South of Heaven - Slayer

****

One of Slayer's more "downplayed" albums, and unjustly so, South of Heaven saw a huge change in style for Slayer. But rather than stating the obvious, I'll give you an opinion. Reign in Blood was an aggressive attack on music, but South of Heaven is more of a subtle seduction. It scraps the aggression with a more technical approach, and one that actually works better than Reign in Blood. It showcases King's natural talent; composing and playing riffs, and downplays his weakness; solos. This overall gives a more solid sound and feels like a more solid record overall, with each song standing on it's own. A particular standout is the Judas Priest cover, "Dissident Aggressor" - while it isn't anywhere near as good as the original, it's a worthy tribute to Priest. While the album isn't perfect, South of Heaven is Slayer's most underrated album, and often overlooked. Make sure you don't.

Must Download - "South of Heaven", "Mandatory Suicide", "Spill the Blood"