By 1998, it seems that Slayer has fully explored the possible variations on their signature style; they've had all the influence and impact they're going to, which means that in order to keep their fans' reverence and critics' respect, it's much more advisable for new Slayer material to offer competent retrenchments rather than experimentation with current trends.
And they do indeed follow the former approach on Diabolus in Musica (Latin for "the devil in music"), an album that will certainly please fans while offering little that hasn't been heard before.
If Divine Intervention tried (perhaps too hard) to re-create the full-on rush of the classic Reign in Blood, then Diabolus in Musica employs more of the in-between feel of Seasons in the Abyss, albeit with a thicker-sounding production and slightly more emphasis on texture than the formerly almighty riff.
It may lack some of the spark and vitality of their 1980s recordings, but it's nothing to be ashamed of either.
Even if their liner art keeps getting more and more graphic, the music is still the same old Slayer, and that's pretty much what sellout-wary diehards want to hear.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bitter PeaceJeff Hanneman | Slayer | Play | 04:32 | 10 MB | 34 MB |
| 2 | Stain of MindJeff Hanneman, Kerry King | Slayer | Play | 03:24 | 7 MB | 24 MB |
| 3 | Overt EnemyJeff Hanneman | Slayer | Play | 04:41 | 10 MB | 34 MB |
| 4 | Perversions of PainJeff Hanneman, Kerry King | Slayer | Play | 03:30 | 8 MB | 26 MB |
| 5 | Love to HateJeff Hanneman, Kerry King | Slayer | Play | 03:05 | 7 MB | 23 MB |
| 6 | DesireTom Araya, Jeff Hanneman | Slayer | Play | 04:18 | 9 MB | 30 MB |
| 7 | In the Name of GodKerry King | Slayer | Play | 03:38 | 8 MB | 26 MB |
| 8 | ScrumJeff Hanneman, Kerry King | Slayer | Play | 02:18 | 5 MB | 17 MB |
| 9 | Screaming from the SkyTom Araya, Jeff Hanneman, Kerry King | Slayer | Play | 03:12 | 7 MB | 23 MB |
| 10 | PointJeff Hanneman, Kerry King | Slayer | Play | 04:12 | 9 MB | 32 MB |
| 11 | Wicked | Slayer | Play | 06:00 | 13 MB | 41 MB |
| 42 mins | 98 MB | |||||
| 42 mins | 316 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tom Araya | Bass, Composer, Guitar (Bass), Lyricist, Member of Attributed Artist, Producer, Vocals |
| 2 | Paul Bostaph | Drums, Member of Attributed Artist, Producer |
| 3 | Brian Davis | Assistant Engineer, Audio Engineer |
| 4 | Exum | Photography |
| 5 | Frank | Art Direction |
| 6 | Wade Goeke | Assistant Engineer, Audio Engineer |
| 7 | Greg Gordon | Audio Engineer, Engineer |
| 8 | Sebastian Haimerl | Assistant Engineer, Audio Engineer |
| 9 | Jeff Hanneman | Composer, Guitar, Guitars, Lyricist, Member of Attributed Artist, Producer |
| 10 | Kerry King | Composer, Guitar, Guitars, Lyricist, Member of Attributed Artist, Producer |
| 11 | Paul Ostaph | Drums |
| 12 | Rick Rubin | Audio Production, Producer |
| 13 | Rick Sales | Management |
| 14 | Allen Sanderson | Assistant Engineer, Audio Engineer |
| 15 | Slayer | Audio Production, Primary Artist, Producer |
| 16 | John Tyree | Assistant Engineer, Audio Engineer |
| 17 | Howie Weinberg | Mastering |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |