Album Rating: 4.5

"killing fields" is fucking nuts. the technical stuff here is crazy. makes me wish slayer took a more technical route instead of the nu-trash stuff they did instead. i'd much rather take slayer's "spheres" than whatever the fuck came after this

Album Rating: 3.0

this ain't amazing but its still slayer quality which is goated. yeah breddi gud

Album Rating: 3.7

-- "killing fields" is fucking nuts

just came here to write the exact same thing, the rhythm section caughts me off guard every single time, more punk/hardcore bands should play/think likewise







-- makes me wish slayer took a more technical route instead of the nu-trash stuff they did instead

agreed, but their tech period allegedly started and ended with Seasons in the Abyss, plus the '90s zeitgeist dismissed tech metal bands of any sort.

Album Rating: 4.0

Always dug this one. Heavy as hell. Songs like divine intervention and ss-3 are killer

Album Rating: 2.5

I can't get into this so far. It feels like they tried to recapture the RIB era, but it is not memorable and the lack of Lombardo is also quite apparen

Album Rating: 4.0

not their best album has some great tracks though

Sort of off-topic but what changed from a recording perspective that has made metal sound denser and less, I dunno "teeny", than what is on this record? Was it the move to digital recording and post-processing that changed the landscape or something? Cause I listened to "Killing Fields" just now and I feel like the song is good but is missing so much oomph that it sounds undercooked. I know part of that is my lack of exposure or interest in most metal prior to the turn of the century, but god damn were these bands done a disservice with how bad the production sounds.

turn the volume up

Album Rating: 3.7

^^What Hyperion said, (sometimes in metal) sound work is "bad" on purpose.

not only that but all these recordings were just mixed quieter because they were intended for hifi systems and not car stereos and earbuds.

it’s literally just quieter, if you turn it way up it sounds better.

Album Rating: 4.0

just turn the vol up

I'll bring up Killing Fields again, as an example. Issue for me is the drumkit. Excellent performance but it's marred by a kit that sounds so weak. Not quiet, not soft, just maybe a weird creative decision to have the kicks sound like a wet splat.

Funnily enough I have my YT music set to autoplay and the next song after Killing Fields is Spirit in Black from 1990 and that sounds better all around. Kit is much more on-point, has depth, no wet splats on the kick or snare. Maybe chalk it up to bad production. Or Rick Rubin.

Album Rating: 4.0

Just listened to killing fields and spirit in black back to back and prefer the drums sound on killing fields. You can’t really hear the bass drum on spirit just Dave’s hi hats

Dang, I had the complete opposite take lol.

Album Rating: 3.0

Production and recording was really hit or miss in the late 80's through the 90's. For example go listen to anything off of Overkill's Years of Decay. Then play a song from Horrorscope. World of difference.

Album Rating: 4.5

this album had a pretty tumultuous recording history from what ive read. studio executives hovered over the band and tried pushing more commercialism from them, and they had three different producers come and go, which made the mixing inconsistent.



the band has basically agreed that this is their worst album due to the experience making it, which tbh is unfair

Album Rating: 4.0

I wish it was their worst album. if only

Album Rating: 2.5

Funny because it may be their most inaccessible record, maybe aside from Hell Awaits

Album Rating: 2.5

The production is not as divine as on RiB to Seasons, but serviceable i'd say. The bass got a bad treatment though

Album Rating: 2.5

Still not growing that much, maybe a 3.0 at this point, but nothing really sticks with me