4) “Bitter Peace”
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzXdyPqRVqk]
If you hate Diabolus In Musica, and you probably do, this is the song you should focus on in order to redeem it. Slayer really let the darker, more sinister aspects of their inspirational matter take a firm foothold in the writing of the music, exploring alternative tunings and pacing to create a dramatic effect that reflected the malevolence the band had always perpetuated. Not everybody felt like this experimentation was a good thing. For fans who were put off by the album’s stark contrast to everything they’d done before, “Bitter Peace” is the most old-school in its structure and delivery. That long, building intro is something I love hearing Slayer incorporate (and, if I’m not mistaken, they’ve done it again on Repentless), and the contrast it creates when the verse kicks in makes the fast parts hit so much harder. These are also some of Hanneman’s sharpest lyrics. The dude loved to write about war, and the sentiment behind “Bitter Peace” absolutely nails that balance between anger and hopelessness. Man, WHY DON’T YOU LIKE THIS SONG?!
5) “Unguarded Instinct”
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YODn78AA4tQ]
On the whole, Diabolus is without question, Slayer’s weakest release… I’ll grant you that. But given the hate this record gets as some kind of response to nu-metal, you’d assume there were loops and guest DJ’s all over the place. It’s not that bad. There are definitely some stinkers (“Love to Hate” is just awful). But this was actually the first Slayer record I ever owned, and that colors it for me. Years after first hearing it, I found an import copy at the same record store where I purchased God Hates Us All (remember import sections, y’all?), and found “Unguarded Instinct” to be a hell of a pleasant surprise. The other bonus song, “Wicked,” was creepy and slow, but plodding and kinda boring. “Unguarded Instinct” featured some of the more energetic pacing of Divine Intervention combined with the downtuned murk of the rest of Diabolus. And that chorus riff is one of the best hooks on the record. Both “Unguarded Instinct” and “Scarstruck” were later included in Slayer’s not-super-awesome boxed set, Soundtrack To The Apocalypse.
6) “Gemini”
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzBTHFaA4HQ]
I listen to Undisputed Attitude regularly. It’s a covers album, but it still features three original tracks. Two, “DDAM” and “Can’t Stand You,” are old Hanneman tracks that pre-date Slayer. The third, closer “Gemini,” is often seen as a throwaway, but I think that’s so far from the truth. It’s pace is slower than any Slayer track that came before it, and it features a subdued performance from the entire band. The dudes are taking a breath, not going full-balls heavy for a change, and just letting this song’s infectious malice stand on its own, barren of shiny technicality and Tom’s falsetto theatrics. I think it’s Slayer at their most vulnerable, if there is such a thing, and something about that makes it attractive. If nothing else, it’s an interesting artifact; this is basically the “missing link” between the punk fury that characterized Divine Intervention and the creepiness of Diabolus In Musica’s slower, more menacing cuts.
7) “Abolish Government / Superficial Love”
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fko1KHMjHCY]
I think, as far as cover albums go, Undisputed Attitude is one of the best ever made, and the band owns these songs in ways that make it easy to believe they could just be more experimental, punked-out Slayer originals. It probably also helps that, not being the biggest fan of old-school punk and hardcore, I’ve never checked out too many of these songs’ original versions. I know, I know… shame on me. “Abolish Government / Superficial Love” features some guitar work that’s strikingly similar to earlier Slayer compositions. It’s so high-energy, and the band rips through it with so much conviction that it sounds like it could be one of their own. The delivery of that main riff in “Abolish Government,” when the lyrics kick in… man, that’s my shit. Tom even sounds like he’s smiling.
