are masterclasses in dark atmosphere and mid-paced devastation, while Silent Scream and Ghosts Of War still deliver the speed fiends their fix. Tom Araya's vocals are more varied here too – less shrieking, more snarling, with a newfound sense of dread in his delivery. And that cover of Judas Priest's Dissident Aggressor? Absolutely filthy, in the best possible way.

This is the album where Slayer proved they weren't just a one-trick pony of blastbeats and chaos. They could write songs that crawled under your skin and stayed there. South Of Heaven is dark, menacing, and utterly essential.

For fans of:
Metallica, Megadeth, Testament, Exodus, Kreator

Track listing

1. South Of Heaven
2. Silent Scream
3. Live Undead
4. Behind The Crooked Cross
5. Mandatory Suicide
6. Ghosts Of War
7. Read Between The Lies
8. Cleanse The Soul
9. Dissident Aggressor
10. Spill The Blood

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