Never ones to stay in the same groove, Slayer had already changed their sound for their seminal “Reign in blood” album and now surprised --- and in many cases, disappointed and possibly alienated some of --- their fans by taking a new musical direction with their fourth album, their last on the Def Jam label . A much slower, more serious album, this was the first to feature a cover version, this being Judas Priest's “Dissident aggressor”.
South of Heaven --- Slayer --- 1988 (Def Jam)
To even see the word Heaven used on a Slayer album seems odd, considering how much their previous ones all referenced the other place, but when you think about it, south of Heaven you find Hell, so it's not really that much of a change, titlewise. Nevertheless, after titles like “Show no mercy” and “Hell awaits”, this certainly seemed a little hard for some Slayer fans to take. The music within the album would also prove to be a challenge to their established powerbase, perhaps making some of their followers wondering if the Thrash foursome had shot their load too soon?
You can hear the change immediately, as the title track begins with a much more, um, melodic guitar line, slower and more restrained, then big booming drums give you the feeling that maybe this is just a blip, but no. Even Tom's vocals are, well, cleaner, much more discernible and, most importantly, slower. Compared to the speed he delivered some of the songs on “Reign in blood”, this time he's positively crawling. In fact, on face value this album sounds more like doom metal than Thrash. It does pick up a little, but so far there's nothing of the breakneck pace we've become used to over three albums. That said, it's a great opener and I really like it. Were this played to me out of context I feel unsure that I would recognise it as a Slayer song at all.
At least Kerry's guitar prowess hasn't suffered the slightest bit, even if his solos are less fingerburning than before, but the lyrical content seems to have undergone almost a climatic shift, with this being the tale of the Last Days, but not a hint of “Praise Satan!” in there anywhere. That speed we've come to know and love hits back though as we pump into “Silent scream”, which could be about child abuse, abortion or ... God knows what. It's more like the Slayer of old though, and they even throw in a middle finger to Jesus as Tom roars (well, sings really: he's not growling on this album so far!)
”Crucify the bastard son!” Ah, good times, good times! Another ripping solo as Lombardo batters the kit like a man possessed, and then a song about, er, vampires. Or zombies. Maybe. “Live undead” doesn't really pull any punches lyrically, with lines like
”A cannibal's desire feeds/ The fire in your head” and
”Forms of hanging flesh/ Shredded carcass”, but musically it's again a slower Slayer than we've come to know, though not very much less heavier.
I do like the “new” Tom Araya, as it's now possible to hear all the lyrics as he sings them, but you wonder if they were deliberately trying not to top “Reign in blood”, knowing that it was impossible, and hoping people would not compare the two? Sometimes that's the problem: an album that's so successful, so groundbreaking and so much a future classic that it doesn't matter what you do, you're just never going to top it. Ask Maiden, Floyd or Metallica about that. “Behind the crooked cross” would seem, to me, not to be talking about the Christian crucifix but the Swastika, and the plight of those forced to fight and kill for the Nazis. Maybe. It's another sort of mid-paced rocker (and who thought we'd ever describe a Slayer song in those words?) but with Kerry keeping the searing solos going. The song speeds up in the last minute or so, and takes us into “Mandatory suicide”, which was to go on to become a fan favourite and feature at most if not all of their gigs.
Another puncher/cruncher, it has dark basslines from Tom and grindy guitar from Jeff and Kerry, while even the drumming is more restrained, for now, as Dave holds himself in check, waiting, no doubt, to be unleashed. Perhaps unsurprisingly this is a song about warfare, somewhat in the lyrical vein of Metallica's “Disposable heroes”, and features some interesting effects, the first time I've really heard Slayer use them. It certainly gives the song a very spooky, atmospheric feel and I can see why this one became such a hit with the fans. “Ghosts of war”, obviously, continues this theme, though it's a much faster and angrier song, more in the mould of the “older” Slayer material. “Read between the lies” (clever guys, clever!) gives Jesus a break for once and focusses its scorn on those who claim to speak in his name, the evangelical preachers who line their own pockets with the “donations” from the faithful. It's a powerful song, banging along nicely with a great beat and of course the obligatory solo, Hanneman's guitar almost like a blaring klaxon, warning of a reckoning to come.
I'm not entirely sure what “Cleanse the soul” is about, unless maybe they're mocking the idea of funeral rites, and by extension the belief in an afterlife, but it's a much faster, thrashier song than just about anything else on this album, only “Silent scream” really coming close to it in terms of speed. Slayer began their career covering songs by the likes of Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, so if they're going to cover any band then it's probably fitting it should be one of these Metal giants, and “Dissident aggressor”, from the Priest album “Sin after sin” is given the full Slayer treatment. I have to assume it's to do with someone trying to escape from what would have been at the time (both when Priest wrote it and when Slayer recorded it here) East Germany, with its references to “the Wall” and its refrain
”I know who I am/ I'm Berlin!” Yeah, kinda gives it away, huh? Good song though and very much in Slayer's playground as it were.
We come to a close then with quite possibly that reckoning I mentioned a little bit back, as with a very laidback guitar we head into “Spill the blood”, reminding me thematically of Manowar's “Bridge of Death”, where the sins of the past must be paid for at the end, as Arya snarls
”You've spilt the blood/ I'll have your soul!” In many ways, surprisingly, it's what I'd characterise as the weakest track on the album, with a sort of droned vocal which almost sounds like Tom is bored. Not the best way to end an album which was already going to be something of a polarising factor among their fans. Still, there's always Kerry King, and he never disappoints!
TRACKLISTING
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. Dissident aggressor
9. Spill the blood
No extra tracks on any versions of this album, and it was the only one to ever feature a cover version of someone else's song. If “South of Heaven” was an experiment it seems like it failed, because after this Slayer upped the tempo again and have been screeching along at top speed ever since. Fans who were hesitant, perhaps, about buying a new Slayer album after this would be gratified to realise that the foursome returned to their old ways --- mostly --- for their fifth offering, which hit the shelves two years later, with a possible appropriately ironic title to tie in with their “wilderness years”.
For me, this was an interesting departure from the superfast Slayer I had been getting used to, and people may think me odd for saying this, considering it's me, but to be honest I was just a little offput and slightly bored by this album, and kind of looking for a return to the headbanging thrash that had made these guys darlings of the heavy set. Guess I'll live to regret that. “Seasons in the abyss” up next!