Slayer "Diabolus In Musica (Japan, Sony Records, SRSC-8698)"

Diabolus in Musica is the eighth studio album by American thrash metal band Slayer. Released on June 9, 1998, it is the third studio album to feature drummer Paul Bostaph. Although receiving mixed critical reviews, the album sold 46,000 copies in its first week to peak at number 31 on the Billboard 200. Guitarist Jeff Hanneman wrote most of the album's content which has been described as Slayer's most experimental album. It is the band's first studio album to be played mostly in C♯ tuning. The album's title is a Latin term for "The Devil in Music", a musical interval known for its dissonance. Lyrical themes explored on the album include religion, cultural deviance, death, insanity, war, and homicide.

Diabolus in Musica is a Latin term for "The Devil in Music" or tritone. Medieval musical rules did not allow this particular dissonance. According to one mythology, the interval was considered sexual and would bring out the devil; Slayer vocalist and bassist Tom Araya jokingly said that people were executed for writing and using the interval.

Araya held concern about the lyrics that King penned to "In the Name of God", voicing his opinion to guitarist Hanneman. King's viewpoint was; "It's like, 'C'mon, man, you're in Slayer. You're the antichrist — you said it yourself on the first album!' You can't draw the line like that. Whether he agrees with it or not, he didn't write it — I wrote it. So you have to say, 'Well, it's just a part of being in this band.' Now Jeff and I, we don't give a fuck. If Jeff wrote something I had a problem with, I would never even raise a fucking finger. I'd be like, 'Fuck yeah, let's do it! Gonna piss someone off? Alright!'"

Tracklist:

1. Bitter Peace 04:32
2. Death's Head 03:29   
3. Stain of Mind 03:24   
4. Overt Enemy 04:41
5. Perversions of Pain 03:30
6. Love to Hate 03:05
7. Desire 04:18  
8. Unguarded Instinct 03:44
9. In the Name of God 03:38  
10. Scrum 02:18   
11. Screaming from the Sky 03:12
12. Wicked 06:03
13. Point 04:12   

Time:  50:06  

Art direction: Frank.

"Wicked" is also on the Australian and European version as track 11.

The song "Human Disease" (4:20), which was featured on the "Bride of Chucky" soundtrack, was recorded during the Diabolus in Musica sessions.

Recording information:

Recorded at Oceanway Studios, Los Angeles, CA.

Additional recording and mixing at Hollywood Sound, Los Angeles, CA.

Additional mixing at Groove Masters, Santa Monica, CA.

Mastered at Masterdisk, New York, NY.

Co-produced by Slayer.