Slayer - South Of Heaven

Best Slayer, together with SITA.
Not a single second on this album I would want to miss.
Mandatory suicide is insane.

I don't think this album is bad but for me personally it just seems a bit overrated. Hardly any of the songs stand out and the cover of Dissident Aggressor is a bit low energy. For me it's the weakest of their first 5 albums. I don't want to start a riot but can someone explain to me why so many people think it's so great?

This album, along with Reign In Blood, Hell Awaits, Haunting The Chapel, Show No Mercy and Decade Of Aggression are the essential Slayer.

My favorite Slayer album.

Written by John_Doe on 01.04.2020 at 20:40

My favorite Slayer album.

Mine too, and I used to not like it back then. What a noob I was, every track here is 10/10, the riffs are haunting af and Lombardo is just insanely good.

Written by Maco on 01.04.2020 at 20:29

This album, along with Reign In Blood, Hell Awaits, Haunting The Chapel, Show No Mercy and Decade Of Aggression are the essential Slayer.

You have to add Seasons to this list to make it complete, you really have to.

Written by nikarg on 01.04.2020 at 21:24

Mine too, and I used to not like it back then. What a noob I was, every track here is 10/10, the riffs are haunting af and Lombardo is just insanely good.

Exactly my words -- except for: I already hailed this album back then.

Written by Redel on 01.04.2020 at 21:29

Exactly my words -- except for: I already hailed this album back then.

My best friend was telling me "wow man, this is their best album, so technical, so evil, so riffy" and I was like "nah, they are wimps, they slowed down and softened their sound, they went commercial"

But really, after Reign In Blood, there was no point to go faster, and they did the impossible; they released an album that was better than RIB. Really, everything Slayer did from the beginning up to - and including Seasons - is mindblowing. And it was the only band from the Big 4 that all its members were fantastic.

Written by nikarg on 01.04.2020 at 21:37

But really, after Reign In Blood, there was no point to go faster, and they did the impossible; they released an album that was better than RIB. Really, everything Slayer did from the beginning up to - and including Seasons - is mindblowing.

This man, so much this.
(You do realize that I am -- intentionally -- using the same words you gave me in an answer on another thread the other day -- and I am just fooling around here for no good reason )

Written by Redel on 01.04.2020 at 21:45

This man, so much this.
(You do realize that I am -- intentionally -- using the same words you gave me in an answer on another thread the other day -- and I am just fooling around here for no good reason )

Yes, I do.

Written by Redel on 01.04.2020 at 21:27

You have to add Seasons to this list to make it complete, you really have to.

Maybe the title track and War Ensemble but that's it

Nice transitional album between Reign in Blood and Seasons in the Abyss. I'm still not a fan of the whining guitar solos, but they also have more slower moody riffs (traces were seen in the previous album, and then finally embraced in the following album).

Good songs overall - the drumming and riffs being the highlights as always. My favorite tracks are the title track, Ghosts of War, Silent Scream - Behind the Crooked Cross, Mandatory Suicide, and Spill the Blood are cool as well, and I liked the Judas Priest cover

Damn, "Spill The Blood" leaves me ecstatic EVERY fucking TIME.

Such a lethal closure.

Slayer got so much shit when this was released and I could never understand why. So what if they dialled back the speed a bit, it's full of classics.

I’ve always preferred this to Reign In Blood: slower Slayer (Slowyer if you will) is way more interesting.

I like most classic Slayer, but I agree this was a nice change in pace (literally) from their SOP. The South Of Heaven riff is constantly stuck in my head.

I remember staring at the album artwork for this album back in school when I managed to buy a copy without my parents knowing, taking in all the details. The music itself was just as good, this is probably my most listed-to Slayer album after Reign in Blood.

9.0/10 for me - the title track is the standout song. 'Silent Scream', 'Mandatory Suicide' and 'Spill the Blood' are all also fantastic.

Probably one of my favorite drum work in metal music. Lombardo created some insanely memorable fills, its sounds like riffs on its own. Mind-blowing shit .

Great Slayer album! Some of the best most memorable lyrics are "Suffocation, strangulation..death is fucking you insane " I absolutely love that line. Mandatory Suicide is another great track. It's overall a great Slayer album. They slowed it down a bit for this one. This album will always hold great memories for me. The tour they did for this album was the one time I saw Slayer live. Great show! Motorhead and Overkill opened!

Written by Mrmojorison on 13.06.2025 at 03:57

Great Slayer album! Some of the best most memorable lyrics are "Suffocation, strangulation..death is fucking you insane " I absolutely love that line. Mandatory Suicide is another great track. It's overall a great Slayer album. They slowed it down a bit for this one. This album will always hold great memories for me. The tour they did for this album was the one time I saw Slayer live. Great show! Motorhead and Overkill opened!

Nice. I didn't see them on the South of Heaven tour, but I saw them twice on the Seasons In the Abyss tour; Clash of the Titans in 1990 and Hammersmith Odeon with Mindfunk in 1991, then one more time at Wembley Arena on their "farewell" tour with Lamb of God, Anthrax and Obituary. I still have my ticket stubs as I'm sad like that!
I'm still thinking of getting a ticket to Finsbury Park but it's not sold out, so I'm holding out for a last minute minute bargain.

One of the best drumming ever

I loved the song south of heaven but the album sort of went downhill from there. Not a huge fan of this album.

Written by tintinb on 07.11.2025 at 04:24

but the album story of went downhill from there.

What are you talking about?

Written by Cynic Metalhead on 07.11.2025 at 06:28

Written by tintinb on 07.11.2025 at 04:24

but the album story of went downhill from there.

What are you talking about?

Edited. For better clarity.

Written by tintinb on 07.11.2025 at 08:42

Written by Cynic Metalhead on 07.11.2025 at 06:28

Written by tintinb on 07.11.2025 at 04:24

but the album story of went downhill from there.

What are you talking about?

Edited. For better clarity.

One of the most landmark Slayer record and the only album where I felt not a drop an ounce of intensity and momentum there.

How downhill it gone from track #1?

Dunno man, found it to be very slow. The songwriting didn't impress me too much. Nothing stuck like the title track did. If it is any consolation, I loved all the previous albums.

Written by tintinb on 08.11.2025 at 02:08

Dunno man, found it to be very slow. The songwriting didn't impress me too much. Nothing stuck like the title track did. If it is any consolation, I loved all the previous albums.

Honestly I love Spill The Blood. First and last tracks are the strongest for me. I will agree that it's nowhere near as strong an album as the previous ones, or even compared to Seasons IMO. Still a great one regardless.