GMD Poll: Slayer's Discography Ranked

[TechnicalBarbarity]

Well, the true Slayer sound may not be synonymous with Slayer's genius. I think South of Heaven, while not as you say yourself a very typical sounding Slayer record, unlocked brand new dimensions in their writing that puts that album in a unique realm of its own.

It's that kind of context that can lead to an album being considered Slayer's true genius record. I'm sure @Satanstoenail chose that album as his #1 favourite because it doesn't really sound like much else by Slayer.

Fyi, for the longest time Show No Mercy was my favourite Slayer album but the enthusiasm on this board for Hell Awaits caused me to revisit it and it slowly exceeded my love for the debut. I'm only telling you this because I don't want you to mistake what I said for me shitting on Show No Mercy or anything.

He also listens to groove and korn, so yeah. No i definitely know you're not shitting on SNM, just dissecting your post is all.

is my personal favourite Death record, but due to its primitivism I don't think it could be called Death's peak and I'm pretty sure that is bolstered by popular opinion. If I were rating Death's peak based on complex playing, interesting songwriting, heaviness and intensity (things usually associated with "top-tier" or "genius" albums in death metal) I would probably pick Human.

I didnt say its their peak. Or their most complex or what not(which isnt synonymous with their peak btw). I think Leprosy is their best album(as do countless others), and SBG is not far from that album in terms of sound.

Pretty sure Leprosy is Death's most popular album though, right?

Not even close, that would be Human or Symbolic(my second fav Death album)

 

[CiG]

He also listens to groove and korn, so yeah.

Well, fair enough.

However people like J.B. the singer of Grand Magus also holds it as his favourite for reasons like it not having a typical Slayer sound, that it went much more mid-paced, trading the violence and aggression of a fast tempo for a more evil sound.

So there might be something to it.

I didnt say its their peak. Or their most complex or what not(which isnt synonymous with their peak btw). I think Leprosy is their best album(as do countless others), and SBG is not far from that album in terms of sound.

I'm talking peak genius here.
Of course that presents its own definition problem.

In my head I feel like Scream Bloody Gore and Leprosy are apples and oranges but I'll be honest it's been awhile since I've played either, let alone back-to-back.

 

[TechnicalBarbarity]

Oh and i always laugh when i hear people here talking about Hell Awaits and atmosphere like its one of their favorite shitty black metal albums or something. What kind of atmosphere? Reign in Blood has more of a barbaric atmosphere than Hell Awaits has in any form.

 

[CiG]

I think both (and generally, all) albums have their own atmosphere. I don't really listen to much black metal so that criticism of the language can't really include me.

Reign in Blood does have a very barbaric atmosphere. That whole record is like a never-ending, exhaustive bludgeoning.

I said Hell Awaits has a dense atmosphere and isn't very accessible-sounding and I guess by that I mean a) the production reminds me of a rough, Welcome to Hell kind of job and b) it's not very dynamic or catchy.

 

[TechnicalBarbarity]

In my head I feel like Scream Bloody Gore and Leprosy are apples and oranges

Lolwut? Leprosy is basically SBG perfected.

I'm talking peak genius here.

As i said earlier, i agree its not the peak of their genius. That title clearly belongs to Symbolic, which is one of my favorite(and also their mos popular) records btw. But im just saying there would be nothing weird about someone saying SBG is their best album, since its an opinion that thousands of their own fans hold.

 

[TechnicalBarbarity]

I think both (and generally, all) albums have their own atmosphere. I don't really listen to much black metal so that criticism of the language can't really include me.

Reign in Blood does have a very barbaric atmosphere. That whole record is like a never-ending, exhaustive bludgeoning.

I said Hell Awaits has a dense atmosphere and isn't very accessible-sounding and I guess by that I mean a) the production reminds me of a rough, Welcome to Hell kind of job and b) it's not very dynamic or catchy.

yeah that wasn't necessarily aimed at you, just to all the fugazis who love talking about "Hell Awaits = oooooohhh Atmosphere ooohhh"

That being said, you cant go wrong with placing any of Slayers first three at the top imo.

 

[CiG]

Lolwut? Leprosy is basically SBG perfected.

When I get around to listening to both albums again I'll keep this in mind. I believe @HamburgerBoy also has said something similar before.

Scream Bloody Gore is the b-movie/splatter flick interpretation of death, the subject. Leprosy takes a more realistic and stark look at death, the subject.

I forget who made the analogy here but I liked it.

As i said earlier, i agree its not the peak of their genius. That title clearly belongs to Symbolic, which is one of my favorite(and also their mos popular) records btw. But im just saying there would be nothing weird about someone saying SBG is their best album, since its an opinion that thousands of their own fans hold.

Including me.

 

[TechnicalBarbarity]

I believe @HamburgerBoy also has said something similar before.

Oh fuck me.

is the b-movie/splatter flick interpretation of death, the subject. Leprosy takes a more realistic and stark look at death, the subject.

I forget who made the analogy here but I liked it.

Yeah, that sounds about right

 

[CiG]

Oh fuck me.

I got you back for when you compared me to UA.

 

[TechnicalBarbarity]

 

[TechnicalBarbarity]

I missed this part...

trading the violence and aggression of a fast tempo for a more evil sound.

Definitely not true. Are you saying South of Heaven sounds more evil than Reign on Blood or Hell Awaits? Is this reality?

So there might be something to it.

Well the singer of an average at best heavy metal band doesn't mean much to me, or many other Slayer fans if i might add.

 

[CiG]

Well the singer of an average at best heavy metal band doesn't mean much to me, or many other Slayer fans if i might add.

Well, the point in bringing him up wasn't to appeal to you as a potential Grand Magus fan but just to avoid bringing anybody up who listens to shitty nu-metal.

Definitely not true. Are you saying South of Heaven sounds more evil than Reign on Blood or Hell Awaits? Is this reality?

I do think it sounds more evil than Reign in Blood, but probably not more than Hell Awaits. I think South of Heaven has an eerie vibe, which is another thing J.B. has also said about it.

 

[TechnicalBarbarity]

i really dont care what JB or BJ or whoever has said about it, as i made clear in my previous post. What makes you think i would value his opinion any more than say yours or anyone else's here?

Nowhere near as evil as Reign on Blood. They sounds rather tame and soft while compared to the previous two records, that's something that A SHIT load of their fans said about it. Which led them to release an album that sounds far more evil and in line with their previous work. That being said, i love all the albums in question right now.

 

[CiG]

i really dont care what JB or BJ or whoever has said about it, as i made clear in my previous post. What makes you think i would value his opinion any more than say yours or anyone else's here?

Just one person I could think of off-hand that you wouldn't dismiss for arbitrary reasons, which you're doing anyway so I guess it was a waste of time.

I don't think Reign in Blood has an evil sound whatsoever really. To my senses it's much more aggressive and violent, it's like an Arnold Schwarzenegger body count rather than say, the cellar from Evil Dead.

 

[EspaDa]

Grand Magus is great, you prick. I like you @TechnicalBarbarity but don't depreciate them mate.

 

[TechnicalBarbarity]

Why wouldn't i dismiss his opinion? Is it supposed to matter to me because he's in a band? Like he's the only one who thinks that album has a eerie vibe or something? I'm pretty sure most of the children at hot topic and the 50 year old dude-bros think Repentless has an eerie vibe. Am i supposed to give a shit? SoH is nowhere near as evil or eerie as the two albums that came before it and the one that fallowed it up. What the band sounds like to you and others here(even toenail) means more to me than what some random guy has to say about it. That being said, i dont know a single person IRL that considers that album to be their best, and if you want to bring up randoms, than there waaaaaayy more people that would agree with me on that album being pretty soft and tame compared to their other stuff. Shit, i think they even admitted it themselves a few times on how that album was just too melodic or whatnot.

Oh and one of the most evil, wicked, bad ass metal albums of all time doesn't sound evil to you? Aggression, violence and lyrics that basically define that word have nothing to do with it sounding evil? hmmm, ok.

 

[TechnicalBarbarity]

Grand Magus is great, you prick. I like you @TechnicalBarbarity but don't depreciate them mate.

I'm very familiar with them(have a few of their albums) and probably have been listening to 'em a lot longer than you have. That being said they are average at best. Their first four/five albums are mostly 3.5/5 and their last three albums are crap that i would never bother listening to again.

 

[EspaDa]

They have 3 great albums (Iron Will, Hammer of the North, The Hunt) and the rest of their heavy metal material is still decent. I haven't listened to their first two albums as they're not interesting to me.

 

[Satanstoenail]

Well, the true Slayer sound may not be synonymous with Slayer's genius. I think South of Heaven, while not as you say yourself a very typical sounding Slayer record, unlocked brand new dimensions in their writing that puts that album in a unique realm of its own.

It's that kind of context that can lead to an album being considered Slayer's true genius record. I'm sure @Satanstoenail chose that album as his #1 favourite because it doesn't really sound like much else by Slayer.

Indeed. I love SoH the most for a variety of reasons. I love it because they had perfected the typical Slayer sound with RiB and had nothing further to prove in terms of aggression, so they felt they could explore a bit. To me SoH is Hell Awaits done properly. It's as cold as fuck and it's got more musical ideas and dynamics that any of the previous three. I think they were in the creative zone and on a mega high after RiB (or at least Hanneman was). The whole album oozes class. Of course your typical metalbro shat on it because it wasn't as brutal as RiB. And as much as I love Seasons, I think it's a shame that they pandered to the metalbros and the album suffers for it (or maybe they were just running out of creative steam, I dunno).

All of that said, RiB is almost neck & neck with SoH as far as being my favourite. It's fucking close.

 

[The Ozzman]

Seasons is my #1 because it's the first Slayer album I ever bought and one of my first extreme metal albums ever. Nostalgia.

Also the fact that it only has one or two duds on the album. You could say 'then why isn't RIB #1 because it has no dudz Ozzbro?'

Well, it's a homogenous suite (hurr hurr) and so it's hard to have duds with something like that. My only gripe with RIB is that it is too short but that probably adds to the appeal of it. Short and to the point. No filler, all killer.