Seasons in the Abyss
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27: SLAYER Tribute
“Which of The Big Four ‘Black Album-ed’ first?”
It’s a delicate subject, one which SLAYER fans will be unable to refute or deny, but SEASONS IN THE ABYSS (as genius as it is) IS actually (kind of) “Slayer’s Black Album”.
Do you want proof? Well, there’s hooks (wait: hooks?), there’s melody (that’s right: melody), and there’s the perfect sonic coalescence of their four prior studio albums, making it the perfect climax to their legendary 80’s output and the ideal way to close out their inaugural “decade of aggression”.
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Released: October 9, 1990
Recorded: March–June 1990
Label: Def American
Producer:
Rick Rubin Andy Wallace Slayer
Side one
1."War Ensemble"
2."Blood Red"
3."Spirit in Black"
4."Expendable Youth"
5. "Dead Skin Mask"
Side two
6."Hallowed Point"
7."Skeletons of Society"
8."Temptation"
9."Born of Fire"
10."Seasons in the Abyss"
Tom Araya – bass, vocals
Kerry King – guitars
Jeff Hanneman – guitars
Dave Lombardo – drums
Production
Rick Rubin – production
Andy Wallace – co-production, engineering, mixing
Stop “delaying your diarrhea” and prepare to “ROR” in the “blacklight planetarium” at the handmade “supernova” formed from the “natural biological adhesive” generated by our “guaranteed pickup line” and JOIN US as we dive into The Black Album that was “technically” The Black Album before The Black Album was even The Black Album.
Time for SLAYER: SEASONS IN THE ABYSS.
WAR ENSEMBLE:
Relative to the contrasting killer openers from “REIGN IN BLOOD” &” SOUTH OF HEAVEN”, this one was a nice blend of bolth: fast and heavy. This one has all the requisite Slayer ingredients: the riffs, the speed, the lyrical imagery. You can even hear the boots marching during the chorus.
“Campaign of elimination, twisted psychology: When victory is to survive, and death is defeat.”
BLOOD RED:
This track is a slightly different vibe for Slayer, with the introduction of various “new” subtleties in the song writing and an expansion of the standard Slayer sonic palette we’ve been used to. This song definitely has groove, and (clutch the pearls), does that main guitar riff sound almost like if Slayer were going for a more “hooky” sound?
(NOTE: obviously, Slayer isn’t a “hooky” or “poppy” band…but you can’t deny that this track definitely HAS hooks!)
“No disguise can hide the evil that stains the primitive sickle blood red.
SPIRIT IN BLACK:
Another fast one! If you listen, the bass has more presence than their prior albums and the drums have a little more “boom” and fullness in the mix (which makes everything sound heavier). Pretty cool how they (quite cleverly) alluded to prior song titles in the lyrics, although that almost seems more like something you’d expect to hear on the Black Album…kinda.
(That final drum fill sounds like the serpent’s coils unwinding as it moves to strike.)
“Feed me all your hatred, empty all your thoughts to me. I can fill your emptiness with immortality.”
EXPENDABLE YOUTH:
A little bit slower and heavier. A heavy song about a heavy topic: gang violence.
“To have control…your principal obsession. Rivalry and retribution, death the only solution.”
DEAD SKIN MASK:
A song about serial killer Ed Gein. Probably one of the creepiest songs on the album. Everything about it just exudes creepy. Perhaps one of THE creepiest Slayer songs ever (with the creepiest part of the entire song at the very end).
“In the depths of a mind insane. Fantasy and reality are the same.”
HALLOWED POINT:
Killer side two opener (if you’re following along on cassette and/or vinyl). It’s consistently fast as fuck all the way through until the end where it finishes out with a ½ time groove (and some breathing room). Definitely shades of R.I.B. present. Also sort of a “Ghosts of War” feel (particularly that strong, side two opener energy). A song about the undeniable power of firearms.
“Instinctive regression with intent to kill. No regard of human life, or the blood spilled.
SKELETONS OF SOCIETY:
Somehow this might be the most “hooky” sounding Slayer song; it’s got a killer groove and is heavy and dark (which is exactly how it should be), yet it almost sounds “mainstream” enough that you might hear it at a strip club…or even better, on a terrestrial radio station in a city with an actual “metal” terrestrial radio station.
“Shades of death are all I see. Fragments of what used to be.”
TEMPTATION:
Definitely a different vibe for Slayer. The two identical vocal lines gives it a very “disturbing” kind of feel. Lots of groove in this song. That breakdown/groove section in the middle (towards the end) is a nice touch as well.
“Play with your insanity, shatter your reality, pulsing in your blood.”
BORN OF FIRE:
Annnnnnd…GO! Set the controls to “haul ass!” Uber fast, up-tempo, and a killer double bass flourish to finish things out. It’s cool how they built it back up for the finish. Sheer genius.
“Some have called me Satan’s son, a name I cannot deny. Wielding fury that’s second to none, far too vile to confine…”
SEASONS IN THE ABYSS:
And now, the “title” track of the album (and Slayer’s first official “music video” ever!). Very slow, very dark, and a crushingly desolate sounding intro. The clean guitars have that “Spill the Blood” kind of sound which, if anything, gives it an even more barren and desolate sound.
The vocals sound a tad extra creepy with the spoken voice and the singing voice. That guitar solo sounds incredible: very spontaneous but also very well put together and orchestrated. Again, with the melody: This album does have its fair share of melody. Melody, like hooks and mainstream appeal are not necessarily BAD things. Once again, Slayer crushes it with an album that fully utilizes the sonic palette they had developed over their prior decade of thrash mastery.
“Close your eyes…and forget your name, step outside yourself…and let your thoughts drain, as you go insane…go insane.”
Show Notes:
(00:01): #themoreyousayitthelessithurts #supportdetwanglificationforall ***WELCOME BACK TO THE METAL NERDERY PODCAST EVERYONE!!!*** #theuncorking “The Goose is Loose” #fancyboutiquevodka #gourmetdirt #GreyGoose #Strawberry #Vodka #thisepisodesclinkyoftheepisode / A perfect #segue into #thisepisodesbeerofthepisode #albumcoverdescription #oldcodger #StrawberryZombieWhiteAle #CatawbaBrewingCo #alittlecreepybutwelldone #perfectharmonization #theverdict #fivepointthreeabv #seasonal **Hailing from #MorgantonNorthCarolina** #CatawbaValleyBrewingCo / almost #threeyearsin #numbertwopodcast #wrongjingle #greatbutton WE’LL PLAY YOUR SHIT-ah! #newjingle #humannoisegate #listenforinstructions **This submission is a #local #AtlantaMetalBand #AmericanTerror END OF AMERICA #superballs #detwanglification** There is some #tangentionalality to #DavidEllefson #EMPLabelGroup DENIAL #sevenstringpoppunk #brandnewsong #upcomingrelease END OF AMERICA #upcomingalbum #julyeighth / #gothim #twentysecondsoftwanglage #newgenre **A whole bunch of #namebrandfolks!** Located near our 33rd Floor I.U.B.P. Studios Corporate Campus in the beautiful downtown, metropolitan #Atlanta #tricountyarea ***GIVE US A CALL AND TELL US WHAT YOU THINK AND WHY YOU THINK THAT AND LEAVE US A VOICEMAIL AT 980-666-8182!!!*** #ihopeyourbabiesarebornnaked #ilovegoblincock / #SunsetStrip (Not Grille…that was Don Henley. Sorry…back to the show). #NotJustinTimberlake **Thinking back and giving thanks to #HotCarlson!!! Thank you for the bass gig! ** #Birmingham #roadshow #BreakingBenjamin and #Seether #blackdog #aheavytool #markthetime #itiswhatitis
(19:10): **Mini #concertreview of #DOWN in #Atlanta courtesy of the Billiam ** / #dontdenythepowerof #PhilipHAnselmo #metalroyalty #noteven #catharticpositiveforce #presence (Sorry, a moment of #profiling…we’ll find a way…) / *Confusion regarding the Coca Cola Roxy and the Buckhead Theater #mathtime #newandold #naturalbiologicaladhesive #californiapotatochips #blacklightplanetarium / The DOWN (Phil) #banter #whatdoyallwannahear #clapyourhands #BlackSabbathStyle and a mini-mini review of #IllNino (#theopener) #currentmetal #modernmetal #nomorecovidrestrictions #updateyourwebsite (And suddenly…GONE!) #themoreyouknow *HAIL to DOWN!!!* #overlytwanglified
(27:27): #motherfluckin ***IF YOU’D LIKE TO LEAVE US A VOICEMAIL YOU CAN GIVE US A CALL AT 980-666-8182!!!*** #thevoicemailsegment #thepost and some #punchupideas for the #wellplayyourshit #jingle (thank you for that!). ***If you’d like to email us you can do so at metalnerdery@gmail.com ** #theemailsegment #hail and #goodjob #learntointernet (*and now, this section will be read by #TheKeyMaster*) #BravesStadium #ShitiBank #elevenminutes vs #threeminutes and an analogy regarding #drivethru #banking (#youredelayingmydiarrhea) *And now, a totally unnecessary #MontyPython reference*
(34:30): Back to Russell’s original question: The Docket – Slayer “Seasons in the Abyss” #SlayersBlackAlbum #kinda / #SlayerStew / #Y2KY argument / Initial impressions of “Seasons” upon first listen (back in the day). The #sonictexture of “Seasons” relative to “Reign in Blood” and “South of Heaven” / *Is “Seasons” the most #melodic Slayer album? * #themostaccessibleSlayerAlbum of the early era / NOTE: The #titlee track was the very first #musicvideo that #Slayer ever did! ***See also #SeasoningTheObese from #SOD !!!*** #forks #blackout #tangentional #justexactlynotlikeit
(42:00): A #guaranteed #pickupline to secure maximum #poon… #metalnerderydating / WAR ENSEMBLE #killeropener #SlayerQuiche (*see also #tacosoup for #breakfast*) #nochives / BLOOD RED (a tad #hooky and #groovy / SPIRIT IN BLACK #changey #classicSlayer #readthoselyrics #where #andGO / **Which Slayer album had the most sales?** #aha #spoileralert #thankyouandgoodnight #era #init #yeah
(52:13): EXPENDABLE YOUTH #mostaccessible #WhoBlackAlbumedFirst? (You can hear elements of the #groovemetal) / I*s it #MrKing or is it #MrGein?* #ultracreepy (Just some good old fashioned, creepy #Slayer) #markthetime #purecreepy #fronttoback (easily the most #melodicsolos on an album) / The Metal Nerdery #objective for each episode / *Remember #120minutes?* and the brief #coma that #metal fell into for a few years? / #genreduet #thankyou / #youcantkillthemetal #timetofrost #wellserved (aka #twanglified) #thatguy #RussellsReflections #roadtripedition #Birmingham #highfiveintheface
(1:04:32): HALLOWED POINT #killeropener #sidetwo / #themostmelodicSlayerAlbum #justsayit SKELETONS OF SOCIETY (*#blackalbumhashtagoverdose*) #poppy #intrusivethoughts #hellogoodbye #groovybabyyeah / The natural progression of Slayer’s sound from album to album / TEMPTATION (and 2 approaches to the #vocals that resulted in doing #bolth) #growershower #notontheboat #singalong #round #rowrowrowyourboat / #ROR and the resulting #aftermath #werordreallyhard #LegalDeltaNine #soundsgreat #betterpronoun / BORN OF FIRE #hangwithme #herewego #moreabsurdanalogies #hereitcomes #andthereitis #iknewit #groovybaby #boom #tighter / SEASONS IN THE ABYSS *The only song to ever be heard at a #memorialservice* (and also the #firstmusicvideo of Slayer’s career) #funeralsoundtrack #creepybutmelodic #amiwrong / #SlayerGuitarHeroSoloASMR / **Favorite tracks** / A more reigned in, polished approach to songwriting and guitar solos. #Thefartequivilent
(1:26:10): #justforfun ***BONUS!!! #boneus SEASONING THE OBESE #tangytangsauce on the #pussywings #lmao #tangentional ***THANK YOU FOR JOINING US ON THIS DIVE OF SLAYER’S BLACK ALBUM: SEASONS IN THE (BLACK) ABYSS (ALBUM) #newinsights #pipergetsthelastword **GO BUY OUR SHIT AT metalnerdery.com/merch ***/ METAL NERDERY PODCAST IS NOW ON YOUTUBE!!! #MetalNerderyMunchies #checkitout / #hiddenoutro #eastereggness #waitwhat #hehahuh #hard
CBLE
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