God Hates Us All
Encyclopedia
God Hates Us All is the ninth studio album by American thrash metal
band Slayer
. Released on September 11, 2001, the album received positive critical reviews, although it entered the Billboard 200
at number 28. It was recorded in three months at The Warehouse Studio
in Canada, and includes the Grammy Award
-nominated "Disciple". The album is the band's last to feature drummer Paul Bostaph
.
Guitarist Kerry King
wrote the majority of the lyrics, taking a different approach from earlier recordings by exploring topics such as religion, murder, revenge and self-control. Limiting the lyrics to subject matter most could relate to, King wanted to tackle realistic themes. The band experimented; recording most of the album in C# tuning, with two songs in drop B, while two others were played with seven-string guitar
s. The album's release was delayed due to the explicit cover artwork -which led to alternative slip covers in some retail outlets- difficulties during audio mixing
, and a change of distributor
by the band's record label during the release period.
. However, every three to four months the band was distracted by commitments to Ozzfest, and worldwide "Tattoo the Earth
" tour with Slipknot
. Guitarist Jeff Hanneman
later admitted "that was the last break. Then we got our shit together." The band's producer, Rick Rubin
, was too busy to work with Slayer, and felt "burned out"—unable to create intense music. Araya and King had similar feelings about Rubin, and King remarked he "wanted to work with someone into the heavy-music scene, and Rubin's not anymore. I wanted somebody who knows what's hot, knows what's selling, knows the new techniques, and will keep me on my toes." Rubin recommended two producers, although the first producer was not going to work out personality-wise according to Hanneman. The band gave second candidate, Matt Hyde
, a trial on the song "Bloodline", which appeared in the movie Dracula 2000
. The band was pleased with Hyde's work on "Bloodline" and hired him to produce the entire album. "Bloodline" was also briefly used in the 2009 film Law Abiding Citizen
. The song "Here Comes the Pain" had originally been recorded almost two years prior to the release of God Hates Us All, appearing on the compilation album WCW Mayhem: The Music
in 1999, and then used as the opening theme for WCW Thunder
from February 16, 2000 to the final episode on March 21, 2001.
God Hates Us All was to be recorded in a Hollywood studio; however, the band relocated to Vancouver
, British Columbia due to the availability of cheaper studio time. Hyde recommended a studio to the band—The Warehouse Studio
(owned by Bryan Adams
) as he had previously worked there. The studio was altered to make it "feel like home" for Slayer; as opposed to the setting for, in King's words, the "lightweight Canadian pop singer". This consisted of adding incense
burners, candles, dimmed lights and pornography
on the walls. Two banner flags of two middle fingers were also hung up. Vocalist Tom Araya
says "that was basically the attitude of Slayer in the studio. We had a red devil head on one of the speakers. We had a skull on another. That's the kind of shit we put up. Spooky stuff that makes you feel at home."
Hyde used the digital audio workstation
Pro Tools
during the engineering, production
, and audio mixing
stages of the album. Slayer members wanted to keep the use of computer effects to a minimum, only to include a small amount of delay
and distortion
. As with previous recordings, the drum tracks were recorded first. Drummer Paul Bostaph
follows a simple rule suggested by Rubin when in the studio: "The perfect take is the one that felt like it was going to fall apart but never did." Seven-string guitar
s were used on the tracks "Warzone" and "Here Comes the Pain," the first time Slayer had done so. King was at the B.C. Rich
guitar company (manufacturer of his signature model, the KKV) and decided to borrow a seven string guitar. After writing one song, King ordered a seven string as he thought "there's no point having one tuning for just one song," so he wrote another, going on to comment "you don’t have to be good to make up a seven-string riff." Two songs are in 7-string B♭ tuning (Here Comes the Pain and War Zone), two in Drop B (Seven Faces and Payback) and the remainder of the album is in C sharp.
this," "Satan that," and "the usual Dungeons & Dragons
shit" from the band's previous records. King told Guitar World
:
The song "Threshold" is about reaching one's limit with a person in a situation where one is about to break—and are about to blow up as they get "under your skin", while "Cast Down" features a fallen Angel who falls into drugs. "God Send Death" is based on a creature that killed in the past, while "Deviance" takes up the idea of killing people for pleasure. Both songs were written by Hanneman. Having read several books on serial killers, Hanneman came to the conclusion he could only kill someone if they really "pissed him off", and decided he was unable to kill someone he did not know just for power. He later admitted he was trying to get into that person's mind; "why do they get off on it? Without being angry, just killing for the sake of killing and getting off on it. I just wanted to get into that mindset."
While other members went to local pubs, Araya spent his free hours reading factual books regarding serial killers, including Gordon Burn
's Happy Like Murderers: The Story of Fred and Rosemary West. Araya was seeking inspiration, and aimed to sound convincing while singing the lyrics, avoiding himself to sound like a gimmick. Araya sang the lyrics more "over-the-top" than done on previous albums, as King's writing style is more "aggro." This resulted in Kerrang!
reviewer Jason Arnopp describing the album's lyrics as "so packed with foul and abusive language that it sounds as if D-12 and the Sopranos
family were going head-to-head in a celebrity swearathon."
in 2003. The phrase God Hates Us All originates from the song "Disciple", during which the line is repeated over the chorus. The lyrics are in reference to God's allowance of acts such as suicide and terrorism, while seemingly doing nothing to prevent them (see problem of evil
). A member of the heavy metal band Pantera
suggested using "God Hates Us All" for a shirt design after King played the song to the band. King agreed, although he thought the phrase would have more impact as the album title.
The original album cover depicts a Bible
spiked with nails, covered in blood with the word "Slayer" burnt across it, while the liner notes
feature Bible verses crossed out with a black marker. The idea was suggested by the band's record company, although King wanted more time to develop a better cover. He complained that the idea was typical of "a record company with absolutely no idea what the fuck they were going to do", and said that the cover "looked like a seventh grader defaced the Bible." King's concept for the cover was to show nails in a shape of a pentagram
, and have them miss keywords in Bible verses so it appeared as if it had been created by a sociopath
who knew where every word appears. A slip insert
was placed in front of the covers in major retail outlets.
, the album cover, and the band's label—American Recordings—changing distributor
, caused the release date to be delayed until September 11, 2001. The release drew an unintended connection to the September 11 attacks, which was the second time Slayer caused controversy towards one of their releases—the video for "Seasons in the Abyss" was filmed in Egypt and released prior to the Gulf War
. In its week of release, God Hates Us All debuted at number 28 on the Billboard 200
, and sold 51,000 copies. It entered the Canadian Albums Chart
at number 9, and debuted at number 18 on the top Internet album chart. As of August 16, 2006 the album has sold 304,000 copies in the United States.
God Hates us All received generally positive reviews from music critics. Kerrang!
Jason Arnopp described the album as "easily Slayer's most convincing collection since Seasons in the Abyss," awarding the album five out of five. Rolling Stone
Rob Kemp wrote the record was "Slayer's most brutal record since 1986's immortal (or undead) Reign in Blood," describing the music as "galloping double-bass-drum salvos" which "switch on a dime to furious double-time pummeling, as ominous power chords and jagged shred solos slice and dice with Formula One
precision." Kemp awarded the album three and a half out of five. Allmusic reviewer Jason Birchmeier commented that "nearly 20 years into their evolution, Slayer have abandoned the extravagancies and accessibility of their late-'80s/early-'90s work and returned to perfect the raw approach of their early years. A near flawless album," and that Araya's performance possibly makes "the most exhausting Slayer album yet."
Not all critics were impressed with the album. Blabbermouth.net
reviewer Borivoj Krgin dismissively labeled the album as "another failure on the band's part to take the initiative and reinvent themselves." Krgin described King as “the weaker and less inventive of the two main songwriters” (King and Hanneman), feeling the album followed “a familiar direction that almost always sounds tired and forced” as a result of King being the album's main songwriter. Krgin also singled out Araya for criticism, and called the vocalist a "hollow shell of his former self, boasting a singing style that is monotonous, devoid of creativity and at times virtually unlistenable." Krgin awarded the record 6 out of 10, and ended the review by observing that "Slayer's rapidly diminishing record sales (Diabolus In Musica has shifted less than 300,000 copies in the US compared to 600–700,000+) as a sign that the band is in dire need of a new lease on life."
The song "Disciple" received a Grammy Award
nomination for "Best Metal Performance" at the 44th Grammy Awards, the band's first nomination. The members cared neither about the nomination nor the award ceremony, and although they did not expect to win, thought it was "cool" to be nominated. The ceremony took place on February 27, 2002, with Tool
winning the award for their song "Schism
".
. To date, Bostaph has not viewed the footage; he has likened the experience to "breaking up with a girlfriend," and wants to move on with his life. Bostaph does not regret his time spent with the band, and describes the period as a high point in his career. Without a drummer the band were unable to finish their God Hates Us All tour. King contacted original drummer Dave Lombardo
almost ten years after his departure, and asked him if he would be willing to play for the remainder of the tour. Lombardo accepted the offer, and played for the remaining 21 shows; however, he did not take on a permanent position with the band.
Following the tour, the band continued their search for a permanent drummer, and sought solicitation via demo tape and snail mail
. Interested fans sent video recordings of renditions of the songs "Disciple," "God Send Death," "Stain of Mind," "Angel of Death
", "Postmortem/Raining Blood
," "South of Heaven," "War Ensemble," and "Seasons in the Abyss"; complete with résumés. The band listened to hundreds of demo tapes, and created a "good pile" and "ungood pile," though the "ungood" was much larger. Those whose performances the band were pleased with were offered an audition in Dallas, San Francisco or Peoria, Illinois; many applicants, however, were unable to attend due to flight costs. The band auditioned roughly two to three drummers a day, and their top choice was one of Lombardo's recommendations. However, the band ultimately returned to Lombardo after deciding that they could not find a drummer who suited the job; Lombardo re-joined Slayer and attended music festivals worldwide to promote God Hates Us All and record drums on the 2006 album Christ Illusion
.
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
band Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
. Released on September 11, 2001, the album received positive critical reviews, although it entered the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
at number 28. It was recorded in three months at The Warehouse Studio
The Warehouse Studio
The Warehouse Studio is a music recording facility in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, owned by Bryan Adams.- The building :The Warehouse Studio is housed in the oldest brick building in Vancouver, which is located in present-day Gastown...
in Canada, and includes the Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
-nominated "Disciple". The album is the band's last to feature drummer Paul Bostaph
Paul Bostaph
Paul Bostaph is a heavy metal drummer. His drumming career began in 1984, when he was 20 years old, and he had since worked with bands like Slayer, Forbidden, Exodus and Systematic. He is from Newark, California and currently drums for Testament...
.
Guitarist Kerry King
Kerry King
Kerry King is an American lead and rhythm guitarist. He is best known as the lead guitarist and cofounder of American thrash metal band Slayer. He co-founded the band with Jeff Hanneman in 1981 and has been a member ever since...
wrote the majority of the lyrics, taking a different approach from earlier recordings by exploring topics such as religion, murder, revenge and self-control. Limiting the lyrics to subject matter most could relate to, King wanted to tackle realistic themes. The band experimented; recording most of the album in C# tuning, with two songs in drop B, while two others were played with seven-string guitar
Seven-string guitar
A seven-string guitar is a guitar with seven strings instead of the usual six. Some types of seven-string guitars are specific to certain cultures . The standard 7-string guitar tuning is BEADGbe...
s. The album's release was delayed due to the explicit cover artwork -which led to alternative slip covers in some retail outlets- difficulties during audio mixing
Audio mixing (recorded music)
In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
, and a change of distributor
Distribution (business)
Product distribution is one of the four elements of the marketing mix. An organization or set of organizations involved in the process of making a product or service available for use or consumption by a consumer or business user.The other three parts of the marketing mix are product, pricing,...
by the band's record label during the release period.
Recording
Slayer began writing lyrics for a new album prior to their appearance at the 1999 OzzfestOzzfest
Ozzfest is an annual festival tour of the United States featuring performances by many heavy metal and hard rock musical groups. It was founded by Ozzy Osbourne and his wife Sharon Osbourne, both of whom also organize each yearly tour with their son Jack Osbourne...
. However, every three to four months the band was distracted by commitments to Ozzfest, and worldwide "Tattoo the Earth
Tattoo the Earth
Tattoo the Earth was a concert tour from 2000 to 2002 in the United States. The tour, with part of it taking place during the summer, posed a challenge to Slipknot in particular. The band performed onstage in masks, and even under the best circumstances, they found them uncomfortable. The band's...
" tour with Slipknot
Slipknot (band)
Slipknot is an American heavy metal band from Des Moines, Iowa. Formed in 1995, the group was founded by percussionist Shawn Crahan and bassist Paul Gray...
. Guitarist Jeff Hanneman
Jeff Hanneman
Jeffrey John "Jeff" Hanneman is a rhythm/lead guitarist and founding member of the American thrash metal band Slayer. Hanneman grew up in Los Angeles in a family of war veterans, and his fascination with warfare is attributed to his upbringing...
later admitted "that was the last break. Then we got our shit together." The band's producer, Rick Rubin
Rick Rubin
Frederick Jay "Rick" Rubin is an American record producer and the co-president of Columbia Records. Along with Russell Simmons, Rubin was the co-founder of Def Jam Records and also established American Recordings...
, was too busy to work with Slayer, and felt "burned out"—unable to create intense music. Araya and King had similar feelings about Rubin, and King remarked he "wanted to work with someone into the heavy-music scene, and Rubin's not anymore. I wanted somebody who knows what's hot, knows what's selling, knows the new techniques, and will keep me on my toes." Rubin recommended two producers, although the first producer was not going to work out personality-wise according to Hanneman. The band gave second candidate, Matt Hyde
Matt Hyde
Matt Hyde is an American producer, engineer, mixer and musician.From 1982-1985 he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. While still at Berklee he started to get experience in Pyramid recording studio in Boston...
, a trial on the song "Bloodline", which appeared in the movie Dracula 2000
Dracula 2000
Dracula 2000, also known internationally as Dracula 2001, is a 2000 horror film written and directed by Patrick Lussier. The film stars Gerard Butler, Christopher Plummer, Jonny Lee Miller, Justine Waddell, Omar Epps, Colleen Fitzpatrick, Jeri Ryan, and Jennifer Esposito.Dracula 2000, the...
. The band was pleased with Hyde's work on "Bloodline" and hired him to produce the entire album. "Bloodline" was also briefly used in the 2009 film Law Abiding Citizen
Law Abiding Citizen
Law Abiding Citizen is a 2009 thriller film directed by F. Gary Gray from a screenplay written by Kurt Wimmer, starring Jamie Foxx and Gerard Butler. The film takes place in Philadelphia and tells the story of a man whose developed sociopathic tendencies drove him into killing while targeting not...
. The song "Here Comes the Pain" had originally been recorded almost two years prior to the release of God Hates Us All, appearing on the compilation album WCW Mayhem: The Music
WCW Mayhem: The Music
WCW Mayhem: The Music is an album of songs related to World Championship Wrestling during the late 1990s.While many of the songs were performed by professional musicians, others featured wrestlers on vocals, such as "Bow Wow Wow." Numerous tracks, such as "Got Him In The Corner" and "Count That Man...
in 1999, and then used as the opening theme for WCW Thunder
WCW Thunder
WCW Thunder was a professional wrestling show produced by World Championship Wrestling which aired on TBS from January 8, 1998 to March 21, 2001...
from February 16, 2000 to the final episode on March 21, 2001.
God Hates Us All was to be recorded in a Hollywood studio; however, the band relocated to Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia due to the availability of cheaper studio time. Hyde recommended a studio to the band—The Warehouse Studio
The Warehouse Studio
The Warehouse Studio is a music recording facility in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, owned by Bryan Adams.- The building :The Warehouse Studio is housed in the oldest brick building in Vancouver, which is located in present-day Gastown...
(owned by Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams, is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, guitarist, bassist, producer, actor and photographer. Adams has won dozens of awards and nominations, including 20 Juno Awards among 56 nominations. He has also received 15 Grammy Award nominations including a win for Best Song Written...
) as he had previously worked there. The studio was altered to make it "feel like home" for Slayer; as opposed to the setting for, in King's words, the "lightweight Canadian pop singer". This consisted of adding incense
Incense
Incense is composed of aromatic biotic materials, which release fragrant smoke when burned. The term "incense" refers to the substance itself, rather than to the odor that it produces. It is used in religious ceremonies, ritual purification, aromatherapy, meditation, for creating a mood, and for...
burners, candles, dimmed lights and pornography
Pornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
on the walls. Two banner flags of two middle fingers were also hung up. Vocalist Tom Araya
Tom Araya
Tom Araya is a Chilean musician, best known as the bassist and vocalist of the American thrash metal band Slayer...
says "that was basically the attitude of Slayer in the studio. We had a red devil head on one of the speakers. We had a skull on another. That's the kind of shit we put up. Spooky stuff that makes you feel at home."
Hyde used the digital audio workstation
Digital audio workstation
A digital audio workstation is an electronic system designed solely or primarily for recording, editing and playing back digital audio. DAWs were originally tape-less, microprocessor-based systems such as the Synclavier and Fairlight CMI...
Pro Tools
Pro Tools
Pro Tools is a digital audio workstation platform for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X operating systems, developed and manufactured by Avid Technology. It is widely used by professionals throughout the audio industries for recording and editing in music production, film scoring, film, and television...
during the engineering, production
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, and audio mixing
Audio mixing (recorded music)
In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
stages of the album. Slayer members wanted to keep the use of computer effects to a minimum, only to include a small amount of delay
Delay (audio effect)
Delay is an audio effect which records an input signal to an audio storage medium, and then plays it back after a period of time. The delayed signal may either be played back multiple times, or played back into the recording again, to create the sound of a repeating, decaying echo.-Early delay...
and distortion
Distortion
A distortion is the alteration of the original shape of an object, image, sound, waveform or other form of information or representation. Distortion is usually unwanted, and often many methods are employed to minimize it in practice...
. As with previous recordings, the drum tracks were recorded first. Drummer Paul Bostaph
Paul Bostaph
Paul Bostaph is a heavy metal drummer. His drumming career began in 1984, when he was 20 years old, and he had since worked with bands like Slayer, Forbidden, Exodus and Systematic. He is from Newark, California and currently drums for Testament...
follows a simple rule suggested by Rubin when in the studio: "The perfect take is the one that felt like it was going to fall apart but never did." Seven-string guitar
Seven-string guitar
A seven-string guitar is a guitar with seven strings instead of the usual six. Some types of seven-string guitars are specific to certain cultures . The standard 7-string guitar tuning is BEADGbe...
s were used on the tracks "Warzone" and "Here Comes the Pain," the first time Slayer had done so. King was at the B.C. Rich
B.C. Rich
B.C. Rich is a manufacturer of guitars and bass guitars founded by the late Bernardo Chavez Rico in 1969. Currently, most B.C. Rich guitars are manufactured in Asia, but luthiers of the company's custom shop continue to hand-make instruments. The Hanser Music Group, based in Kentucky, operates B.C....
guitar company (manufacturer of his signature model, the KKV) and decided to borrow a seven string guitar. After writing one song, King ordered a seven string as he thought "there's no point having one tuning for just one song," so he wrote another, going on to comment "you don’t have to be good to make up a seven-string riff." Two songs are in 7-string B♭ tuning (Here Comes the Pain and War Zone), two in Drop B (Seven Faces and Payback) and the remainder of the album is in C sharp.
Lyrical themes
God Hates Us All explores such themes as religion, murder, revenge, and self-control. King wrote a majority of the lyrics, which he based on "street" subjects which everyone could relate to, rather than "SatanSatan
Satan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...
this," "Satan that," and "the usual Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
shit" from the band's previous records. King told Guitar World
Guitar World
Guitar World is a monthly music magazine devoted to guitarists. It contains original interviews, album and gear reviews and guitar and bass tablature of approximately five songs each month. The magazine is published 13 times per year...
:
The song "Threshold" is about reaching one's limit with a person in a situation where one is about to break—and are about to blow up as they get "under your skin", while "Cast Down" features a fallen Angel who falls into drugs. "God Send Death" is based on a creature that killed in the past, while "Deviance" takes up the idea of killing people for pleasure. Both songs were written by Hanneman. Having read several books on serial killers, Hanneman came to the conclusion he could only kill someone if they really "pissed him off", and decided he was unable to kill someone he did not know just for power. He later admitted he was trying to get into that person's mind; "why do they get off on it? Without being angry, just killing for the sake of killing and getting off on it. I just wanted to get into that mindset."
While other members went to local pubs, Araya spent his free hours reading factual books regarding serial killers, including Gordon Burn
Gordon Burn
Gordon Burn was an English writer born in Newcastle upon Tyne and the author of four novels and several works of non-fiction....
's Happy Like Murderers: The Story of Fred and Rosemary West. Araya was seeking inspiration, and aimed to sound convincing while singing the lyrics, avoiding himself to sound like a gimmick. Araya sang the lyrics more "over-the-top" than done on previous albums, as King's writing style is more "aggro." This resulted in Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
reviewer Jason Arnopp describing the album's lyrics as "so packed with foul and abusive language that it sounds as if D-12 and the Sopranos
The Sopranos
The Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads...
family were going head-to-head in a celebrity swearathon."
Cover art and album title
God Hates Us All was originally intended to be named Soundtrack to the Apocalypse. However, Araya suggested that the title would be a better used for a box set, which the band releasedSoundtrack to the Apocalypse
Soundtrack to the Apocalypse is a box set by the American thrash metal band Slayer. Released November 25, 2003 through American Records, the four–disc CD and DVD set features music from previous albums, unreleased material, and live film...
in 2003. The phrase God Hates Us All originates from the song "Disciple", during which the line is repeated over the chorus. The lyrics are in reference to God's allowance of acts such as suicide and terrorism, while seemingly doing nothing to prevent them (see problem of evil
Problem of evil
In the philosophy of religion, the problem of evil is the question of how to explain evil if there exists a deity that is omnibenevolent, omnipotent, and omniscient . Some philosophers have claimed that the existences of such a god and of evil are logically incompatible or unlikely...
). A member of the heavy metal band Pantera
Pantera
Pantera was an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas. Formed by the Abbott brothers, Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell in 1981, bassist Rex Brown would join in late 1981 with vocalist Terry Glaze. Looking for a new and heavier sound, Pantera had Terry replaced in 1987 with Phil Anselmo as...
suggested using "God Hates Us All" for a shirt design after King played the song to the band. King agreed, although he thought the phrase would have more impact as the album title.
The original album cover depicts a Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
spiked with nails, covered in blood with the word "Slayer" burnt across it, while the liner notes
Liner notes
Liner notes are the writings found in booklets which come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for vinyl records and cassettes.-Origin:...
feature Bible verses crossed out with a black marker. The idea was suggested by the band's record company, although King wanted more time to develop a better cover. He complained that the idea was typical of "a record company with absolutely no idea what the fuck they were going to do", and said that the cover "looked like a seventh grader defaced the Bible." King's concept for the cover was to show nails in a shape of a pentagram
Pentagram
A pentagram is the shape of a five-pointed star drawn with five straight strokes...
, and have them miss keywords in Bible verses so it appeared as if it had been created by a sociopath
Psychopathy
Psychopathy is a mental disorder characterized primarily by a lack of empathy and remorse, shallow emotions, egocentricity, and deceptiveness. Psychopaths are highly prone to antisocial behavior and abusive treatment of others, and are very disproportionately responsible for violent crime...
who knew where every word appears. A slip insert
Slipcase
A slipcase is a four or five-sided box, usually made of high-quality cardboard, into which binders, books or book sets are slipped for protection. Special editions of books are often slipcased...
was placed in front of the covers in major retail outlets.
Reception
God Hates Us All was set for release on July 10; however, concerns regarding audio mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)
In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
, the album cover, and the band's label—American Recordings—changing distributor
Distribution (business)
Product distribution is one of the four elements of the marketing mix. An organization or set of organizations involved in the process of making a product or service available for use or consumption by a consumer or business user.The other three parts of the marketing mix are product, pricing,...
, caused the release date to be delayed until September 11, 2001. The release drew an unintended connection to the September 11 attacks, which was the second time Slayer caused controversy towards one of their releases—the video for "Seasons in the Abyss" was filmed in Egypt and released prior to the Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
. In its week of release, God Hates Us All debuted at number 28 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, and sold 51,000 copies. It entered the Canadian Albums Chart
Canadian Albums Chart
The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS...
at number 9, and debuted at number 18 on the top Internet album chart. As of August 16, 2006 the album has sold 304,000 copies in the United States.
God Hates us All received generally positive reviews from music critics. Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
Jason Arnopp described the album as "easily Slayer's most convincing collection since Seasons in the Abyss," awarding the album five out of five. Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
Rob Kemp wrote the record was "Slayer's most brutal record since 1986's immortal (or undead) Reign in Blood," describing the music as "galloping double-bass-drum salvos" which "switch on a dime to furious double-time pummeling, as ominous power chords and jagged shred solos slice and dice with Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
precision." Kemp awarded the album three and a half out of five. Allmusic reviewer Jason Birchmeier commented that "nearly 20 years into their evolution, Slayer have abandoned the extravagancies and accessibility of their late-'80s/early-'90s work and returned to perfect the raw approach of their early years. A near flawless album," and that Araya's performance possibly makes "the most exhausting Slayer album yet."
Not all critics were impressed with the album. Blabbermouth.net
Blabbermouth.net
Blabbermouth.net is a website dedicated to heavy metal and hard rock news, as well as album and music DVD reviews. Blabbermouth.net was founded and is run by Borivoj Krgin. The first version of the website was officially launched in March 2001...
reviewer Borivoj Krgin dismissively labeled the album as "another failure on the band's part to take the initiative and reinvent themselves." Krgin described King as “the weaker and less inventive of the two main songwriters” (King and Hanneman), feeling the album followed “a familiar direction that almost always sounds tired and forced” as a result of King being the album's main songwriter. Krgin also singled out Araya for criticism, and called the vocalist a "hollow shell of his former self, boasting a singing style that is monotonous, devoid of creativity and at times virtually unlistenable." Krgin awarded the record 6 out of 10, and ended the review by observing that "Slayer's rapidly diminishing record sales (Diabolus In Musica has shifted less than 300,000 copies in the US compared to 600–700,000+) as a sign that the band is in dire need of a new lease on life."
The song "Disciple" received a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
nomination for "Best Metal Performance" at the 44th Grammy Awards, the band's first nomination. The members cared neither about the nomination nor the award ceremony, and although they did not expect to win, thought it was "cool" to be nominated. The ceremony took place on February 27, 2002, with Tool
Tool (band)
Tool is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1990, the group's line-up has included drummer Danny Carey, guitarist Adam Jones, and vocalist Maynard James Keenan. Since 1995, Justin Chancellor has been the band's bassist, replacing their original bassist Paul D'Amour...
winning the award for their song "Schism
Schism (song)
"Schism" is a song by American rock band Tool. It was the first single and music video from their third full-length album, Lateralus. In 2002, Tool won the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance for the song....
".
Bostaph's departure
Prior to Christmas 2001, Bostaph sustained a chronic elbow injury which hindered his ability to drum, resulting in his decision to leave the band. His third-to-last performance with Slayer was recorded on War at the WarfieldWar at the Warfield
War at the Warfield is a concert video by Slayer which was released on July 29, 2003, through American Recordings. Recorded at Warfield Theatre in San Francisco, California on December 7, 2001, it is the band's second video album. The DVD's contents were announced by MTV on July 25, 2003...
. To date, Bostaph has not viewed the footage; he has likened the experience to "breaking up with a girlfriend," and wants to move on with his life. Bostaph does not regret his time spent with the band, and describes the period as a high point in his career. Without a drummer the band were unable to finish their God Hates Us All tour. King contacted original drummer Dave Lombardo
Dave Lombardo
Dave Lombardo is a Cuban American heavy metal drummer best known for his work with American thrash metal band Slayer. He has performed with Slayer on seven albums, including their groundbreaking 1986 release Reign In Blood and their 2006 release Christ Illusion, for which he received critical praise...
almost ten years after his departure, and asked him if he would be willing to play for the remainder of the tour. Lombardo accepted the offer, and played for the remaining 21 shows; however, he did not take on a permanent position with the band.
Following the tour, the band continued their search for a permanent drummer, and sought solicitation via demo tape and snail mail
Snail mail
Snail mail or smail is a dysphemistic retronym—named after the snail with its slow speed—used to refer to letters and missives carried by conventional postal delivery services. The phrase refers to the lag-time between dispatch of a letter and its receipt, versus the virtually instantaneous...
. Interested fans sent video recordings of renditions of the songs "Disciple," "God Send Death," "Stain of Mind," "Angel of Death
Angel of Death (song)
"Angel of Death" is the opening track on the American thrash metal band Slayer's 1986 album Reign in Blood. The lyrics and music were written by Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman and are based on Nazi ″physician″ Josef Mengele, who conducted human experiments at the Auschwitz concentration camp during...
", "Postmortem/Raining Blood
Raining Blood
"Raining Blood" is a song by the American thrash metal band Slayer. Written by Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King for the 1986 studio album Reign in Blood, the concept deals with religion, specifically said to be about overthrowing Heaven...
," "South of Heaven," "War Ensemble," and "Seasons in the Abyss"; complete with résumés. The band listened to hundreds of demo tapes, and created a "good pile" and "ungood pile," though the "ungood" was much larger. Those whose performances the band were pleased with were offered an audition in Dallas, San Francisco or Peoria, Illinois; many applicants, however, were unable to attend due to flight costs. The band auditioned roughly two to three drummers a day, and their top choice was one of Lombardo's recommendations. However, the band ultimately returned to Lombardo after deciding that they could not find a drummer who suited the job; Lombardo re-joined Slayer and attended music festivals worldwide to promote God Hates Us All and record drums on the 2006 album Christ Illusion
Christ Illusion
Christ Illusion is the tenth studio album by the American thrash metal band Slayer. Released on August 8, 2006, the album received generally favorable critical reviews, and it entered the Billboard 200 at number 5—the band's highest U.S. chart position to date...
.
Track listing
Bonus DVD materials
- "Darkness of Christ" (DVD Intro video)
- "Bloodline" (Video)
- "Raining BloodRaining Blood"Raining Blood" is a song by the American thrash metal band Slayer. Written by Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King for the 1986 studio album Reign in Blood, the concept deals with religion, specifically said to be about overthrowing Heaven...
" (Live Video) (2001-12-07 San Francisco, CA) - "Interview/B-Roll Footage
Personnel
- Tom ArayaTom ArayaTom Araya is a Chilean musician, best known as the bassist and vocalist of the American thrash metal band Slayer...
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Jeff HannemanJeff HannemanJeffrey John "Jeff" Hanneman is a rhythm/lead guitarist and founding member of the American thrash metal band Slayer. Hanneman grew up in Los Angeles in a family of war veterans, and his fascination with warfare is attributed to his upbringing...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Kerry KingKerry KingKerry King is an American lead and rhythm guitarist. He is best known as the lead guitarist and cofounder of American thrash metal band Slayer. He co-founded the band with Jeff Hanneman in 1981 and has been a member ever since...
– guitar - Paul BostaphPaul BostaphPaul Bostaph is a heavy metal drummer. His drumming career began in 1984, when he was 20 years old, and he had since worked with bands like Slayer, Forbidden, Exodus and Systematic. He is from Newark, California and currently drums for Testament...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....