Diabolus in Musica
Encyclopedia
Diabolus in Musica is the eighth studio album
by American thrash metal
band Slayer
. Released on June 9, 1998, it is the third studio album to feature drummer Paul Bostaph
. Although receiving mixed critical reviews, the album sold 46,000 copies in its first week to peak at number 31 on the Billboard 200
.
Guitarist Jeff Hanneman
wrote most of the album's content which has been described as Slayer's most experimental album. It is the band's first studio album to be played mostly in C# tuning. The album's title is a Latin
term for "The Devil in Music", a musical interval
known for its dissonance
. Lyrical themes explored on the album include religion, deviants, death, maniacs, war, and serial killers.
described the writing process as, "When we were writing this album I was looking for something to beat; I wanted something to beat, but nothing impresses me right now. Nothing sounded really aggressive or heavy enough to inspire me to beat it, so I just had to come up with my own shit." The album was produced by Rick Rubin
and was recorded at Oceanway Studios.
Adrien Begrand of PopMatters
felt Slayer introduced characteristics to its music including tuned down guitars
, murky chord
structures, and churning beats. He believed these characteristics were adopted in response to the then-burgeoning nu metal
scene. Drummer Paul Bostaph
claims the album is his favorite as he thought the album was "as experimental as Slayer got". This included incorporating groove metal
elements and strange vocal effects as said by an interview for High Times. Bostaph returned to Slayer after his short-lived side project The Truth About Seafood, and the band entered the recording studio four months later.
. Medieval musical rules did not allow this particular dissonance. According to one mythology, the interval was considered sexual and would bring out the devil; Slayer vocalist and bassist Tom Araya
jokingly said that people were executed for writing and using the interval.
Araya held concern about the lyrics that King penned to "In the Name of God", voicing his opinion to guitarist Hanneman. King's viewpoint was; "It's like, 'C'mon, man, you're in Slayer. You're the antichrist — you said it yourself on the first album!' You can't draw the line like that. Whether he agrees with it or not, he didn't write it — I wrote it. So you have to say, 'Well, it's just a part of being in this band.' Now Jeff and I, we don't give a fuck. If Jeff wrote something I had a problem with, I would never even raise a fucking finger. I'd be like, 'Fuck yeah, let's do it! Gonna piss someone off? Alright!'" Jason Hundey of Allmusic observed; "Thankfully the lyrics have not traveled the route of 'Ain't My Bitch
'; instead they stick to familiar topics such as religion, death, war, and serial killers."
Chart.
As of August 16, 2006 the album has sold 290,000 copies in the United States. Reviewing 2003 Slayer box set Soundtrack to the Apocalypse
, Adrien Begrand of PopMatters
dubbed the album "a unique record [...] It's as if they're stepping in to show the young bands how to do it right, as songs like 'Bitter Peace', 'Death's Head', and the terrific 'Stain of Mind' blow away anything that young pretenders have put out."
However, not all reviewers were so positive. Reviewing Slayer's 2001 album God Hates Us All
, Blabbermouth.net
reviewer Borijov Krgin described Diabolus in Musica as "a feeble attempt at incorporating updated elements into the group's sound, the presence of which elevated the band's efforts somewhat and offered hope that Slayer could refrain from endlessly rehashing their previous material for their future output." In a 1998 review, New York Times Ben Ratliff complained: "Eight of the 11 songs on Diabolus in Musica, a few of which were played at the show, are in the same gray key, and the band's rhythmic ideas have a wearying sameness too." Songs from the album are rarely played live following the return of drummer Dave Lombardo
in 2001, with "Stain of Mind" being the only constant.
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by American thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
band Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
. Released on June 9, 1998, it is the third studio album to feature drummer Paul Bostaph
Paul Bostaph
Paul Bostaph is a heavy metal drummer. His drumming career began in 1984, when he was 20 years old, and he had since worked with bands like Slayer, Forbidden, Exodus and Systematic. He is from Newark, California and currently drums for Testament...
. Although receiving mixed critical reviews, the album sold 46,000 copies in its first week to peak at number 31 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
.
Guitarist Jeff Hanneman
Jeff Hanneman
Jeffrey John "Jeff" Hanneman is a rhythm/lead guitarist and founding member of the American thrash metal band Slayer. Hanneman grew up in Los Angeles in a family of war veterans, and his fascination with warfare is attributed to his upbringing...
wrote most of the album's content which has been described as Slayer's most experimental album. It is the band's first studio album to be played mostly in C# tuning. The album's title is a Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
term for "The Devil in Music", a musical interval
Interval (music)
In music theory, an interval is a combination of two notes, or the ratio between their frequencies. Two-note combinations are also called dyads...
known for its dissonance
Consonance and dissonance
In music, a consonance is a harmony, chord, or interval considered stable, as opposed to a dissonance , which is considered to be unstable...
. Lyrical themes explored on the album include religion, deviants, death, maniacs, war, and serial killers.
Writing and recording
Slayer guitarist Jeff HannemanJeff Hanneman
Jeffrey John "Jeff" Hanneman is a rhythm/lead guitarist and founding member of the American thrash metal band Slayer. Hanneman grew up in Los Angeles in a family of war veterans, and his fascination with warfare is attributed to his upbringing...
described the writing process as, "When we were writing this album I was looking for something to beat; I wanted something to beat, but nothing impresses me right now. Nothing sounded really aggressive or heavy enough to inspire me to beat it, so I just had to come up with my own shit." The album was produced by Rick Rubin
Rick Rubin
Frederick Jay "Rick" Rubin is an American record producer and the co-president of Columbia Records. Along with Russell Simmons, Rubin was the co-founder of Def Jam Records and also established American Recordings...
and was recorded at Oceanway Studios.
Adrien Begrand of PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
felt Slayer introduced characteristics to its music including tuned down guitars
Guitar tunings
Guitar tunings almost always refers to the pitch of the open string, though some tunings may only realistically be attained by the use of a capo on an unmodified instrument....
, murky chord
Chord (music)
A chord in music is any harmonic set of two–three or more notes that is heard as if sounding simultaneously. These need not actually be played together: arpeggios and broken chords may for many practical and theoretical purposes be understood as chords...
structures, and churning beats. He believed these characteristics were adopted in response to the then-burgeoning nu metal
Nu metal
Nu metal is a subgenre of heavy metal. It is a fusion genre which combines elements of heavy metal with other genres, including grunge and hip hop...
scene. Drummer Paul Bostaph
Paul Bostaph
Paul Bostaph is a heavy metal drummer. His drumming career began in 1984, when he was 20 years old, and he had since worked with bands like Slayer, Forbidden, Exodus and Systematic. He is from Newark, California and currently drums for Testament...
claims the album is his favorite as he thought the album was "as experimental as Slayer got". This included incorporating groove metal
Groove metal
Groove metal is a subgenre of heavy metal. It was often used to describe Pantera and Exhorder.- Characteristics and origins :Pantera's Cowboys from Hell album from 1990 was described as "groundbreaking" and "blueprint-defining" for the groove metal genre...
elements and strange vocal effects as said by an interview for High Times. Bostaph returned to Slayer after his short-lived side project The Truth About Seafood, and the band entered the recording studio four months later.
Album title and lyrical themes
Diabolus in Musica is a Latin term for "The Devil in Music" or tritoneTritone
In classical music from Western culture, the tritone |tone]]) is traditionally defined as a musical interval composed of three whole tones. In a chromatic scale, each whole tone can be further divided into two semitones...
. Medieval musical rules did not allow this particular dissonance. According to one mythology, the interval was considered sexual and would bring out the devil; Slayer vocalist and bassist Tom Araya
Tom Araya
Tom Araya is a Chilean musician, best known as the bassist and vocalist of the American thrash metal band Slayer...
jokingly said that people were executed for writing and using the interval.
Araya held concern about the lyrics that King penned to "In the Name of God", voicing his opinion to guitarist Hanneman. King's viewpoint was; "It's like, 'C'mon, man, you're in Slayer. You're the antichrist — you said it yourself on the first album!' You can't draw the line like that. Whether he agrees with it or not, he didn't write it — I wrote it. So you have to say, 'Well, it's just a part of being in this band.' Now Jeff and I, we don't give a fuck. If Jeff wrote something I had a problem with, I would never even raise a fucking finger. I'd be like, 'Fuck yeah, let's do it! Gonna piss someone off? Alright!'" Jason Hundey of Allmusic observed; "Thankfully the lyrics have not traveled the route of 'Ain't My Bitch
Ain't My Bitch
Ain't My Bitch is the first song from Metallica's 1996 album Load. Released as a promotional single, it debuted on the U.S. Mainstream Rock charts at number fifteen....
'; instead they stick to familiar topics such as religion, death, war, and serial killers."
Reception
Diabolus in Musica was released on June 9, 1998 by American Recordings. In its first week of release, the album sold 46,000 copies in the United States and debuted at number 31 on the Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
Chart.
As of August 16, 2006 the album has sold 290,000 copies in the United States. Reviewing 2003 Slayer box set Soundtrack to the Apocalypse
Soundtrack to the Apocalypse
Soundtrack to the Apocalypse is a box set by the American thrash metal band Slayer. Released November 25, 2003 through American Records, the four–disc CD and DVD set features music from previous albums, unreleased material, and live film...
, Adrien Begrand of PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
dubbed the album "a unique record [...] It's as if they're stepping in to show the young bands how to do it right, as songs like 'Bitter Peace', 'Death's Head', and the terrific 'Stain of Mind' blow away anything that young pretenders have put out."
However, not all reviewers were so positive. Reviewing Slayer's 2001 album God Hates Us All
God Hates Us All
God Hates Us All is the ninth studio album by American thrash metal band Slayer. Released on September 11, 2001, the album received positive critical reviews, although it entered the Billboard 200 at number 28. It was recorded in three months at The Warehouse Studio in Canada, and includes the...
, Blabbermouth.net
Blabbermouth.net
Blabbermouth.net is a website dedicated to heavy metal and hard rock news, as well as album and music DVD reviews. Blabbermouth.net was founded and is run by Borivoj Krgin. The first version of the website was officially launched in March 2001...
reviewer Borijov Krgin described Diabolus in Musica as "a feeble attempt at incorporating updated elements into the group's sound, the presence of which elevated the band's efforts somewhat and offered hope that Slayer could refrain from endlessly rehashing their previous material for their future output." In a 1998 review, New York Times Ben Ratliff complained: "Eight of the 11 songs on Diabolus in Musica, a few of which were played at the show, are in the same gray key, and the band's rhythmic ideas have a wearying sameness too." Songs from the album are rarely played live following the return of drummer Dave Lombardo
Dave Lombardo
Dave Lombardo is a Cuban American heavy metal drummer best known for his work with American thrash metal band Slayer. He has performed with Slayer on seven albums, including their groundbreaking 1986 release Reign In Blood and their 2006 release Christ Illusion, for which he received critical praise...
in 2001, with "Stain of Mind" being the only constant.
Track listing
Japanese edition
-
- Australian Edition does not contain track # 8
Personnel
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