Diabolus in Musica
A controversial pivot into mid-tempo grooves and lower tunings. Dissonant, murky, and relentlessly aggressive, it trades speed for a heavy, churning weight.
June 9, 1998 · American Recordings
A controversial pivot into mid-tempo grooves and lower tunings. Dissonant, murky, and relentlessly aggressive, it trades speed for a heavy, churning weight.
June 9, 1998 · American Recordings
Diabolus in Musica is the sound of a legendary band looking for a new way to be heavy in a changing landscape. While Slayer is synonymous with the breakneck speed of the 1980s, this 1998 effort finds them down-tuning to Drop C# and embracing a slower, more rhythmic churn. It feels less like a lightning strike and more like a steamroller: slow, inevitable, and crushing. The title refers to the tritone, and that dissonance permeates every track, creating an atmosphere of urban decay and psychological tension.
How does Diabolus in Musica sound next to the rest of Slayer's catalogue?
It runs notably cooler and more held-back than this artist's baseline.
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