The 10 Ooziest Slayer Songs, According to Temple of Void
If you’re jonesing for modern metal that sounds both moldy and powerful, you need look no further than Temple of Void. The Detroit death-doom outfit are as menacing as they are hard-hitting, effortlessly combining rib-splitting percussion with crumbling riffs on songs that sound like a funeral dirge for metal itself. Now, with their upcoming album Summoning the Slayer, the band seek to continue their campaign of destruction, anguish, and soundtracking your body rotting in its coffin.
As any metalhead knows, including the word ‘slayer’ in one’s album title evokes thoughts of the Big 4’s gnarliest band. But Slayer‘s fiery, breakneck songs never went in the clammy direction of Temple of Void — or did they? To find out, we reached out to Temple of Void and asked them to list what they consider the ooziest Slayer songs out there. Here’s what they gave us…
“Gemini” (Undisputed Attitude, 1996)
“First Slayer song in a ‘low’ tuning. Hinted at where they were going with Diabolus in Musica a couple years later. The opening riff is a crusher.”
“Deviance” (God Hates Us All, 2001)
“One of the better songs from God Hates Us All. Creepy, slow; samples and sound effects are cool, even if they aren’t very ‘Slayer.’ Araya’s layered vocals in the chorus sections add to the haunting atmosphere.”
“Seasons In The Abyss” (Seasons In The Abyss, 1990)
“One of Slayer’s best songs, and their longest track, I believe. The clean section is great, especially once the guitars come back in full-on on top of it while building that tension that finally gives way to one of their catchiest riffs. The solos in this song are some of their best too; this is a very well written song.”
“Wicked” (Diabolus In Musica, 1998)
“A B-side from the Diabolus in Musica sessions. This song is very heavy-handed throughout; the way the riffs are played, Bostaph’s drumming, et cetera. Even Araya’s vocals, especially during the last couple of minutes of the track, sound pretty unhinged.”
“Addict” (God Hates Us All, 2001)
“A B-Side from God Hates Us All, and a track I think should have been on the album. Love the clean intro here with all the chorus on the guitars. Most of the riffs in the song chug along, Vocal effects on the end of the track are a nice touch.”
“213” (Divine Intervention, 1994)
“One of my favorite Slayer songs from my favorite Slayer album. I feel like they use some odd riffing in this one, mainly on the chorus, where [Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman are] playing on power chords and just picking through the notes back and forth; lot of dynamics in this song. Some of Araya’s best vocal delivery too; as I’m making this list I’m finding that the vocals shine a lot more on some of their slower tracks.”
“Human Disease” (God Hates Us All, 2001)
“Also from the God Hates Us All sessions; used on the Bride of Chucky soundtrack. Love Bostaph’s tom accents during the verses. Simple riffing throughout — even Slayer knew when to dial it down a little bit.”
“South Of Heaven” (South of Heaven, 1988)
“One of the best openers for an album or live show. Legendary intro riff. We all wish we wrote it.”
“Here Comes the Pain” (God Hates Us All, 2001)
“Slayer tuned to B-flat, with King using a 7-string. I actually prefer the version thats on the WCW Mayhem compilation. The middle section, with the standard “Slayer” riff but shifted into that low of a key, has a different feel to it for sure, especially when the harmony comes in.”
“At Dawn They Sleep” (Hell Awaits, 1985)
Twin guitar intro, nearly 6 minutes of groove, that breakdown in the middle. The songs on Hell Awaits have some serious riffs within them.
Temple of Void’s Summoning The Slayer will come out June 3rd via Relapse Records, and is already available for preorder.
