South of Heaven is the fourth studio album by American thrash metal band Slayer, released on July 5, 1988, by Def Jam Recordings. Given the frenetic pace of Reign in Blood, Slayer made no attempt to top it on South of Heaven. Rather, the band offset and complemented Reign in Blood by deliberately slowing the tempo down on South of Heaven, as well as by utilizing undistorted guitars and toned-down vocals.
It was the second Slayer album to be produced by Rick Rubin and the last to be released by Def Jam, although the rights were transferred to Rubin's new label Def American Recordings after Rubin ended his partnership with Russell Simmons. The album was one of only two Def Jam titles to be distributed by Geffen Records through Warner Bros. Records, as Def Jam's then-distributor Columbia Records refused to release material by the band.
South of Heaven received critical acclaim, with some praising the change in the band's sound, while others more accustomed to the style of their earlier efforts were somewhat disappointed. Nonetheless, it became the band's second album to enter the Billboard 200, peaking at number 57, and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 1992. The songs "Mandatory Suicide" and the title track have since become near constant fixtures in the band's live setlist.
Background
The album was recorded in Los Angeles with Reign in Blood producer Rick Rubin. PopMatters reviewer Adrien Begrand observed that Rubin's production "shoves [Dave] Lombardo's drumming right up front in the mix". Guitarist Jeff Hanneman has since said that South of Heaven was the only album the band members discussed before writing the music. Aware that they "couldn't top Reign in Blood", and that whatever they recorded would be compared to the album, he believed they "had to slow down", something Slayer had never done on albums before, or since. Guitarist Kerry King cited the need to "keep people guessing" as another reason for the musical shift. "In order to contrast the aggressive assault put forth on Reign in Blood, Slayer consciously slowed down the tempo of the album as a whole", according to Slayer's official biography. "They also added elements like undistorted guitars and toned-down vocal styles not heard on previous albums."
King has since been critical of his performance, which he describes as his "most lackluster". King attributes this to the fact he had recently married, and moved to Phoenix, Arizona. Describing himself as "probably the odd man out at that point", he stated he "didn't participate as much because of that". Hanneman said: "We go through dry spells sometimes, but the good thing about having two guitar players that can write music is that you are never gonna go without. I guess at that time, Kerry was hitting a dry spell." King has also been critical of the album in general, describing it as one of his least favorite Slayer albums. He felt vocalist Tom Araya moved too far away from his regular vocal style, and "added too much singing".
Judas Priest's "Dissident Aggressor" is the first cover version to appear on a Slayer studio album. The song was chosen due to its war-themed lyrics. Hanneman described the track as "more just like one of those odd songs that a lot of people didn't know, but it was a favorite of Kerry and I, so we just picked that one". Meanwhile, "Cleanse the Soul" has been heavily criticized by King who said that he hates the track: "That's one of the black marks in our history, in my book. I just fucking think it's horrible. [Laughs] I hate the opening riff. It's what we call a 'happy riff.' It's just like 'la-lala-la-la-la.' I can't see myself playing it, but after that, where it gets heavier, I like that section. If we ever did a medley, I'd put part of that in there." The closing track "Spill The Blood" features clean guitar tones in the beginning and middle sections, and Araya's singing capabilities.
| rev3 =Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal
| rev3Score = 10/10
| rev4 = Kerrang!
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| rev5 = Metal Forces
| rev5score = 8/10
| rev6 = Rock Hard
| rev6score = 8.5/10
| rev7 = Rolling Stone
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| rev9 = Spin Alternative Record Guide
| rev9score = 8/10
South of Heaven was released on July 5, 1988, and was the final Slayer album distributed via Def Jam Records. When label co-founders Russell Simmons and Rubin parted ways, Slayer signed to Rubin's newly founded Def American Recordings label. The album peaked at number 57 on the Billboard 200 album chart; on November 20, 1992, it became Slayer's second album to be certified gold in the United States. South of Heaven was awarded silver certification in the United Kingdom on January 1, 1993, Slayer's first record to do so in that country. Slayer's official biography states that "some critics praised the album as demonstrating Slayer's desire to grow musically and avoid repeating themselves." Grave's Ola Lindgren and Bolt Thrower's Karl Willetts both rate South of Heaven as amongst the top five albums of all time, while Max Kolesne of Brazilian death metal group Krisiun remembers hearing the song "Silent Scream" for the first time: "It just blew me away. It was like fast double-bass, fast kicks during the whole song. That was very inspiring for me." When discussing Slayer in an October 2007 interview, Evile frontman Matt Drake stated that while Reign in Blood "was just speed", South of Heaven proved that the group could write "slow material as well". Metal Forces reviewer gives "the band credit for at least making an effort to try something new and not being afraid to experiment at such a crucial stage of their career", creating "one of the more original sounding thrash / speed metal albums he heard in a long while". He remarked, however, that "if you're expecting to hear Reign in Blood Part Two, you'll be in for a major disappointment". However, the magazine would later rank the album 47th on their 2017 "100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time" list. Slayer's official biography states: "The new sounds disappointed some of the band's fans who were more accustomed to the style of earlier releases." Araya commented that the "album was a late bloomer—it wasn't really received well, but it kind of grew on everybody later".