South of Heaven is the fourth studio album by the thrash metal band Slayer. It was released in July 5, 1988 on Rick Rubin’s label Def Jam Recordings. The album was their band’s second album produced by Rubin, following Reign in Blood (1986). Given the innovative speed metal pace of Reign in Blood, Slayer deliberately slowed the tempo on South of Heaven and used undistorted guitars and toned-down vocals.
South of Heaven reached number 57 on the Billboard 200. While some critics praised the change in the band’s sound, those preferring the style of their earlier recordings were disappointed. The songs Mandatory Suicide and the title track have become permanent features of Slayer‘s live setlist. In 1992, South of Heaven was certified gold by the RIAA. The album was the band’s last for Def Jam. Artist Larry Carroll and illustrator Howard Schwartzberg were comissioned to design the album’s artwork, having earlier worked on Slayer‘s previous album Reign in Blood. Photographer Glen E. Friedman took the promotional shot used as the back cover of South of Heaven, which he had took around the time of Reign in Blood. Lombardo felt it made the band seem as though they “had matured a little bit”, while Friedman described it as a “really cool back cover” and “one of the most classic shots of them (Slayer) ever”.
Tracklist:
- South of Heaven
- Silent Scream
- Live Undead
- Behind the Crooked Cross
- Mandatory Suicide
- Ghosts of War
- Read Between the Lies
- Cleanse the Soul
- Dissident Aggressor (Judas Priest cover)
- Spill the Blood
Slayer
Tom Araya: bass, vocals
Kerry King: guitars
Jeff Hanneman: guitars
Dave Lombardo: drums
Production
Rick Rubin: production
Larry Carroll: artwork
Howie Weinberg: mastering
Andy Wallace: mixing
