Soundtrack to the Apocalypse
Encyclopedia
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. A deluxe edition version (which has the alias "ammo box") was released and featured everything from the standard edition, with the addition of 14 live tracks. The box set's name originated from an alternative title for 2001's God Hates Us All
. After discussing among themselves the idea of the box set, the band informed their record company, who initially disliked but later approved the idea.
Many dates were stated by band members as to when it would be released. The official release date was not announced until late October 2003. The box set has been released into the public domain five times between late 2003 to early 2007. There were several producers
and film director
s that were involved with the box set. The set received positive reviews from critics, but was not well received by fans, with the set debuting on no notable charts.
, Soundtrack to the Apocalypse was considered an alternative name. Vocalist Tom Araya
then suggested that if they ever opted to issue a box set, Soundtrack to the Apocalypse would be the most appropriate title. This inspired discussion regarding a possible box set release, which continued for several months. The group decided that once the label agreed to a release, they would be given a little more time to compile the material. Slayer approached the record company regarding a box set release, and discussions lasted roughly a year, since the band had to negotiate with the record company concerning plans they had with the box set which were not in their contract. In September 2003, the record company granted permission to issue the box set and wanted an immediate release for the holiday season.
Slayer submitted a range of material for the record company to choose from, instructing them to return a track list of what they felt to be the best items. Following this, Slayer looked at the returned material; if the recorded track was a “good” performance but the band "didn’t care for the song", they asked the record company to select another track.
Guitarist Kerry King commented "there's tons of stuff on there", citing the amount they had to choose from as a problem. King himself owned five large Tupperware storage boxes full of material amassed over the years. Having every magazine had ever seen the group inside, King also possessed roughly 70 VHS and 8mm videos dating back to 1983. Nick John of Slayer’s management team sifted through every video and transferred them to DVD.
that the box set's release date had been pushed back to November 18, 2003. On October 23, 2003, employees of MTV announced that the box set's release date was pushed back to November 25, 2003. Since November 25, 2003, Slayer has released the box set five different times. The first three times were each released in 2003, the first being released through Universal Records
, and the other two, one being a Deluxe Edition version, were released through American Records. The set's fourth release, which was packaged with only three discs, was released through American Records in 2006. The box set's final release was in 2007, where it was released through WEA International. It was also released in the United Kingdom
on December 8, 2003. It was produced with three Compact Disc
s, one DVD
, and a booklet.
The packaging was praised by PopMatters, insisting that the box set is "very nicely packaged, in a swanky fold-out digipak with a clear plastic slipcase. The 72-page accompanying booklet is outstanding, with extensive liner notes, loads of photos, and many memories from the band members." USA Today
related: "[it is] a combination of the metal grinders' best-known tracks, with live and studio rarities plus 17 DVD selections. A deluxe edition ($100) adds a live disc and a few souvenir extras." Soundtrack to the Apocalypse was produced
by Matt Hyde, Dino Paredes, Rick Rubin
, D. Sardy, and Andy Wallace
and was executively produced
by Nick John and Rick Sales. The film on the fourth disc was directed by Di Puglia, Gerard. The set includes many Slayer tracks since 1986 with several rarities and b-sides
, and includes a remaster
ed DVD of live performances spanning 20 years. A fifth disc was released with fourteen more tracks than the set's standard edition. The bonus live tracks are were recorded at The Grove In Anaheim, California, on May 2, 2002. The extra tracks are packaged in a "blood pack" sleeve, which is decorated with faux blood and skulls.
favoured the album, saying it was "beautifully packaged, three CDs, one DVD, and a terrific booklet, on the surface, it looks awesome. However, like any other CD box set that has come out in recent years, the band seems torn about whom to appeal to, longtime fans, or newcomers." Begrand noted that the first disc "is especially great, as it captures Slayer at the peak of their career, starting with the classic 1986 album Reign in Blood
." PR Newswire
said it was "a Slayer fan's ultimate experience," and The Dallas Morning News
called it "a fat new audiovisual box set."
Production
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 November 25, 2003 through American Records, the four–disc CD and DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
set features music from previous albums, unreleased material, and live film. A deluxe edition version (which has the alias "ammo box") was released and featured everything from the standard edition, with the addition of 14 live tracks. The box set's name originated from an alternative title for 2001's God Hates Us All
God Hates Us All
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...
. After discussing among themselves the idea of the box set, the band informed their record company, who initially disliked but later approved the idea.
Many dates were stated by band members as to when it would be released. The official release date was not announced until late October 2003. The box set has been released into the public domain five times between late 2003 to early 2007. There were several producers
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 film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
s that were involved with the box set. The set received positive reviews from critics, but was not well received by fans, with the set debuting on no notable charts.
Conception
Around the time Slayer thought of the album title for 2001's God Hates Us AllGod Hates Us All
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...
, Soundtrack to the Apocalypse was considered an alternative name. 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...
then suggested that if they ever opted to issue a box set, Soundtrack to the Apocalypse would be the most appropriate title. This inspired discussion regarding a possible box set release, which continued for several months. The group decided that once the label agreed to a release, they would be given a little more time to compile the material. Slayer approached the record company regarding a box set release, and discussions lasted roughly a year, since the band had to negotiate with the record company concerning plans they had with the box set which were not in their contract. In September 2003, the record company granted permission to issue the box set and wanted an immediate release for the holiday season.
Slayer submitted a range of material for the record company to choose from, instructing them to return a track list of what they felt to be the best items. Following this, Slayer looked at the returned material; if the recorded track was a “good” performance but the band "didn’t care for the song", they asked the record company to select another track.
Guitarist Kerry King commented "there's tons of stuff on there", citing the amount they had to choose from as a problem. King himself owned five large Tupperware storage boxes full of material amassed over the years. Having every magazine had ever seen the group inside, King also possessed roughly 70 VHS and 8mm videos dating back to 1983. Nick John of Slayer’s management team sifted through every video and transferred them to DVD.
Production
Soundtrack to the Apocalypses ideal release date was in early November 2003. However, on September 25, 2003, it was announced by employees of MTVMTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
that the box set's release date had been pushed back to November 18, 2003. On October 23, 2003, employees of MTV announced that the box set's release date was pushed back to November 25, 2003. Since November 25, 2003, Slayer has released the box set five different times. The first three times were each released in 2003, the first being released through Universal Records
Universal Records
Universal Records was a record label owned by Universal Music Group, and it is now owned by Manny Patino and Michael Jackson, and operated as part of the Universal Motown Republic Group.-History:...
, and the other two, one being a Deluxe Edition version, were released through American Records. The set's fourth release, which was packaged with only three discs, was released through American Records in 2006. The box set's final release was in 2007, where it was released through WEA International. It was also released in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
on December 8, 2003. It was produced with three Compact Disc
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
s, one DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
, and a booklet.
The packaging was praised by PopMatters, insisting that the box set is "very nicely packaged, in a swanky fold-out digipak with a clear plastic slipcase. The 72-page accompanying booklet is outstanding, with extensive liner notes, loads of photos, and many memories from the band members." USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
related: "[it is] a combination of the metal grinders' best-known tracks, with live and studio rarities plus 17 DVD selections. A deluxe edition ($100) adds a live disc and a few souvenir extras." Soundtrack to the Apocalypse was produced
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...
by Matt Hyde, Dino Paredes, 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...
, D. Sardy, and Andy Wallace
Andy Wallace (producer)
Andy Wallace is a Grammy Award-winning music studio engineer with a long track record of successful productions, beginning with the 1986 production of the Run-DMC/Aerosmith collaboration on "Walk This Way" with Rick Rubin...
and was executively produced
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
by Nick John and Rick Sales. The film on the fourth disc was directed by Di Puglia, Gerard. The set includes many Slayer tracks since 1986 with several rarities and b-sides
B-Sides
B-Sides is an iTunes-exclusive album from the Coventry Trio The Enemy, consisting of ten songs that were B-sides to the single releases from their debut album We'll Live and Die in These Towns.-Track list:#Fear Killed the Youth of Our Nation...
, and includes a remaster
Remaster
Remaster is a word marketed mostly in the digital audio age, although the remastering process has existed since recording began...
ed DVD of live performances spanning 20 years. A fifth disc was released with fourteen more tracks than the set's standard edition. The bonus live tracks are were recorded at The Grove In Anaheim, California, on May 2, 2002. The extra tracks are packaged in a "blood pack" sleeve, which is decorated with faux blood and skulls.
Reception
Although it did not enter any charts, Thom Jurek from Allmusic praised Soundtrack to the Apocalypse, rewarding the box set with four out of five stars. Jurek said it had "a whopping four CDs and one DVD." Jurek noted that discs and two "feature tracks from Reign in Blood, and all the albums that proceed from it, and includes bonus cuts previously only released in Japan, and cuts from soundtracks." He also said that the third disc "is, appropriately, titled 'Shit You Never Heard' because that's what it is — sixteen tracks that have been unissued anywhere — from rehearsals, to in-concert recordings, demos, and one 'No Remorse,' a collaboration with Atari Teenage Riot, from the Spawn soundtrack," and that the fourth disc are "an electronic press kit video for Diabolus in Musica, and an appearance at the Kerrang magazine awards." Adrien Begrand from PopmattersPopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
favoured the album, saying it was "beautifully packaged, three CDs, one DVD, and a terrific booklet, on the surface, it looks awesome. However, like any other CD box set that has come out in recent years, the band seems torn about whom to appeal to, longtime fans, or newcomers." Begrand noted that the first disc "is especially great, as it captures Slayer at the peak of their career, starting with the classic 1986 album Reign in Blood
Reign in Blood
Reign in Blood is the third studio album and the major label debut by the American thrash metal band Slayer. It was released on October 7, 1986 through Def Jam Recordings. The album was the band's first collaboration with record producer Rick Rubin, whose input helped the band's sound evolve...
." PR Newswire
PR Newswire
PR Newswire started out in 1954 as a vendor hired by companies and agencies to send out text press releases to the media. Today, PR Newswire is hired by corporations, public relations firms and non-governmental organizations to deliver news and multimedia content...
said it was "a Slayer fan's ultimate experience," and The Dallas Morning News
The Dallas Morning News
The Dallas Morning News is the major daily newspaper serving the Dallas, Texas area, with a circulation of 264,459 subscribers, the Audit Bureau of Circulations reported in September 2010...
called it "a fat new audiovisual box set."
Track listing
Personnel
Slayer- Tom ArayaTom ArayaTom Araya is a Chilean musician, best known as the bassist and vocalist of the American thrash metal band Slayer...
– bass, vocals - 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...
– guitar - 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 - Dave LombardoDave LombardoDave 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...
– drums on disc #1 tracks 1–18, disc #2 track 15, disc #3 tracks 1–7, 10–11 and 16–17, disc #4 tracks 1–10 and 15–17, disc #5 tracks 1–14 - 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...
– drums on disc #2 tracks 1–14 and 16–22, disc #3 tracks 12 and 14–15, disc #4 track 14 - Jon DetteJon DetteJon Dette is the heavy metal drummer of Killing Machine. He has previously played for Apocalypse, Evildead, Testament and Slayer. Dette joined Slayer in 1996, when Paul Bostaph left to work on his side project, The Truth about Seafood in L.A.. Dette attended the 1996 Ozzfest to promote the band's...
– drums on disc #4 track 11
Production