''Seasons in the Abyss'' is the fifth studio album by American
thrash metal
Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and often fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, 2007, . ...
band
Slayer
Slayer was an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California. The band was formed in 1981 by guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman, drummer Dave Lombardo and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya. Slayer's fast and aggressive musical style ...
, released on October 9, 1990, through
Def American Records. Recording sessions began in March 1990 at Hit City West and Hollywood Sound, and ended in June 1990 at
The Record Plant in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, California. It was the band's last album to feature their full original lineup with drummer
Dave Lombardo
David Lombardo (born February 16, 1965) is a Cuban-American drummer, best known as a co-founding member of American thrash metal band Slayer. He is currently playing drums with Testament, Fantômas, Suicidal Tendencies, Dead Cross, Mr. Bungle ...
until his return on the band's 2006 album ''
Christ Illusion''. ''Seasons in the Abyss'' musical style has been compared by critics to the band's previous two albums, ''
South of Heaven
''South of Heaven'' is the fourth studio album by American thrash metal band Slayer, released on July 5, 1988 by Def Jam Recordings. The album was the band's second collaboration with producer Rick Rubin, whose production skills on their previo ...
'' (1988) and ''
Reign in Blood
''Reign in Blood'' is the third studio album by American thrash metal band Slayer, released on October 7, 1986, by Def Jam Recordings."Touring Blood", ''Decibel Magazine'', April 2008, p. 57. The album was the band's first collaboration with pro ...
'' (1986).
Upon its release, ''Seasons in the Abyss'' received a generally positive reception and peaked at number 40 on the
US ''Billboard'' 200. It was later certified gold in the United States and Canada. By 2017, it had sold over 813,000 copies in the United States since Nielsen SoundScan inception.
Recording and production
The album was recorded from March to June 1990 in two separate studios: Hit City West, Hollywood Sound, and
Record Plant
The Record Plant is a recording studio established in New York City in 1968 and currently operating in Los Angeles, California. Known for innovations in the recording artists' workspace, it has produced highly influential albums, including Blon ...
in Los Angeles, California. ''Seasons in the Abyss'' was produced by
Rick Rubin, who had also produced their previous two albums ''
Reign in Blood
''Reign in Blood'' is the third studio album by American thrash metal band Slayer, released on October 7, 1986, by Def Jam Recordings."Touring Blood", ''Decibel Magazine'', April 2008, p. 57. The album was the band's first collaboration with pro ...
'' and ''
South of Heaven
''South of Heaven'' is the fourth studio album by American thrash metal band Slayer, released on July 5, 1988 by Def Jam Recordings. The album was the band's second collaboration with producer Rick Rubin, whose production skills on their previo ...
''.
Track eight, "Temptation", featured an
overdub of lead vocalist
Tom Araya
Tomás Enrique Araya Díaz (; born June 6, 1961) is a Chilean American musician, best known as the vocalist and bassist of American thrash metal band Slayer. Araya is ranked 58th by ''Hit Parader'' on their list of the 100 Greatest Metal Vocali ...
's singing; the vocal arrangement on the track was unintentional. Araya sang the song twice: once the way he felt it sounded best; the second time at the insistence of Kerry King the way he thought it should be sung. By accident both tracks were played back simultaneously; King liked the way it sounded together and so it was left that way for the final version.
[1990 issue of Metal Maniacs featuring Slayer and Megadeth talking about their then new LPs (''Seasons in The Abyss'' and ''Rust In Peace'')]
Music and lyrics
According to Nathan Brackett, author of ''
The Rolling Stone Album Guide
''The Rolling Stone Album Guide'', previously known as ''The Rolling Stone Record Guide'', is a book that contains professional music reviews written and edited by staff members from ''Rolling Stone'' magazine. Its first edition was published in 1 ...
'', ''Seasons in the Abyss'' continued the band's sound as displayed in their first four albums. The songs on the album have complex guitar
riff
A riff is a repeated chord progression or refrain in music (also known as an ostinato figure in classical music); it is a pattern, or melody, often played by the rhythm section instruments or solo instrument, that forms the basis or accompani ...
s that proceed at both "blinding speed" tempos and mid-tempo hefts. Brackett said that the songs' themes shy away from the "fantasy and into the hells here on Earth" and instead was "music to conquer nations by".
Deathmetal.org characterizes ''Seasons in the Abyss'' as "an onslaught of sonic distortion" with "abrupt two-string chord barrage and a rippling roar of unleashed tremolo strumming", which accentuates melody in a "hummingbird wingbeat technique" similar to
Discharge
Discharge may refer to
Expel or let go
* Discharge, the act of firing a gun
* Discharge, or termination of employment, the end of an employee's duration with an employer
* Military discharge, the release of a member of the armed forces from serv ...
's ''
Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing
''Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing'' is the debut studio album by English hardcore punk band Discharge, released on 21 May 1982 by Clay Records.
The album is characterized by a minimalistic approach of music and lyrics, a heavy, distorted, ...
''. The album also contains longer, whole-interval phrases and chromatic extensions compared to previous Slayer records.
The album combines "grim" vocals and "frenetic" guitars.
Blabbermouth.net
Blabbermouth.net is a website dedicated to heavy metal and hard rock news, as well as album and music DVD reviews. Blabbermouth.net was founded and is run by Borivoj Krgin. The first version of the website was launched in March 2001; in October ...
said that the album is "considered to be among the genre's all-time classics". "War Ensemble", "Dead Skin Mask", and "Seasons in the Abyss" were described as setting the album's standard and the songs, according to the site, produced a sound that could not be matched by anyone else.
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
said that it combines the mid-tempo
grooves of ''
South of Heaven
''South of Heaven'' is the fourth studio album by American thrash metal band Slayer, released on July 5, 1988 by Def Jam Recordings. The album was the band's second collaboration with producer Rick Rubin, whose production skills on their previo ...
'' with "manic bursts of aggression" à la ''
Reign in Blood
''Reign in Blood'' is the third studio album by American thrash metal band Slayer, released on October 7, 1986, by Def Jam Recordings."Touring Blood", ''Decibel Magazine'', April 2008, p. 57. The album was the band's first collaboration with pro ...
''. AllMusic also said that when writing the album's lyrics, Slayer "rarely turns to
demon
A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in religion, occultism, literature, fiction, mythology, and folklore; as well as in media such as comics, video games, movies, ani ...
ic visions of the
afterlife
The afterlife (also referred to as life after death) is a purported existence in which the essential part of an individual's identity or their stream of consciousness continues to live after the death of their physical body. The surviving ess ...
anymore, preferring instead to find tangible horror in real life—war, murder,
ndhuman weakness. There's even full-fledged
social criticism, which should convince any doubters that Slayer aren't trying to promote the subjects they sing about."
[Huey, Steve "Seasons in the Abyss – Slayer" ]AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
Release and reception
Slayer released ''Seasons in the Abyss'' on October 9, 1990, through Def American Records. Later that year it was released again through
Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group Corp. ( d.b.a. Warner Music Group, commonly abbreviated as WMG) is an American multinational entertainment and record label conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It is one of the " big three" recording companies and t ...
. It was re-released in 1994 through
American Recordings.
Although it was "unwelcome" to music shows and rock–radio outlets, it got substantial airplay on
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
's ''
Headbangers Ball
''Headbangers Ball'' is a music television program that consisted of heavy metal music videos airing on MTV and its global affiliates. The show began on MTV on April 18, 1987, playing heavy metal music videos from both well-known and more obs ...
''.
[''Billboard''. June 5, 1999. p. 86] ''Seasons in the Abyss'' features Slayer's first music video, filmed at the
Giza Plateau
The Giza Plateau ( ar, هضبة الجيزة) is a plateau in Giza, on the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt, site of the Fourth Dynasty Giza Necropolis, which includes the Great Pyramids of Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure, the Great Sphinx, several cemeteries ...
in
Giza
Giza (; sometimes spelled ''Gizah'' arz, الجيزة ' ) is the second-largest city in Egypt after Cairo and fourth-largest city in Africa after Kinshasa, Lagos and Cairo. It is the capital of Giza Governorate with a total population of 9.2 ...
, Egypt.
The album received generally positive reviews by critics. In a retrospective review,
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
's Steve Huey said that it "brought back some of the pounding speed of ''
Reign in Blood
''Reign in Blood'' is the third studio album by American thrash metal band Slayer, released on October 7, 1986, by Def Jam Recordings."Touring Blood", ''Decibel Magazine'', April 2008, p. 57. The album was the band's first collaboration with pro ...
'' for their third major-label album", and addressed it to be "their most accessible album, displaying the full range of their abilities all in one place, with sharp, clean production". Huey also wrote that the album "paints
Reagan-era America as a cesspool of corruption and cruelty, and the music is as devilishly effective as ever".
Deathmetal.org describes ''Seasons in the Abyss'' as a "solid" album and "the last of the Slayer albums to contain any strength of will or spirit", noting it is not as subtle nor as intense as previous Slayer records; the songwriting is thematically more unfocused and disorganized, sometimes giving way to forced aggression.
J. D. Considine
J. D. Considine (born 1957) is a music critic who has been writing about music professionally since 1977.
Background
J. D. Considine's work has been published in numerous newspapers and music magazines, and he has contributed to several books. ...
noted about "War Ensemble": "it's not a pretty song by any means. An aural
blitzkrieg
Blitzkrieg ( , ; from 'lightning' + 'war') is a word used to describe a surprise attack using a rapid, overwhelming force concentration that may consist of armored and motorized or mechanized infantry formations, together with close air su ...
whose chorus climaxes with the lines, 'The final swing is not a drill/It's how many people I can kill,' it is filled with brutal images and blaring guitars, all propelled at the breathless pace of thrash metal." Considine would later say that the album's music "so accurately sums up the controlled panic of combat that the Army itself has been using Slayer songs to psych its troops for military maneuvers in the
Saudi desert". Mike Stagno from
Sputnikmusic
Sputnikmusic is an American music community website offering music criticism and music news alongside features commonly associated with wiki-style websites. The format of the website is unusual in that it includes both professional and amateur c ...
said that the album was a well-received return by Slayer.
[Mike Stagno]
"Slayer – Seasons in the Abyss (Staff Review)"
Sputnikmusic
Sputnikmusic is an American music community website offering music criticism and music news alongside features commonly associated with wiki-style websites. The format of the website is unusual in that it includes both professional and amateur c ...
. October 4, 2010. ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'' reviewer David Browne said that listening to ''Seasons in the Abyss'' was "like listening to a single speed-metal song—the world's longest".
In 2017, it was ranked 31st on ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
''
's "100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time".
The album peaked at number 40 on the
''Billboard'' 200 and number 18 on the
UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...
.
''Seasons in the Abyss'' was certified gold in both the United States and Canada. The title track and "War Ensemble" earned Slayer its heaviest airplay on MTV to date.
In an October 2007 interview,
Evile frontman Matt Drake described ''Seasons in the Abyss'' as "the perfect mix" between the two styles ("speed" and "slow material") showcased on ''Reign in Blood'' and ''
South of Heaven
''South of Heaven'' is the fourth studio album by American thrash metal band Slayer, released on July 5, 1988 by Def Jam Recordings. The album was the band's second collaboration with producer Rick Rubin, whose production skills on their previo ...
'' respectively.
Children of Bodom
Children of Bodom was a Finnish melodic death metal band from Espoo. Formed in 1993 as Inearthed, the final line-up of the group upon their split in 2019 consisted of Alexi Laiho (lead guitar, lead vocals), Jaska Raatikainen (drums), Henkka Sep ...
bassist
Henkka T. Blacksmith hailed ''Seasons in the Abyss'' as "the best metal album ever". The
crossover thrash
Crossover thrash (often abbreviated to crossover) is a fusion genre of thrash metal and hardcore punk. The genre lies on a continuum between heavy metal and hardcore punk. Other genres on the same continuum, such as metalcore and grindcore, ma ...
supergroup
S.O.D. released a single named "Seasoning the Obese" in tribute to the album.
In 2016, ''
Loudwire
''Loudwire'' is an American online media magazine that covers news of hard rock and heavy metal artists. It is owned by media and entertainment business Townsquare Media. Since its launch in August of 2011, ''Loudwire'' has secured exclusive ...
'' ranked ''Seasons in the Abyss'' #2 among Slayer's eleven studio albums.
At the 1991
Foundations Forum
Foundations Forum was the first exclusively heavy metal music industry convention, held annually from 1988 to 1997 in Los Angeles. The convention was set up by Concrete Marketing who had in January 1988 created the first industry trade magaz ...
, the music video for the title track won a Concrete Foundations Award for Best Video, tying with
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction is an American rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 1985. The band consists of vocalist Perry Farrell, guitarist Dave Navarro, drummer Stephen Perkins and bassist Eric Avery. Jane's Addiction was one of the first bands from t ...
's "
Been Caught Stealing
"Been Caught Stealing" is a song from Jane's Addiction's 1990 album, ''Ritual de lo Habitual''. It was the band's biggest hit, spending four weeks at on the U.S. Modern Rock chart. Different versions appear on the compilations ''Kettle Whistle ...
."
Track listing
Cover versions
A Christmas-themed version of "Seasons in the Abyss", titled "Seasons Greetings in the Abyss", was released by Sleigher, a
homophone
A homophone () is a word that is pronounced the same (to varying extent) as another word but differs in meaning. A ''homophone'' may also differ in spelling. The two words may be spelled the same, for example ''rose'' (flower) and ''rose'' (p ...
of Slayer. The track features festive-themed lyrics, alongside traditionally non-metal instruments such as the tuba. It was performed by
Charles Griffiths and
Raymond Hearne of
Haken, Dan Goldsworthy, who had previously done artworks for bands such as
Accept
Accept may refer to:
* Acceptance, a person's assent to the reality of a situation etc.
* Accept (band), a German heavy metal band
** ''Accept'' (Accept album), their debut album from 1979
* ''Accept'' (Chicken Shack album), 1970
* ACCEPT (or ...
,
Jeramie Kling of
Venom Inc.
Venom Inc. is a British heavy metal band from Newcastle upon Tyne. Formed in 2015, the band features former Venom members Tony "Demolition Man" Dolan, Jeffrey "Mantas" Dunn and previously Anthony "Abaddon" Bray.
History
The history of Ve ...
,
Daniel Firth
Daniel is a masculine given name and a surname of Hebrew origin. It means "God is my judge"Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 68. (cf. Gabriel—"God is my strength" ...
of
Cradle of Filth
Cradle of Filth are an English extreme metal band formed in Suffolk in 1991. The band's musical style evolved originally from black metal to a cleaner and more "produced" amalgam of gothic metal, symphonic metal and other metal genres. Their ly ...
, Rody Walker of
Protest the Hero, and
Jordan Rudess of
Dream Theater
Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of the ...
. Griffiths commented how the late Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman "loved Christmas, so hopefully he would approve."
Personnel
;Slayer
*
Tom Araya
Tomás Enrique Araya Díaz (; born June 6, 1961) is a Chilean American musician, best known as the vocalist and bassist of American thrash metal band Slayer. Araya is ranked 58th by ''Hit Parader'' on their list of the 100 Greatest Metal Vocali ...
– bass, vocals
*
Kerry King
Kerry Ray King (born June 3, 1964) is an American musician, best known for being the co-lead guitarist and songwriter of thrash metal band Slayer. He co-founded the band with Jeff Hanneman in 1981 and remained a member for nearly four decades.
...
– guitars
*
Jeff Hanneman
Jeffrey John Hanneman (January 31, 1964 – May 2, 2013) was an American musician, best known as a founding member and guitarist of the thrash metal band Slayer. Hanneman composed both music and lyrics for every Slayer album until his death in 20 ...
– guitars
*
Dave Lombardo
David Lombardo (born February 16, 1965) is a Cuban-American drummer, best known as a co-founding member of American thrash metal band Slayer. He is currently playing drums with Testament, Fantômas, Suicidal Tendencies, Dead Cross, Mr. Bungle ...
– drums
;Production
*
Rick Rubin – production
*
Andy Wallace – co-production,
engineering
Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...
,
mixing
*
Larry Carroll – artwork, illustrations
*Chris Rich – assistant engineering
*David Tobocman – assistant engineering
*Allen Abrahamson – assistant engineering
*Robert Fisher – graphic design
*Rick Sales – management
*Howie Weinberg –
mastering
*Sunny Bak – photography
*Marty Temme – photography
Charts
Certifications
References
{{Authority control
Slayer albums
1990 albums
Albums produced by Andy Wallace (producer)
Albums produced by Rick Rubin
American Recordings (record label) albums