South of Heaven Album
- Release date: July 5, 1988
- Label: DefJam Records
- Mixed at: Newfresh
- Running time: 36:47
- US highest chart position: 57
| Track listing | Song credits | Time | Lyrics |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01. South of Heaven | (Araya/Hanneman) | 4:58 | read |
| 02. Silent Scream | (Araya/Hanneman/King) | 3:06 | read |
| 03. Live Undead | (Araya/Hanneman/King) | 3:50 | read |
| 04. Behind the Crooked Cross | (Hanneman) | 3:14 | read |
| 05. Mandatory Suicide | (Araya/Hanneman/King) | 4:05 | read |
| 06. Ghosts of War | (Hanneman/King) | 3:53 | read |
| 07. Read Between the Lies | (Araya/Hanneman/King) | 3:20 | read |
| 08. Cleanse the Soul | (Araya/Hanneman/King) | 3:02 | read |
| 09. Dissident Aggressor | (Downing/Halford/Tipton) | 2:35 | read |
| 10. Spill the Blood | (Hanneman) | 4:49 | read |
Album credits
Slayer - Producer | Tom Araya - Bass, Vocals | Jeff Hanneman - Guitars | Kerry King - Guitars | Dave Lombardo - Drums | Steven Ett - Engineer | Barry Diament - Digital Mastering, Mastering | Glen E. Friedman - Photography | Peter Kelsey - Engineer | Rick Rubin - Producer, Executive Producer | Andy Wallace - Engineer, Mixing | Howie Weinberg - Mastering | Howard Schwartzberg - Illustrations | Douglas Day - Design
Album reviews
When it comes to death metal, no band is more convincing than Slayer. For other bands, focusing on death, satanism, the supernatural, and the occult became a cliché; but Slayer's controversial reflections on evil always came across as honest and heartfelt. The group's sincerity is the thing that makes South of Heaven so disturbing and powerful - when the influential thrashers rip into such morbid fare as "Spill the Blood," "Mandatory Suicide" and "Ghosts of War," they are frighteningly convincing. With its fourth album, Slayer began to slow its tempos without sacrificing an iota of heaviness or incorporating any pop elements. South of Heaven would be Slayer's last album for Def Jam. When Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons (brother of Joseph "Run" Simmons of Run-D.M.C.) parted company, Slayer went to Rubin's new company Def American, while L.L. Cool J, Slick Rick, and other rappers recorded for Simmons at Def Jam. - Alex Henderson | All Music Guide |
I swear, Slayer is the only out-and-out death metal band with any class. There's been an awful lot of hoopla over the fact that this record is slower than anything the fastest band in the world has done before; yeah, it's slower, but it's actually more lethal (a slow death is supposed to be more painful, right?). Rick Rubin's spare production has thrown the band's skill into a dramatic relief: drummer Dave Lombardo is the glue that holds the band together, while guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King throw sharp, angular riffs and psychotic leads on the rhythm structure like barbs on barbed wire. The lyrics still read like a treatment of Faces Of Death (and are actually worse sometimes), but for once, Tom Araya is actually singing! For me, the greatest thing about this band is that they groove - you could actually dance to some of these songs (not that anyone will). The whole LP is excellent, but key on "Crooked Cross," "Mandatory Suicide," and the title track; those who can't abide a slow Slayer should check "Silent Scream" and "Ghosts Of War," two of the fastest and most dangerous songs they've ever done. | cmj.com |
With 1986's REIGN IN BLOOD, Slayer reached the pinnacle of its rapid-fire, speed metal style. For the band's next effort, instead of embracing its hardcore roots even further, the band retraced its metal influences, namely Black Sabbath. 1988's SOUTH OF HEAVEN surprised many fans because it contained several mid-paced, dirge-like compositions that spotlighted metal's crunch over punk's reckless energy. Tom Araya's lyrics still addressed controversial subjects, while another piece of gruesome artwork graced the album's cover. Despite it all, Slayer's ardent following embraced the album, eventually propelling SOUTH OF HEAVEN to gold-certification in the U.S.
The twin-guitar team of Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman is again well equipped with an arsenal of killer riffs, while drummer Dave Lombardo shows why many consider him to be one of metal's all-time best. In the past, Araya penned lyrics that dealt with such controversial topics as Nazism (REIGN IN BLOOD's "Angel of Death") and serial killers (SEASONS IN THE ABYSS's "Dead Skin Mask"). Araya continues the trend on SOUTH OF HEAVEN with "Silent Scream," a track about abortion. Other gory tracks include the grinding title track, "Mandatory Suicide," "Ghosts of War," "Spill the Blood," and a cover of Judas Priest's "Dissident Aggressor." | mtv |