Decade of Aggression
Encyclopedia
Decade of Aggression is a double live album by Slayer
, released on October 22, 1991 through Def American Records (later renamed to American Recordings). It was produced
by Rick Rubin
and executive produced by Richard Kimball
. The album was recorded in three separate places on three separate dates. Its working title was Decade of Decadence until Mötley Crüe
copyrighted the name. Three of the album's tracks were included in the box set Soundtrack to the Apocalypse
. The album's reception was generally positive, with Entertainment Weekly
and Robert Christgau
both giving the album a positive rating. The album reached number 55 in the Billboard 200
and also charted on two other charts.
Seasons in the Abyss
, separate sections of the Decade of Aggression album were recorded on October 14, 1990, March 8, 1991, and July 13, 1991, however, Allmusic said that Rick Rubin
's production
and the executive production from Richard Kimball
, "seems to be in terms of shaping the live sound to make it sound like this is all one gig." Although it had a working title of Decade of Decadence, it would be released as Decade of Aggression after Mötley Crüe
copyrighted the name on their 1991 greatest hits album
. It was released through Def American Recordings on October 22, 1991.
The release was intended to give them time to decide what their next album's style would be. Text in the book The Great Rock Discography said that it was released after the band had gained popularity, saying "Slayer had finally made it into the metal big league and summing up the first blood-soaked chapter of their career, the group duly released the live double set." It was also released to commemorate their 10th anniversary.
The album does not feature an overdub of guitars. In The Rough Guide To Rock, it was said to be "intense" and "put studio favorites through the live shredder in a brutal and definitive manner." Most of the tracks were a selection from South of Heaven
, Reign in Blood
, and Seasons in the Abyss
. The album's total duration is one hour, twenty-five minutes, and twenty-eight seconds (85:28). Three of the album's tracks were included in the box set Soundtrack to the Apocalypse
.
The album booklet includes a photo gallery with pictures dating back to 1982. The majority of the photos come from Kevin Estrada, who has said:
made the two-discs sound like it were recorded at one gig, writing "Producer Rick Rubin stays out of the way; his production seems to be in terms of shaping the live sound to make it sound like this is all one gig." Entertainment Weekly
s David Browne said that it was an "accurate aural snapshots of what it's like to be part of a crowd craning to see the action on a stage that seems two miles away." Browne also said that "they're perfect examples of the sad current state of the once-proud live rock album." Robert Christgau
gave the album a star ("Honorable Mention is a worthy effort consumers attuned to its overriding aesthetic or individual vision may well like."), "saying praise the Lord--I can hardly understand a word they're singing (Hell Awaits)." Joel McIver, author of The Bloody Reign of Slayer said that it was regarded as one of the best live albums released by a heavy metal
band.
The album charted on three different charts. On November 9, 1991, it peaked at number 55 on the Billboard 200
. On January 13, 1992, the album entered the Media Control Charts
, where it peaked at number 77. It maintained a number on the chart until February 2, 1992, giving it a total of three weeks on the chart.
On December 2, 1991 it entered the UK Album Charts, peaking at number 29. It stayed on the chart for two weeks.
Slayer
Production
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 October 22, 1991 through Def American Records (later renamed to American Recordings). It 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 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...
and executive produced by Richard Kimball
Richard Kimball
Richard Kimball is an American politician, and president of the nonprofit organization Project Vote Smart.-Biography:In 1986, after serving in the Arizona Legislature and the state's Corporation Commission, Kimball ran as a Democrat against John McCain for the U.S...
. The album was recorded in three separate places on three separate dates. Its working title was Decade of Decadence until Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981. The group was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, who were later joined by lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil...
copyrighted the name. Three of the album's tracks were included in the box set Soundtrack to the Apocalypse
Soundtrack 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...
. The album's reception was generally positive, with Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
and Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau is an American essayist, music journalist, and self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics".One of the earliest professional rock critics, Christgau is known for his terse capsule reviews, published since 1969 in his Consumer Guide columns...
both giving the album a positive rating. The album reached number 55 in 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 also charted on two other charts.
Conception
While touring on the Clash of the Titans tour to promote the 1990 studio albumStudio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
Seasons in the Abyss
Seasons in the Abyss
Seasons in the Abyss is the fifth studio album by the thrash metal band Slayer. It was released on October 9, 1990 through Def American Records, and later through American Recordings after the company changed its name. The album's recording sessions began in January 1990...
, separate sections of the Decade of Aggression album were recorded on October 14, 1990, March 8, 1991, and July 13, 1991, however, Allmusic said that 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...
's 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 the executive production from Richard Kimball
Richard Kimball
Richard Kimball is an American politician, and president of the nonprofit organization Project Vote Smart.-Biography:In 1986, after serving in the Arizona Legislature and the state's Corporation Commission, Kimball ran as a Democrat against John McCain for the U.S...
, "seems to be in terms of shaping the live sound to make it sound like this is all one gig." Although it had a working title of Decade of Decadence, it would be released as Decade of Aggression after Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981. The group was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, who were later joined by lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil...
copyrighted the name on their 1991 greatest hits album
Decade of Decadence
-Singles:1. Primal Scream2. Home Sweet Home '91- Certifications :-External links:*...
. It was released through Def American Recordings on October 22, 1991.
The release was intended to give them time to decide what their next album's style would be. Text in the book The Great Rock Discography said that it was released after the band had gained popularity, saying "Slayer had finally made it into the metal big league and summing up the first blood-soaked chapter of their career, the group duly released the live double set." It was also released to commemorate their 10th anniversary.
The album does not feature an overdub of guitars. In The Rough Guide To Rock, it was said to be "intense" and "put studio favorites through the live shredder in a brutal and definitive manner." Most of the tracks were a selection from South of Heaven
South of Heaven
South of Heaven is the fourth studio album by American thrash metal band Slayer. Released on July 5, 1988, the album was the band's second collaboration with record producer Rick Rubin, whose production skills on Slayer's previous album Reign in Blood had helped the band's sound evolve.South of...
, 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...
, and Seasons in the Abyss
Seasons in the Abyss
Seasons in the Abyss is the fifth studio album by the thrash metal band Slayer. It was released on October 9, 1990 through Def American Records, and later through American Recordings after the company changed its name. The album's recording sessions began in January 1990...
. The album's total duration is one hour, twenty-five minutes, and twenty-eight seconds (85:28). Three of the album's tracks were included in the box set Soundtrack to the Apocalypse
Soundtrack 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...
.
The album booklet includes a photo gallery with pictures dating back to 1982. The majority of the photos come from Kevin Estrada, who has said:
Reception
Thom Jurek, a staff writer for Allmusic, gave the album a rating of three out of five stars. Jurek gave notice to the album's sound quality, telling readers that it does not "capture the sheer overblown intensity of the unit in a concert setting," but that it comes closer than one may imagine. Jurek also gave note to how Rick RubinRick 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...
made the two-discs sound like it were recorded at one gig, writing "Producer Rick Rubin stays out of the way; his production seems to be in terms of shaping the live sound to make it sound like this is all one gig." Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
s David Browne said that it was an "accurate aural snapshots of what it's like to be part of a crowd craning to see the action on a stage that seems two miles away." Browne also said that "they're perfect examples of the sad current state of the once-proud live rock album." Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau is an American essayist, music journalist, and self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics".One of the earliest professional rock critics, Christgau is known for his terse capsule reviews, published since 1969 in his Consumer Guide columns...
gave the album a star ("Honorable Mention is a worthy effort consumers attuned to its overriding aesthetic or individual vision may well like."), "saying praise the Lord--I can hardly understand a word they're singing (Hell Awaits)." Joel McIver, author of The Bloody Reign of Slayer said that it was regarded as one of the best live albums released by a heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band.
The album charted on three different charts. On November 9, 1991, it peaked at number 55 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...
. On January 13, 1992, the album entered the Media Control Charts
Media Control Charts
The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie...
, where it peaked at number 77. It maintained a number on the chart until February 2, 1992, giving it a total of three weeks on the chart.
On December 2, 1991 it entered the UK Album Charts, peaking at number 29. It stayed on the chart for two weeks.
Disc one
- All songs recorded at the Lakeland Coliseum in Lakeland, FloridaLakeland, FloridaLakeland is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States, located approximately midway between Tampa and Orlando along Interstate 4. According to the 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimate, the city had a population of 94,406...
on July 13, 1991.
Disc two
- Tracks 3-6 and 8-10 recorded at the Orange PavilionOrange PavilionThe Orange Pavilion is a multi-purpose arena, on the grounds of the NOS Events Center, in San Bernardino, California. It seats 5,000 spectators and is best known for hosting the National Orange Show....
, San Bernardino, CaliforniaSan Bernardino, CaliforniaSan Bernardino is a city located in the Riverside-San Bernardino metropolitan area , and serves as the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States...
, March 8, 1991. - Tracks 1, 2 and 7 recorded at the Wembley ArenaWembley ArenaWembley Arena is an indoor arena, at Wembley, in the London Borough of Brent. The building is opposite Wembley Stadium.-History:...
, LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England, October 14, 1990.
Limited edition
- Disc one track listing remains the same.
- Disc two track listing 1-6 remains the same.
Credits
The album's credits and personnel can be obtained from Allmusic.Slayer
- Tom ArayaTom ArayaTom Araya is a Chilean musician, best known as the bassist and vocalist of the American thrash metal band Slayer...
- bassBass 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...
- guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker... - 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
Production
- Rick RubinRick RubinFrederick 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...
- producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music... - Greg Bess - engineerAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
- Mike Carver - engineer
- Jim Champagne - assistant engineer, 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...
assistant - Patricia Chavarria - production coordination
- Bill Dawes - remixRemixA remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
ing - Kevin Estrada - photographyPhotographyPhotography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
- Doug Field - engineer
- Richard KimballRichard KimballRichard Kimball is an American politician, and president of the nonprofit organization Project Vote Smart.-Biography:In 1986, after serving in the Arizona Legislature and the state's Corporation Commission, Kimball ran as a Democrat against John McCain for the U.S...
- executive producerExecutive producerAn 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... - Phil Kneebone - engineer
- Michael LavineMichael LavineMichael Lavine is a portrait photographer based in New York City. He grew up in Denver, Colorado, and graduated from Denver's South High School in 1981....
- photography - Mark Leialoha - photography
- Brendan O'BrienBrendan O'Brien (music producer)Brendan O’Brien is a record producer, mixer, engineer, and musician.At age 14, O'Brien played guitar for the Atlanta-based cover band Pranks. In the late 1970s, he moved on to writing, performing and recording with the Samurai Catfish band...
- mixing, mixing engineerMix engineerA mix engineer, also referred to as "mixing engineer", is a person who, once all instruments, voices, and sounds, etc., have been recorded, creates what is called the final version of a song, hence the term "mix engineer"... - Rick Sales - design
- Chuck Smith - guitar technicianGuitar technicianA guitar technician is a member of a music ensemble's road crew who maintains and sets up the musical equipment for one or more guitarists during a concert tour...
- Alex Solca - photography
- Tim Summerhayes - engineer
- Howie WeinbergHowie WeinbergHowie Weinberg is a music mastering engineer who has worked with numerous bands.- Career :He has worked at Masterdisk, New York City, since 1977...
- mastering - Peter Yianilos - engineer
- Roland YoungRoland YoungRoland Young was an English actor.-Early life and career:Born in London, England, Young was educated at Sherborne School, Dorset and the University of London before being accepted into Royal Academy of Dramatic Art...
- assistant engineer