SLAYER 'SEASONS IN THE ABYSS' LP

If Reign in Blood sounded like a band falling helplessly into the fiery chasms of hell, then Seasons in the Abyss sounds like a band who’ve been honing their chops as the netherworld’s house band. Slayer’s 1990 opus drew back just a tad on their slice-and-dice speed just enough to weather their riffs, vocals and rhythms with an extra coating of heaviness. “War Ensemble,” “Dead Skin Mask” and “Skeletons of Society” are all-timers, but stick around for the whole season.