Rocktrospectiva: The Masterpiece "Seasons In The Abyss" Turns 35

Released on 9 October 1990 "Seasons In The Abyss" was the fifth studio album by the US thrash metal band Slayer. It was the band's last album to feature their full original lineup with drummer Dave Lombardo until his return on the band's 2006 album Christ Illusion. The album's musical style has been compared by critics to the band's previous two albums, South of Heaven and Reign in Blood  and it was the band's longest album, spawning two singles "Seasons In The Abyss" & "Spirit In Black".

The album was recorded from March to June 1990 in two separate studios: Hit City West, Hollywood Sound, and Record Plant in Los Angeles, California. Produced by Rick Rubin, who had also produced their previous two albums Reign in Blood and South of Heaven.

Seasons in the Abyss continued the band's sound as displayed in their first four albums. The songs on the album have complex guitar riffs 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"., the sound was like an intense sonic distortion with tremendous two-string chord barrage to accentuate melody. The album also contains longer, whole-interval phrases and chromatic extensions compared to previous Slayer records, it was the perfect mix between the two styles of the band, speed and slow material. 

The album combines key elements as grim vocals and frenetic guitars and due this reason, many critics have considered this album 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. 

The track "Temptation", featured an overdub of lead vocalist Tom Araya'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. ·Dead Sking Mask" was inspired by the criminal Ed Gein. 

 ^4]American double murderer and graverobber Ed Gein was the inspiration for writing the song "Dead Skin Mask", also the lyric theme changed from demonic visions of the afterlife to find tangible horror in real life—war, murder, [and] human weakness. There's even full-fledged social criticism

Although the album and the singles were "unwelcome" to music shows and rock–radio outlets, it got substantial airplay on MTV's Headbangers Ball. Seasons in the Abyss features Slayer's first music video, filmed at the Giza Plateau in Giza, Egypt.

The album received generally positive reviews by critics. Addressed it to be their most accessible album, displaying the full range of their abilities all in one place, with sharp, clean production, a solid album and the last of the Slayer albums that contained any strength of will or spirit, the songwriting was thematically more unfocused and disorganized, sometimes giving way to forced aggression. The album peaked at No. 40 on the Billboard 200 and No. 18 on the UK albums chart, "War Ensemble" earned Slayer its heaviest airplay on MTV to date.

 

Seasons In The Abyss Track List:  

 

1. War Ensemble

2. Blood Red

3. Spirit In Black

4. Expendable Youth

5. Dead Skin Mask

6. Hallowed Point

7. Skeletons Of Society

8. Temptation

9. Born Of Fire

10. Seasons In The Abyss