Slayer – ‘Seasons In The Abyss’ 32 years old

It’s been 32 years since Slayer released their game-changing album, Seasons In The Abyss. Slayer spent around 4 months recording the album in two separate studios. The studios – Hit City West, Hollywood Sound, and Record Plant in Los Angeles, California where history was made. The band used Rick Rubin as a producer. Rubin produced their previous albums ‘Reign in Blood’ and ‘South of Heaven’.

The production values are top-notch thanks to Rick Rubin’s work. The instruments all have a distinct place in the mix. Everything sounds clear without sacrificing any of the power or heaviness. The result is an album that sounds massive without sounding muddy or overloaded.

The album received a great response from fans and critics alike, with many citing it as the band’s best work to date. AllMusic’s Steve Huey gave the record four stars out of five, calling it “Slayer’s most complex, musically diverse effort.” In a contemporary review for Kerrang!, Paul Henri stated that “Seasons in the Abyss is without doubt Slayer’s strongest album since their 1986 classic Reign in Blood,” while Metal Forces’ William Devert described it as “the best thing [Slayer] have done since Reign in Blood.” In 2005, Rolling Stone ranked Seasons in the Abyss at number 297 on their list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

Slayer Merchandise

The album marked the first time Slayer used a music video for their songs. One for the title track and one for ‘War Ensemble’ these videos were on heavy rotation on MTV’s show Headbanger’s Ball. Slayer released Seasons In The Abyss thirty-two years ago on 9th October 1990. There’s no denying that this is one of Slayer’s best albums – if not THE best. So crank up those speakers and enjoy some thrash metal classics!