After the resounding success of “Reign In Blood” (1986) and “South Of Heaven” (1988), Slayer repeated the formula by bringing in the legendary producer Rick Rubin to also work on “Seasons In The Abyss” (1990). It was the last album by Slayer with their original lineup, consisting of Tom Araya (Bass/Vocals), Jeff Hanneman (Guitar), Kerry King (Guitar), and Dave Lombardo (Drums). Lombardo returned to the band in 2006 for the album “Christ Illusion.”
We really like this lineup, in part due to the Latin touch present in Slayer, as Tom Araya is Chilean-American, and Dave Lombardo is Cuban-American. In 1990, Slayer continued to maintain their popularity with “Seasons In The Abyss,” selling over 813,000 copies. They were also aided by MTV’s “Headbangers Ball” television program, where the song “War Ensemble” was frequently featured.
This, in our opinion, would be the last classic Slayer album, a record with a clean, mature, and experienced sound.
What can we listen to?
A very good blend of the speed from “Reign In Blood” and the slow grooves of “Seasons In The Abyss,” accompanied by excellent production that enhances the elements of the album. The work is exceptionally clean, thanks to the good taste of Rick Rubin, especially in the drumming of Dave Lombardo. Without a doubt, he recorded the best album of his life, with arrangements full of groove and, above all, speed, even allowing himself to play some solos, as in “War Ensemble.”
The guitars of Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman are powerful, also with very clean production despite the distortion filled with gain heard in absolutely every song. In “Seasons In The Abyss,” we hear some of Slayer’s most epic riffs, such as “Blood Red,” “Dead Skin Mask,” or the eponymous “Seasons In The Abyss,” which are staples in their live performances.
We hear a very aggressive Tom Araya in vocals, with a style that had become a trademark of the band by this time. The only “but” we have about the latter is that we would have loved to have a more audible bass. However, this occurs in most of Slayer’s discography, except for some later works.
The balance of 'Seasons In The Abyss
By 1990, the year “Seasons In The Abyss” was released, the competition to be “the fastest and the heaviest” had come to an end. Pioneering thrash metal bands like Metallica or Megadeth had already demonstrated their capabilities in terms of brutality, opening the way for bands to expand their horizons and experiment with more musical elements.
As a result, Slayer incorporated “Down Tempo” songs into their composition catalog for this work. In these songs, we hear heaviness without necessarily being fast, such as in “Expendable Youth,” “Dead Skin Mask,” “Blood Red,” or “Skeletons Of Society.” However, the balance of this work lies in the counterweight that these songs have with tracks like “War Ensemble,” “Hallowed Point,” or “Born Of Fire” (the latter with an interesting mix of tempos), songs that maintain their fast and annihilating thrash metal essence.
Here lies the richness of “Seasons In The Abyss”, it can be as fast or as heavy as the listener desires. We appreciate the precise order in which the tracks are presented, taking you on a journey through various chiaroscuro landscapes, where tension and relaxation come together to create one of the heaviest albums in the history of music.
