Maps of Music
Undisputed Attitude (1996)
Where the lyrics of Undisputed Attitude take you, and where it was really made.
Slayer's seventh album is almost entirely punk covers, and its one original is a sludge-doom track that turns into classic Slayer.
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Recording at Capitol Studios (1996)
Recording site Capitol Studios — Undisputed Attitude was recorded at Capitol Studios in Los Angeles. The source names this studio as the recording location. Google Maps · Apple Maps
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Album story
Overview
- Undisputed Attitude: seventh studio album by American thrash metal band Slayer
- Released 28 May 1996 by American Recordings
- Consists almost entirely of covers of punk rock and hardcore punk songs
- Only original track: the closing song "Gemini", written by Kerry King and Tom Araya
- Two tracks written by Jeff Hanneman in 1984 and 1985 for the side project Pap Smear
- Covered songs originally recorded by the Stooges, Minor Threat, T.S.O.L., D.R.I., D.I., Dr. Know and Verbal Abuse
Background
- Initial plan: material from classic heavy metal artists such as Judas Priest, UFO and Deep Purple
- After several rehearsals the heavy metal plan did not work out, so the band chose punk songs
- The Doors were considered as a cover, since they influenced vocalist and bassist Tom Araya
- Rick Rubin suggested Black Flag's "Rise Above", but it was shelved because the band could not work out the arrangement
Recording
- Recorded at Capitol Studios in Los Angeles
- Producer Dave Sardy; executive producer Rick Rubin, producer of Reign in Blood
- Recorded in three to four weeks
- Largely the brainchild of guitarist Kerry King
- "Gemini" was written by King and Araya several months before entering the studio
- "Gemini" begins as a sludge/doom number before becoming a more typical Slayer song
Cover
- The cover art reflects Slayer's wish to pay tribute to their fans
- Front cover photo by Michael Lavine
Sources: en.wikipedia.org · www.discogs.com · www.discogs.com
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
- AllMusic's Paul Kott: not perfect, but a fitting tribute to the bands that pushed Slayer out of the traditional metal mould
- Rolling Stone's Sandy Masuo: punk purists would likely object, but Slayer's mettle is hard to argue with once the dust settles
- Entertainment Weekly's Chuck Eddy: called the cover versions generic hardcore-punk and said the fast, rigid playing was just lazy shtick
Reappraisal
- Adrien Begrand of PopMatters, reviewing the 2003 box set Soundtrack to the Apocalypse: easily the weakest album in the Slayer catalogue
- Westword Online's Michael Roberts: called it the band's biggest mistake
- Tom Araya later said he expected it would not sell well, while the real die-hard fans picked it up
Records
- Peaked at number 34 on the US Billboard 200
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Trivia
- The album was first planned around classic heavy metal songs by Judas Priest, UFO and Deep Purple, but the plan was dropped after rehearsals.
- Rick Rubin suggested covering Black Flag's "Rise Above", but the idea was shelved because the band could not arrange it.
- Slayer described the cover art as a tribute to their fans.
- "Gemini" is the only original track on the album, and it closes the record.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org · es.wikipedia.org · fr.wikipedia.org · www.discogs.com
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