Serenity in Murder was the first single released off of Slayer’s 6th studio album, Diving Intervention. Tom Araya said that the songs on the album were largely inspired by what he was watching on television at the time. Both the song and the video for Serenity in Murder appear to have been inspired by the crimes of Jeffrey Dahmer.
Director Jon Reiss also did videos for Nine Inch Nails, Type O Negative, Danzig, and Diamanda Girls.
Remember when everyone’s parents were scared to death of finding cassettes from bands like Slayer and Anthrax in their child’s music collection?
The video for Slayer’s War Ensemble, which was meant to be the band’s first ever music video, was shot at Wembley Stadium on October 14th, 1990. At first, the plan was for Slayer to mime playing the song along to the studio track. When the 12,000 fans who had shown up for the shoot started to boo the plan, Slayer instead decided to play the song live but to try to stick as close to the studio version as possible. The band did just that.
Ironically, just a few months later, this fiercely anti-war song would reportedly be a favorite of soldiers fighting in Operation Desert Storm.
Yes, that is Slayer rocking out at the base of the Sphinx.
For their very first music video, Slayer traveled to Egypt. At the time the video was shot, Iraq had just invaded Kuwait and the world was on the verge of war. Despite all of the tension in the region, the members of Slayer said that they were warmly received by both the citizens of Egypt and the American soldiers who were preparing for Operation Desert Storm. The Egyptian government was so eager to show that it wasn’t anti-American that it allowed Slayer access that the band might not have otherwise been given. At the same time, back in the United States, the Satanic moral panic was still in force and Slayer was being accused of leading its fans into lives of sin and decadence. Slayer was promoting diplomacy while Tipper Gore was still playing records backwards.
Jingle bells!
Jingle bells!
Jingle all the way!
Oh what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh-Oh!
Jingle bells!
Jingle bells!
Jingle all the way!
Oh what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh!
Dashing through the snow!
In a one-horse open sleigh!
O’er the fields we go!
Laughing all the way!
Bells on bobtail ring!
Making spirits bright!
What fun it is to ride and sing a Slayer song tonight!
Oh—Auschwitz!
The meaning of pain!
The way that I want you to die!
Slow death!
Immense decay!
Showers that cleanse you of your life!
Today marks a sad day for the metal world as Jeff Hanneman, guitarist and founding member of the metal band Slayer, passed away at the age of 49.
He now joins other metal gods (Burton, Dimebag, Bonham and Dio just to name a few) who were taken too soon up in Valhalla where, I sincerely hope, they’re starting up a jam session to create the metal supergroup of supergroups.
To commemorate and memorialize Hanneman’s impact on the metal scene these past 30 or so years I’d like to share my favorite Slayer song: “Seasons In The Abyss”.
R.I.P. Jeff Hanneman…
“Lo there do I see my father, Lo there do I see my mother, my Sisters and my brothers , Lo there do I see the line of my people, back to the beginning. Lo, they do call me, they bid me take my place among them, in the halls of Valhalla, where the brave may live forever.”
Seasons In The Abyss
Razors edge Outlines the dead Incisions in my head Anticipation the stimulation To kill the exhilaration
(chorus:) [part 1] Close your eyes Look deep in your soul Step outside yourself And let your mind go Frozen eyes stare deep in your mind as you die
[part 2] Close your eyes And forget your name Step outside yourself And let your thoughts drain As you go insane… [go] insane
Innate seed To watch you bleed A demanding physical need Desecrated, eviscerated Time perpetuated
Close your eyes Look deep in your soul Step outside yourself And let your mind go Frozen eyes stare deep in your mind as you die
Close your eyes… and forget your name Step outside yourself… and let your thoughts drain As you go insane… [go] insane
Inert flesh A bloody tomb A decorative splatter brightens the room An execution a sadist ritual Mad intervals of mind residuals
Close your eyes Look deep in your soul Step outside yourself And let your mind go Frozen eyes stare deep in your mind as you die
Close your eyes… and forget your name Step outside yourself… and let your thoughts drain As you go insane… [go] insane
Since I have been in a metal state of mind since finding out that The Big 4 of thrash metal would be appearing together on-stage this coming April 23 at Indio, CA I just had to pick a metal song for the latest “Song of the Day”. The song picked was an easy choice. It was Diamond Head’s classic metal track, “Am I Evil?”, from their 1980 debut album Lightning to the Nations.
Taking inspiration from the openings of both Black Sabbath’s “Symphony of the Universe” and Gustav Holst’s “Mars, the bringer of war”, the beginning of Diamond Head’s “Am I Evil?” has become one of the most recognizable and beloved of all metal songs. Right from the start the song just oozes an aura of heavy evil and the lyrics of a young boy who witnesses his mother’s witch-burning and his quest to avenge that death just adds to the doom and gloom of the song.
Diamond Head was part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWBHM for short) bands which bridged the Atlantic from the mid-to-late 70’s all the way into the early part of the 80’s. While they were not as successful as other groups who came out of the NWBHM scene like Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and Def Leppard they were a huge influence on another growing subgenre of metal that was about to give birth in the U.S.
I speak of the rise of thrash metal and how it’s four horsemen (Metallica, Anthrax, Slayer and Megadeth) would look to Diamond Head as one of the NWBHM bands which influenced their sound with all four looking at Diamond Head’s “Am I Evil?” as one of those songs which taught them what heavy metal really meant.
It’s no surprise that during the concert tour season of 2010 these four giants of thrash metal would tour together and do seven shows with the show in Sofia, Bulgaria ending with three of the four bands sharing the stage to cover this Diamond Head classic.
Whether played by Diamond Head, Metallica or the Big 4 just listening to “Am I Evil?” definitely makes one feel like their soul just got darker and their heart colder. Just the way heavy metal should affect anyone and be glad that it does.
Am I Evil?
My mother was a witch, she was burned alive Thankless little bitch, for the tears I cried Take her down now, don’t wanna see her face Blistered and burnt, can’t hide my disgrace
27 every one was nice, gotta see them, Make them pay the price See their bodies out on the ice, take my time
Am I evil, yes I am Am I evil, I am man
As I watched my Mother die, I lost my head Revenge now I sought, to break with my bread Takin’ no chances, you come with me I’ll split you to the bone Help set you free.
27 every one was nice, gotta see them, Make them pay the price See their bodies out on the ice, take my time
Am I evil, yes I am Am I evil, I am man
On with the action now, I’ll strip your pride I’ll spread your blood around, I’ll see you ride Your face is scarred with steel, wounds deep and neat Like a double dozen before you, smell so sweet.
27 every one was nice, gotta see them, Make them pay the price See their bodies out on the ice, take my time
Am I evil, yes I am Am I evil, I am man
I’ll make my residence, I’ll watch your fire You can come with me, sweet desire My face is long forgotten, my face not my own Sweet and timely whore, take me home
First news that 70,000 tons of metal wasn’t a scam and thus automatically becoming the greatest cruise ever to put out to see. Now, news of The Big 4 doing a show in the US a week after the Coachella Music Festival in Indio, California.
Who are The Big 4 and why do I sound excited about this news. Well, The Big 4 are the four greatest thrash metal bands and one could say four of the greatest metal bands to ever grace the land of heavy metal. The Big 4 show will include the bands Anthrax, Megadeth and Slayer with the biggest of the four in Metallica looming over everyone. Yes, these four bands will be performing together for the first and only time on U.S. soil. They had done a similar tour over in Europe last year and each show were sold out and were a headbanging success.
While I won’t be able to make the show (already committed to attending Anime Boston which will occur the same weekend) I’m sure there’s enough people who read this site who live in California and wish to partake on this very metal of an event.
Tickets will go on sale on January 28, 2011 so metal fans who want to attend better get to buying them tickets and raise the horns!
*I’m sure necromoonyeti wishes he could attend this show as well as 70,000 tons of metal.
*Also, the fact that the Coachella Music Festival seems to be lacking in the metal department makes that 3-day event an #epicfail
Through the Shattered Lens 