Time for episode 5 of our Slayer series! Nik and Keefy of ghostcultmag review and discuss why “South of Heaven” had mixed reviews when it came out, but now holds its own in the Slayer discography.Continue reading
Tag Archives: South Of Heaven
Jeff Hanneman of Slayer Died Ten Years Ago Today
dreamstime_l_14823565 Photo 14823565 Slayer Jeff Hanneman c Tomas Hajek Dreamstime.com
Jeff Hanneman, legendary guitarist of Slayer passed away on May 2nd, 2013, ten years ago. Although the band continued for six more years without Jeff, they missed the co-founding Thrash Metal rhythm and lead guitar innovator. Ghost Cult continues to fly the flag of Slayer, high. In the time since he passed, Ghost Cult covered Slayer just as heavily in Jeff’s life, as they released a final studio album with Jeff’s contributions (Repentless), had a legend and friend hold down his spot live (Gary Holt of Exodus), released a comic book with Jeff’s likeness, completed their final world tour ever of two years, released an incredible film/music video trilogy (The Repentless Killogy), former bandmate DaveLombardo wrote a loving tribute to his fallen friend, and we have created two career-spanning retrospectives (read them here and here) on the end of the band. From the time Jeff passed and every night on that final world tour, Slayer honored Jeff during ‘Raining Blood’ with the “still reigning” banner. Hail Jeff and hail Slayer!
Jeff Hanneman of Slayer Died Nine Years Ago Today
Jeff Hanneman, legendary guitarist of Slayer passed away on May 2nd, 2013, nine years ago today. Ghost Cult continues to fly the flag of Slayer high, and customarily we celebrate the life of Jeff, the music he made and the stages he left scorched. His legacy as a riff maker, songwriter, soloist, and metal personality has not been dampened since his death. In the time since he passed, Ghost Cult covered Slayer just as heavily in Jeff’s life, as they released a final studio album with Jeff’s contributions (Repentless), had a legend and friend hold down his spot live (Gary Holt of Exodus), released a comic book with Jeff’s likeness, completed their final world tour ever of two years, released an incredible film/music video trilogy (The Repentless Killogy), former bandmate DaveLombardo wrote a loving tribute to his fallen friend, and we have created two career-spanning retrospectives (read them here and here) on the end of the band. From the time Jeff passed and every night on that final world tour, Slayer honored Jeff during ‘Raining Blood’ with the “still reigning” banner. As we say every year at this time: Hail Jeff and hail Slayer!
Jeff Hanneman of Slayer Died Seven Years Ago (January 31, 1964 – May 2, 2013)
Ghost Cult continues to fly the flag of Slayer high, and customarily we celebrate the life of Jeff Hanneman, who passed away on May 2nd, 2013. Jeff left an indelible mark on all of metal through the music and performances he created with Slayer. His legacy as a riff maker, songwriter, soloist, and metal personality has not been dampened since his death. In the time since he passed, Ghost Cult observed Slayer as they released a final studio album with Jeff’s contributions (Repentless), had a legend take his spot live (Gary Holt of Exodus), released a comic book with Jeff’s likeness, completed their final world tour ever of two years, released an incredible film/music video trilogy (The Repentless Killogy), former bandmate DaveLombardo wrote a loving tribute to his fallen friend, and we have written two career-spanning retrospectives (read them here and here) on the end of the band. Every night on that final world tour, Slayer honored Jeff during ‘Raining Blood’ with the still reigning banner. Hail Jeff and Hail Slayer!
FEATURE: Facing Life Without Slayer
From the first day of December 2019, we enter a dark, horrifying new era. Life without Slayer.
Sorry. Life without SLAAAAAYYYERRR!!!
There, that’s better.
From the moment I discovered Slayer on a compilation album called Speed Kills back in 1985, my life was changed forever. Just the sound of their name was enough. Everything you needed to know about the band encapsulated in two perfect syllables, especially when screamed at an ear-splitting volume or when chanted with thousands of other like-minded blood-hungry psychopaths.Continue reading
Ringworm – Death Becomes My Voice
Diminished twin lead guitars fade in above a filthy, distorted bass line. It segues into the intro of the title track, and Death Becomes My Voice (Relapse Records) begins in ill-conceived circumstances. This intro segment is a slow crawl through power chords and crashing cymbals, and completely unrepresentative of the album as a whole. When the main bulk of the title track begins it’s clear that the slow introduction was a calm before a storm, but perhaps an unnecessary breather to kick things off. It may have worked better somewhere in the middle of this unrelenting album as something of a palate cleanser, but more on that later.Continue reading
Remembering Jeff Hanneman Of Slayer – January 31, 1964 – May 2, 2013
Six years ago today Jeff Hanneman of Slayer died. It still feels unreal that he is gone. Although Slayer has soldiered on without their fallen brother, Slayer is on their final world tour, a definite eventuality once Jeff passed away. Ghost Cult has written a lot of words about the importance of Slayer and Jeff as a composer and guitarist to the thrash metal genre, but also what he has meant to the scene as a personality, in both life and death. What follows is a collection of Jeff’s greatest Slayer hits as well as our original obituary, written at the time of his passing. Rest In Power Jeff!
Watch This Mashup of Slayer and Soul Singer Edwin Starr
Bill McClintock is at it again with his awesome YouTube mashups of Rock and Metal with Disco, Funk, RnB and more. Check out this blend of Slayer’s classic ‘South Of Heaven’ and Edwin Starr’s soulful peace protest song, ‘War (What is it good for?)’!Continue reading
Slayer’s “South Of Heaven” Was Released Thirty Years Ago
What do you do for an encore when you have released arguably the greatest album in metal history, at the zenith point for the genre? Well if you are Slayer, you blow people’s minds and release South Of Heaven (Def Jam) as the follow-up to Reign In Blood (also Def Jam). Although some of its slower mid-tempo jams threw fans for a loop, Slayer’s fourth album is full of gritty, true to life bangers and classic tracks. Let’s revisit this masterpiece which turned thirty years old today. Continue reading
FEATURE: Slayer: Postmortem
Slayer are the only band I have ever fallen in love with without hearing a note.
It was in 1994 when I was sixteen – despite growing up in a house full of Rock music I started caring about it quite late. Until fifteen, my only interests were video games, movies and books (initially about dragons, later about eldritch tentacle horrors – I must be one of the few Metal fans who got into Lovecraft before the music), with Rock arriving very suddenly through the surprising medium of Bon Jovi’s Slippery When Wet (Mercury). From there it was a rapid journey through Guns n’ Roses, Motörhead and Black Sabbath, and then a family friend put Master Of Puppets (Elektra) on and by the time ‘Battery’ had finished I was a different person.Continue reading