I have been a Slayer fan before Reign in Blood broke all the rules regarding thrash, ferocity, and brutality. South of Heaven and Seasons in the Abyss remain masterpieces, worthy of continued praise. Than along comes Diabolus in Musica! Many "so called" die-hard Slayer fans complained the band comprised its roots by aiming this disc towards nu-metal fans. A veteran band like Slayer can't re-cycle music that shows a regression in ability. They needed to re-invent themselves, while not alienating thier fan base. Diabolus is Slayer! Powerfull, heavy as hell, brutal, and dare I say, they have incorporated some "groove". They have not comprised any of the savage approach that has made them the KINGS of metal. Standouts include: Bitter Piece, Stain of Mind, and Scrum. Is this their best album, I don't know, the album just kicks ASS!

you know...there was a time when each of slayer's albums were landmarks...they set the trends in metal, and all others followed...but now the roles have been reversed...in times past, slayer would somehow alter their sound and that is how speed/thrash metal would sound until the next slayer album was released...well, now it appears that slayer is going with whatever is happening in the scene at the time as opposed to this former greatness...oh well...

now that i have gotten that out of the way...this is not that bad...it is, by no means, as radical of a departure from their past as many of their contemporaries have taken of late(metallica, megadeth, etc...), but it is not slayer either...but if you are new to the band, get this and prepare yourself for true greatness as you wander further into the catalog of music made by these legends...if you are already a fan, get it and just be thankful that you are a slayer fan and not a metallica die-hard...at least we still get two or three "slayer" songs on the album...

again, i am sorry if this comes off as though i do not like the album...i have just been spoiled over the past 17 years and my expectations for these guys are far too high to be realistic...

I just got into Slayer about a year ago, but since then I've gotten into them with a vengeance. I've had the privilege of being able to listen to all of their albums in a very short period of time, and out of Slayer's albums I would rank "Diabolus In Musica" right at the top. This album somehow manages to sound even more sinister than their previous work, with a really dark and foreboding mood to the songs. The bass is a little more evident here than on Slayer's previous work, which is a good thing as Tom Araya's crunching bass notes add another dimension to the music. Vocally, Araya relies more on a somewhat screamed sound as opposed to the mix of singing and growling that was found on albums like "South of Heaven" and "Seasons in the Abyss." The grinding, sludgy guitars and Paul Bostaph's astonishingly nimble drumming give this album a dark groove that sets it apart from Slayer's older works while simultaneously paving the way for last month's somewhat similar release "God Hates us All." Standouts include the very catchy "Love to Hate," the speedy "Point," and the chunky and heavy "Screaming From the Sky." This album boasts an excellent array of styles, with Slayer's rock solid musicianship still in place.

It really gets me, to hear so called Slayer fans even attempt to put this album down. When in reality this is one of Slayers "darkest" albums. I should note if you can get your hands on the Japan Import of this, it has "Unguarded Instinct" and "Wicked" on it, which are two just amazing songs, yet extremely overlooked. Those two songs are also on the Soundtrack to the Apocalypse. This album is basicly Slayers cool, cold, dark, demonic vibe. It starts with "Bitter Peace" a war song, great intro track. "Death's Head" is a very dark track basicly about putting a gun to your head. The most famous track on this album would be "Stain of Mind", great thrashing tune. Now "Overt Enemy" is yet another overlooked song on the album, just the sound of Toms voice on this is unreal, the intro to the song is very intriguing, as it sounds like the man is talking about apocalyptic times. "Perversions Of Pain" a dark sexually oriented song. "Love To Hate" a another great thrashing tune. "Desire" a amazing track, Slayer shows it doesn't have to go all balls out speed metal, and can be slow,dark and malevolent. "In The Name of God", Tom said this is for all the minions, starts off more slow, one of the best tracks on the album. "Scrum" starts to really thrash after the first minute. "Screaming from the Sky" the second half of this track takes off. "Point" a war oriented song.

Not only has Diabolus in Musica showed off Slayers more dark and deep side, this album proved you can experiment more, and not have to go balls out reign in blood all the time, and can be more lustful, diabolical and sinful.

This is Slayer's second last release to date. "Diabolus In Musica" is one of those Albums that long-time fans of Slayer will have a problem with (For whatever reason..) and new fans of Slayer will regard as one of their best. Personally i'm in the middle, and the main reason i give this 5 Stars is because, for one..It's Slayer..and two, there are enough songs on here, that kick ass, to keep any Slayer fan relatively happy.

This Album is definitely not Slayer at their fastest, and nor should it be. They proved how fast they could be with 1986's "Reign in Blood", and really no other band has matched that kind of power since. With this Album, they've seemed to try and redirect their music/sound. This does sound more 'Punky' type Thrash Metal, than anything they've ever done. And they pull it off well, i think. Very well.

The standout tracks on this would be "Bitter Peace", "Death's Head", "Stain of Mind", "Love to Hate", "Desire", "In The Name of God", "Screaming From the Sky" and the 6 minute long "Wicked".

This whole Album, from start to finish, for open-minded Slayer fans is a must-have in their collection. This is easily 5/5 in my opinion. There are so many quality songs on this Album, and i think this CD will stay put in your CD Player for at least a week and a half the first time you listen to it. (Like it did with me..)

I believe if you are new to Slayer, this is the Album you must try first.