Slayer "Soundtrack To The Apocalypse (2003, 4CD + DVD, American Recordings, Ammo Box, Limited Edition, B0001519-02)"

Soundtrack to the Apocalypse is a box set by the American thrash metal band Slayer. Released November 25, 2003 through American Recordings, the three–disc CD and DVD set features music from previous albums, unreleased material, and live film. A deluxe edition version (which has the alias "ammo box") was released and featured everything from the standard edition, with the addition of 14 live tracks. The box set's name originated from an alternative title for 2001's God Hates Us All. After discussing among themselves the idea of the box set, the band informed their record company, who initially disliked but later approved the idea. A bonus disc (known as the bloodpack) was included in some versions.

Many dates were stated by band members as to when it would be released. The official release date was not announced until late October 2003. The box set has been released into the public domain five times between late 2003 to early 2007. There were several producers and film directors that were involved with the box set. The set received positive reviews from critics, but was not well received by fans, with the set debuting on no notable charts.

Around the time Slayer thought of the album title for 2001's God Hates Us All, Soundtrack to the Apocalypse was considered an alternative name. Vocalist Tom Araya then suggested that if they ever opted to issue a box set, Soundtrack to the Apocalypse would be the most appropriate title. This inspired discussion regarding a possible box set release, which continued for several months. The group decided that once the label agreed to a release, they would be given a little more time to compile the material. Slayer approached the record company regarding a box set release, and discussions lasted roughly a year, since the band had to negotiate with the record company concerning plans they had with the box set which were not in their contract. In September 2003, the record company granted permission to issue the box set and wanted an immediate release for the holiday season.

Slayer submitted a range of material for the record company to choose from, instructing them to return a track list of what they felt to be the best items. Following this, Slayer looked at the returned material; if the recorded track was a “good” performance but the band "didn’t care for the song", they asked the record company to select another track.

Guitarist Kerry King commented "there's tons of stuff on there", citing the amount they had to choose from as a problem. King himself owned five large Tupperware storage boxes full of material amassed over the years. Having every magazine had ever seen the group inside, King also possessed roughly 70 VHS and 8mm videos dating back to 1983. Nick John of Slayer’s management team sifted through every video and transferred them to DVD.

Soundtrack to the Apocalypse's ideal release date was in early November 2003. However, on September 25, 2003, it was announced by employees of MTV that the box set's release date had been pushed back to November 18, 2003. On October 23, 2003, employees of MTV announced that the box set's release date was pushed back to November 25, 2003. Since November 25, 2003, Slayer has released the box set five different times. The first three times were each released in 2003, the first being released through Universal Records, and the other two, one being a Deluxe Edition version, were released through American Recordings. The set's fourth release, which was packaged with only three discs, was released through American Records in 2006. The box set's final release was in 2007, where it was released through WEA International. It was also released in the United Kingdom on December 8, 2003. It was produced with three Compact Discs, one DVD, and a booklet.

The packaging was praised by PopMatters, insisting that the box set is "very nicely packaged, in a swanky fold-out digipak with a clear plastic slipcase. The 72-page accompanying booklet is outstanding, with extensive liner notes, loads of photos, and many memories from the band members." USA Today related: "[it is] a combination of the metal grinders' best-known tracks, with live and studio rarities plus 17 DVD selections. A deluxe edition ($100) adds a live disc and a few souvenir extras." Soundtrack to the Apocalypse was produced by Matt Hyde, Dino Paredes, Rick Rubin, D. Sardy, and Andy Wallace and was executively produced by Nick John and Rick Sales. The film on the fourth disc was directed by Di Puglia, Gerard. The set includes many Slayer tracks since 1986 with several rarities and b-sides, and includes a remastered DVD of live performances spanning 20 years. A fifth disc was released with fourteen more tracks than the set's standard edition. The bonus live tracks were recorded at The Grove In Anaheim, California, on May 2, 2002, several months following the return of original drummer Dave Lombardo. The extra tracks are packaged in a "blood pack" sleeve, which is decorated with faux blood and skulls.

Tracklist:

Disc 1 (CD)

1. Angel of Death 04:50   
2. Criminally Insane (remix) 03:07   
3. Postmortem 03:27
4. Raining Blood 04:12   
5. Aggressive Perfector 02:28   
6. South of Heaven 04:45   
7. Silent Scream 03:05   
8. Live Undead 03:50
9. Mandatory Suicide 04:04
10. Spill the Blood 04:49  
11. War Ensemble 04:51   
12. Dead Skin Mask 05:16  
13. Hallowed Point 03:24  
14. Born of Fire 03:07   
15. Seasons in the Abyss 06:26  
16. Hell Awaits (live) 06:49
17. The Antichrist (live) 03:11
18. Chemical Warfare (live) 05:25  

Time:  01:17:06  

Disc 2 (CD)

1. Sex. Murder. Art. 01:50  
2. Dittohead 02:30
3. Divine Intervention 05:32   
4. Serenity in Murder 02:36   
5. 213 04:51   
6. Can't Stand You 01:27  
7. Ddamm 01:01   
8. Gemini 04:51
9. Bitter Peace 04:31   
10. Death's Head 03:29   
11. Stain of Mind 03:24  
12. Disciple 03:35   
13. God Send Death 03:45  
14. New Faith 03:05
15. In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (Iron Butterfly cover) 03:16   
16. Disorder (The Exploited cover) 04:56
17. Memories of Tomorrow (Suicidal Tendencies cover) 00:53  
18. Human Disease 04:20  
19. Unguarded Instinct 03:44
20. Wicked 06:03  
21. Addict 03:41   
22. Scarstruck 03:31

Time:   01:16:51  

Disc 3 (CD)

1. Ice Titan (live 1983) (unreleased) 04:18  
2. The Antichrist (early demo) 02:53  
3. Fight Til Death (early demo) 03:30   
4. Necrophiliac (live) 05:00
5. Piece by Piece (rough mix) 02:13   
6. Raining Blood (live) 03:09   
7. Angel of Death (live) 04:58  
8. Raining Blood (Jeff Hanneman home recording - early version) 02:00
9. South of Heaven (Jeff Hanneman home recording - early version) 03:29
10. Seasons in the Abyss (live) 06:43
11. Mandatory Suicide (live) 03:59
12. Mind Control (live) 03:05
13. No Remorse (I Wanna Die) (w/ Atari Teenage Riot) 04:15
14. Dittohead (live) 03:03
15. Sex. Murder. Art.(live) 02:22   
16. Bloodline (live) 04:02  
17. Payback (live) 06:39   

Time:   01:05:38  

Disc 4 (DVD)

1. Die by the Sword (live) - 1983, California 03:58  
2. Aggressive Perfector (live) - 1983, California 03:39   
3. Praise of Death (live) - 1984, California 04:48  
4. Haunting the Chapel (live) - 1985, Sweden 03:56
5. Necrophobic (live) - 1986, New York 02:27   
6. Reborn (live) - 1986, New York 03:11
7. Jesus Saves (live) - 1986, New York 02:54
8. War Ensemble (live) - 1991, Michigan 05:17
9. South of Heaven (live) - 1991, Michigan 04:18   
10. Dead Skin Mask (live) - 1991, Michigan 05:44   
11. Gemini (live) - 1996, California 04:44  
12. Heaviest Band Award Kerrang! Magazine, '96 03:23  
13. EPK for Diabolus in Musica 07:03  
14. Stain of Mind (live) - 1998, Tokyo, Japan 03:37  
15. Bloodline (live) - 2002 by ESPN 03:29   
16. Disciple (live)- 2003, France 03:44   
17. God Send Death (live) - 2003, France 03:50  

Time:  01:10:02  

Disc 5 (CD)

1. Darkness of Christ (live) 01:48   
2. Disciple (live) 04:30  
3. War Ensemble (live) 05:40  
4. Stain of Mind (live) 03:59
5. Postmortem (live) 04:20  
6. Raining Blood (live) 03:25  
7. Hell Awaits (live) 07:14   
8. At Dawn They Sleep (live) 07:44   
9. Dead Skin Mask (live) 06:32   
10. Seasons in the Abyss (live) 04:32   
11. Mandatory Suicide (live) 05:13
12. Chemical Warfare (live) 07:00
13. South of Heaven (live) 04:32  
14. Angel of Death (live) 06:18

Time:    01:12:47

"Soundtrack to the Apocalypse" box, comes in a fold-out digipak with a clear plastic slipcase. Includes a 72-page booklet with extensive liner notes, photos and many memories from the band members.

Disc 1: Best of

Disc 2: Best of / Japan Tracks / Soundtrack Contributions

Disc 3: Shit You've Never Heard - Rare Tracks / Live

Disc 4: Shit You've Never Seen, DVD (Various Live Performances / TV Performances)

Disc 5: Live Bloodpack CD, Live at The Groove in Anaheim.

"Disorder (The Exploited cover)" is a medley of three songs by The Exploited: "War," "UK '82," and "Disorder."

Ammo box is a limited 5-disc-box featuring an extra live CD, a poster, a replica backstage pass.

Recording information:

Mastered at Sony Mastering Studios, New York.