Search - Slayer :: Diabolus in Musica

Karl V. from LAFAYETTE, IN
Reviewed on 12/10/2009...

It's Slayer, What more do you need to know?

Solid, brutal release.

B. Collins | Connecticut | 05/05/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Took a bit to get into this one but after a couple spins, I like Diabolus as much as Reign, South, Seasons, GHUA, or Christ Illusion. Araya is really in good form here. Stand outs are Stain of Mind, Bitter Peace, Death's Head, Screaming From the Sky, and Point. No Slayer fan should be without this underrated cd. A very solid and brutal release from the guys who keep doing it their own way."

Slayer's most under-rated and most experimental album.

John McClung | Freehold, NY USA | 09/14/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There are those, mostly self-proclaimed 'long-time Slayer fans', who will tell you that Diabolus In Musica is one of Slayer's worst albums, along with most of the others that feature Paul Bostaph on drums. As a serious fan who owns everything Slayer has released, I can honestly say that DIM is, on the contrary, one of their best, right up there with Reign In Blood and Seasons In The Abyss. There are a number of reasons why I say this. DIM is a very diverse and experimental album that can be fast on songs like Bitter Peace, Scrum, and Point, or slow and dark on songs like Desire and Screaming From The Sky, but heavy throughout. Tom Araya's vocal delivery is diverse as well, ranging from his trademark 'voice of Hell' heard on Slayer's 'classic' albums to a style more akin to death metal or even nu-metal. The lyrics have a wide variety of subject matter as well. Allow me to guide you through each song. The album starts off with a brutal piece of thrash metal called Bitter Peace, a song about the inevitability of war in the world today, which features a great instrumental opening. Next comes Death's Head, which features a complex song structure and violent lyrics. The third song is the album's only live staple, Stain Of Mind. Interesting is the fact that it is also the album's only song that doesn't have a guitar solo. Next up is Overt Enemy, a very complex song with a spoken-word intro that claims "the government's supposed to be We the People". The fifth cut is Perversions Of Pain, a song about sadistic torture which is basically the soundtrack to the movie Hostel. It is slow in its chorus but fast in its verses and climax. At the middle of the album is Love To Hate, which is very brutal but also has a hip-hop groove. The seventh song is my personal favorite, the sinister love ballad Desire, which is by far the album's slowest song, even though the guitar solo is a fast one. In The Name Of God picks up the pace again, with a mid-tempo heaviness and lyrics about God lying to people, which are along the lines of Jesus Saves. Next comes Scrum, a fast and unique ode to the particularly rough sport of rugby, followed by a slower song called Screaming From The Sky, which has the album's best example of death metal vocals during the bridge. The last song is Point, a speed-driven finale that returns to the thrash metal the album started with, leaving you speechless. In conclusion, Diabolus In Musica is easily my favorite Bostaph-era Slayer album and is an excellent display of his unique drumming style. DIM is just as good as anything from the Metal Blade era or the classic era (with the exception of South Of Heaven), and is much better than God Hates Us All and Christ Illusion. I highly recommend this album to any true Slayer fan, as it is not to be ignored. If upon listening to it you don't like it, that's fine, but at least give it a chance."