God Hates us All Album
- Release date: September 11, 2001
- Label: American Recordings
- Running time: 42:39
- US highest chart position: 28
| Track listing | Song credits | Time | Lyrics |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01. Darkness of Christ | (Hanneman/King) | 1:30 | read |
| 02. Disciple | (Hanneman/King) | 3:35 | read |
| 03. God Send Death | (Araya/Hanneman/King) | 3:45 | read |
| 04. New Faith | (King) | 3:05 | read |
| 05. Cast Down | (King) | 3:26 | read |
| 06. Threshold | (Hanneman/King) | 2:29 | read |
| 07. Exile | (King) | 3:55 | read |
| 08. Seven Faces | (King) | 3:41 | read |
| 09. Bloodline | (Araya/Hanneman/King) | 3:36 | read |
| 10. Deviance | (Araya/Hanneman) | 3:08 | read |
| 11. Warzone | (King) | 2:45 | read |
| 12. Here Comes the Pain | (King) | 4:32 | read |
| 13. Payback | (King) | 3:05 | read |
| 14. Scarstruck (on Japan/Australia ed.) | (King) | 3:32 | read |
| 15. Addict (on Japan/Australia ed.) | (Hanneman/King) | 3:41 | read |
Album credits
Tom Araya - Bass, Vocals | Jeff Hanneman - Guitars | Kerry King - Guitars | Paul Bostaph - Drums | Matt Hyde - Producer, Engineer, Mixing | Rick Rubin - Executive Producer | Eddy Schreyer - Mastering | Sean Beavan - Mixing | Louis Marino - Art Direction, Design, Photo Illustration | Rick Patrick - Creative Director | Dino Paredes - A&R | Dean Maher - Engineer | Paul Forgues - Assistant Engineer
Album reviews
Quite frankly, Slayer is downright exhausting always. So it almost goes without saying that God Hates Us All proves exhausting. It often sounds like a cacophonous blur, the sort of aural barrage that leaves your ears ringing at the album's finally concluding moment if you can endure the entire album in one listen, of course. But this is nothing new. Never once has Slayer toned down its brutal approach for anyone. Even when the band dabbled with slower tempos and melody back in the South of Heaven era, its intensity was nothing less than relentless. So, in a way, God Hates Us All shouldn't disappoint anyone, particularly anyone who enjoyed the band's preceding album, Diabolus in Musica. Like that album, God Hates Us All finds Slayer trying to make the most brutal music it possibly can songs as breathtaking in their attack as past classics like "War Ensemble" and "Angel of Death." And also like Diabolus in Musica, God Hates Us All rarely departs from the traditional hardcore-meets-thrash approach, never once attempting anything as accessible as "Dead Skin Mask" or "Spill the Blood." "Bloodline" is the biggest departure here, being the only song that even flirts with melody or singing. Elsewhere, vocalist Tom Araya has never sounded more possessed yelling and screaming the highly ideological lyrics. In fact, probably more than anything, it's Araya's manic performance that could make this the most exhausting Slayer album yet. And Matt Hyde's wall-of-noise production only strengthens this album's claim to that status. In the end, God Hates Us All isn't going to cause any debate, expect maybe where it ranks on the "Best Slayer Album Ever" chart. It's what you've come to expect from a album from them. And that's about the harshest criticism you can throw at this: Nearly 20 years into its evolution, Slayer has abandoned the extravagancies and accessibility of their late-'80s/early-'90s work and returned to perfect the raw approach of its early years. A near flawless album like this only makes you wonder where the band goes from here and if Slayer still has the audacity to make another risky album like South of Heaven, even if that means losing some fans in the process. - Jason Birchmeier | All Music Guide |
It's been a long, agonizing wait but finally 'God Hates Us All' is with us. The first Slayer record in three years and it takes all of about thirty seconds of first track proper, "Disciple", before you start thanking the God's above (or below) for the return of the heaviest band on planet Earth.
Let's be honest with each other here, 98's "Diabolus in Musica" was a let down akin to England's performance against Albania. It was just a turgid, half-arsed attempt after so many great things had gone before it. Fast-forward to 2001 and Slayer are well and truly visiting the glory days of the past. More metal than 'Seasons in the Abyss' and certainly more consistent than 'Divine Intervention', this is Slayer at there all out best. Fast chugging guitar lines, fat, thumping drums and all without a trace of melody in sight.
While the band will never be able to step out of the shadow of 1986's 'Reign in Blood' masterpiece, this is probably the best thing they've stamped there name on outside of the said classic. "Disciple" is the real masterpiece on show, blasting away like a machine gun with all changing tempo's and trademark brutality while "God Send Death" is the musical equivalent of watching a phoenix rise from the flames, ascending to a violent climax of guitars and massacre. Formerly on the 'Dracula 2000' soundtrack, "Bloodline" is yet another example of how mind-blowing Slayer can be in full flight, Tom Araya's chilling "I'll kill you and your dreams tonight" refrain letting every drip of blood inside you body run cold and your heart stop with sheer excitement. "Warzone" is a clear cut example of intensity at it's finest, letting the temperature rise with a repeated, spiralling riff that shows off Slayer's rhythmic ability to make the heaviest sounds around. If you want to re-live the speed metal that made Kerry King and co. the force they are today, then "Payback" is a damn fine example of Slayer at there head-crushingly accurate best, it's just three minutes and twelve seconds of unadulterated madness. Just how we love 'em.
If there is a young Slipknot fan out there reading this who has never heard Slayer, buy this record and you'll see where your heroes got everything they know. For the old die-hards that were put off by 'Diabolus', give 'God Hates Us All' a chance and on one listen, you'll be glad you did. Slayer are one of the very few bands that are able to stay true to their heavy roots and still naturally progress, even after all these years. This is without a shadow of a doubt the greatest Slayer release for many years. 'God Hates Us All' but he likes us enough to give us this record. Amen to that. - Terry Bezer | Drowned in Sound |
Don't blink. Otherwise, Slayer's eighth studio release will scoot right by at hyper-speed. In fact, morbid images and jackhammer guitar riffs are the only traces that GOD HATES US ALL leaves behind on its demolition path. Heavy, indeed. If lead screamer Tom Araya slows down just for a second, dark mantras such as "I won't be force-fed prophecy" and "My hate is contagious" become frighteningly intelligible. Slayer might not be pretty, but no one can accuse the band of campiness--this is as real (and scary) as it gets.
GOD HATES US ALL is another searing slab of classic Slayer. Highlights include "Disciple" and "Threshold," which capture the group at its bombastic best. Stylistically, the album has all of the characteristics of great thrash metal--grinding guitars, crisp bass drums, and convincing shout-speak vocals. GOD HATES US ALL is not for everyone, however. It will offend many, which is the very reason that the band's fans will embrace it all the more. | mtv |
Unlike Metallica, Slayer - surely on the shortlist of the most crucial metal bands ever - have never wavered from their formula. Playing to the band's honed-to-a-science strengths and hearkening back to the golden age of mullet heads, God Hates Us All is Slayer's most brutal record since 1986's immortal (or undead) Reign in Blood. Galloping double-bass-drum salvos switch on a dime to furious double-time pummeling, as ominous power chords and jagged shred solos slice and dice with Formula One precision. And no, Slayer haven't started spewing therapeutic I-hate-my-mom bile, no matter how big Staind and Papa Roach get; bassist Tom Araya's howled denunciations still run along the lines of "I keep the Bible in a pool of blood" ("New Faith"). God bless metal bands who can't be bothered to change. - Rob Kemp | Rolling Stone |
Mainstream metal hasn't been doing so well lately. The riffs could be played by trained monkeys, more folks are rapping than screaming - and let's not forget the DJs. So where has Slayer been during metal's descent into mediocrity? Off writing one brutal motherfucker of a record, that's where. God Hates Us All is the polar opposite of everything weak about metal right now: it delivers breakneck riffs and machine-gun drumming that hasn't been heard since Seasons In The Abyss, and the whole thing is drenched in blood and guts (choice lyric: "I dip the Bible in a pool of blood so that none of its lies can affect me"). That's not to mention bassist/head screamer Tom Araya, who isn't so much interested in breaking your face as he is ripping it right off. Musically and lyrically, the album is one gigantic sonic beatdown only Slayer could deal out. The controversial CD art and trainwreck sound will likely send squeaky types into a fit, but we have a feeling Slayer wouldn't have it any other way. - Tom Mallon | cmj.com |