Maps of Music

Decade of Aggression (1991)

Where the lyrics of Decade of Aggression take you, and where it was really made.

This live album was recorded in three cities on three dates, yet Rick Rubin's production makes it sound like one gig.

Key places

Lakeland, July 1991 (1991)

Recording site Jenkins Arena — Disc one of Decade of Aggression was recorded at the Lakeland show on July 13, 1991, and the record lists this place as the recording site. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Wembley Arena, October 1990 (1990)

Recording site Wembley Arena — Tracks 1, 2 and 7 of disc two were recorded at Wembley Arena in London on October 14, 1990, during the Clash of the Titans tour. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Orange Pavilion, March 1991 (1991)

Live show Orange Pavilion — Tracks 3 to 6 and 8 to 10 of disc two were recorded at the Orange Pavilion in San Bernardino, California, on March 8, 1991. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Double live album by Slayer
• Released October 22, 1991 through Def American Records, later renamed American Recordings
• Produced by Rick Rubin
• Working title was Decade of Decadence
• Most tracks drawn from South of Heaven, Reign in Blood, and Seasons in the Abyss
• Total duration 85:28 (one hour, twenty-five minutes, twenty-eight seconds)
• Three tracks included in the box set Soundtrack to the Apocalypse

Background

• Recorded while touring on the Clash of the Titans tour, which promoted the 1990 studio album Seasons in the Abyss
• Release gave the band time to decide the style of its next album
• Also released to commemorate the band's 10th anniversary
• Book The Great Rock Discography says the band had finally reached the metal big league by this point

Recording

• Separate sections recorded on three dates in three places
• October 14, 1990 at Wembley Arena, London
• March 8, 1991 at Orange Pavilion, San Bernardino, California
• July 13, 1991 at Lakeland Civic Center, Lakeland, Florida
• All of disc one comes from the Lakeland show
• Disc two mixes tracks from the Wembley and San Bernardino shows
• No guitar overdubs
• Booklet photo gallery includes pictures dating back to 1982, most taken by Kevin Estrada

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Disc 1

Disc 2

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Formed in 1981 in Huntington Park, California by Kerry King, Jeff Hanneman, Dave Lombardo and Tom Araya.
• Started by playing covers of Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest and Venom at parties and clubs in Southern California.
• Signed with Metal Blade Records after the song "Aggressive Perfector" appeared on Metal Massacre III.

Members

• Current lineup: Kerry King, Tom Araya, Paul Bostaph and Gary Holt; Holt joined in 2011 and became permanent after Hanneman's death in 2013.
• Former members include drummers Dave Lombardo (left three times) and Jon Dette.

Career

• Released twelve studio albums, including Reign in Blood (1986), widely described as one of the most influential thrash metal albums.
• Christ Illusion (2006) won a Grammy for "Eyes of the Insane", the band's first Grammy-related recognition.
• Disbanded in 2019 after a farewell tour and reunited for sporadic shows from 2024.
• Considered one of the "Big Four" of thrash metal alongside Metallica, Megadeth and Anthrax.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Thom Jurek of AllMusic gave the album three out of five stars
• Jurek said it does not fully capture the overblown intensity of the band live, but comes closer than one might expect
• Jurek noted that Rick Rubin kept out of the way and shaped the live sound so the two discs feel like one gig
• Entertainment Weekly's David Browne called it an accurate aural snapshot of being in a crowd watching a distant stage
• Browne also called these recordings examples of the sad current state of the once-proud live rock album
• Robert Christgau gave the album a star rating under Honorable Mention, saying listeners attuned to its aesthetic may like it

Reappraisal

• Joel McIver, author of The Bloody Reign of Slayer, said it was regarded as one of the best live albums released by a heavy metal band

Records

• Billboard 200: peaked at number 55 on November 9, 1991
• Media Control Charts: entered January 13, 1992, peaked at number 35, stayed three weeks
• UK Album Charts: entered December 2, 1991, peaked at number 29, stayed two weeks
• Also charted on a third chart, per the source

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The working title was Decade of Decadence until Mötley Crüe copyrighted the name on their 1991 greatest hits album.
• Three of the tracks were later included in the box set Soundtrack to the Apocalypse.
• The album has no guitar overdubs, so the live guitars are heard as recorded.
• The booklet photo gallery uses pictures dating back to 1982, mostly from Kevin Estrada, who said the band likes to work quickly and does not want long photo shoots.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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