Soundtrack to the Apocalypse

by

Slayer

Edit

First of all - this is not the be all and end all of box sets. But this regular version is far from being a rip off (I even got it for only $39). Obviously, this set is a better deal for people who do not have all of their previous releases. But there is also some other stuff that hasn't been released before on the rarities disc and DVD that I think is worth having.

Let's break it down disc by disc.

Disc 1: This is a 'best of' studio track CD going from Reign in Blood through Season in the Abyss, plus three tracks from Decade of Aggression. I never bought Decade of Aggression so at least there is something on it that is not duplicates of what I already own.

Disc 2: 'Best of' from Divine Intervention through God Hates Us All, plus studio tracks from soundtracks and Japan releases. I never bought Undisputed Attitude or Diabolus in Musica. There are 14 tracks on this one that I don't have.

Disc 3: Audio rarities. Range from raw recordings from the very early days in 1983 to recent live cuts from God Hates Us All. Two of the most interesting cuts are from Jeff Hanneman's home recordings that give you an idea how Raining Blood and South of Heaven were fleshed out from the original concept. I could do without the 'maggot story' included with Necrophiliac and the track with Atari Teenage Riot.

Disc 4 (DVD): This is great. Some of it is pretty raw but you really get to see how the band has evolved from four inexperienced guys wearing eyeliner crowded onto a small club stage to the precisely executed chaotic auditorium shows of today. Please note that this DVD is primarily for the historical value for interested fans. If you want a top-quality concert performance with excellent audio and sound quality, get the War at the Warfield DVD.

The 72-page booklet also adds some value. It has some interesting anecdotes and is more than a generic rehash of the band's official bio.

So, if you only own a couple Slayer CDs this set should provide a cheaper alternative to getting the entire back catalog. If you have all the studio albums it depends how bad you want to hear the rare stuff and view the DVD. I think its worth it.

Let me start by saying that I missed the Best Buy sale and actually dropped full price for this, so already I'm rubbed the wrong way...

This thing has been hyped for over two years now (maybe more)...we were told that it would be packaged in an artillery shell, that it would contain remakes of early classics, that it would have a DVD containg all their promo videos, as well as behind the scenes personal stuff filmed on Kerry's camcorder, blah, blah, blah. Having shelled out almost an entire C-note for this, I have to say that I am not only disappointed but honestly feel that I've been ripped off. 'Soundtrack to the Apocalypse' is nothing more than a cash grab, pure and simple.

Here are my grievances:

1. THE PACKAGING - I heard that the artillery shell was canned and replaced with an ammo box. Okay, fine. What we get is a cheap cardboard box that's supposed to look like an ammo box...and it doesn't.

2. THE TRINKETS - so what do you get for the extra price of this limited edition? A "backstage pass replica" that's nothing more than a plastic card with a Slayer logo on it dangling from a neck cord. Ooh, wow, neato. NOT. A cheap, unimaginative wall banner. And a new version of the 1990 "blood pack" containing a live show from their first tour for 'God Hates Us All', which was the weakest Slayer show I've seen (the subsequent Jagermeister tour was much better); it's the same pack with the floating skulls and looks like it was left over.

3. THE MATERIAL - the first two CD's are stuff that any self-respecting Slayer fan has already bought or downloaded, but where's "Sick Boy", or their hilarious butchering of "Born to Be Wild"? CD three does offer some interesting and funny stuff (Tom's now-infamous live introduction to 'Necrophiliac' circa 1986-87 is finally given an official release...heh heh), but where are the those remakes we were promised, huh? Disc four is a DVD comprised of good-quality bootleg stuff, but I have many Slayer bootlegs that are much better and more interesting. The promo video clips? Nowhere to be found. The personal footage? A clip of the band accepting some award from Dino of Fear Factory...that's it. HELLO?!

About the only really great thing about this box set is the enclosed booklet, which is in fact excellent, containg many cool photos, facts, history, and fan impressions. The guy that wrote this should have been put in charge of the entire project, I think.

Call me cynical, but this whole thing feels like some high school science project that was put off until the last minute and hastily done the night before the due date. Let me say this: if the goodies that were promised for this box set end up being presented in some "super ultra-deluxe limited edition" down the road that cost even more than this does, well...

What an apocalyptic letdown.