Slayer/Osaka,Japan 2015

“No excuses, I’ll hit you back at the live show.” The latest live album that you can almost hear these words is now available on 2CD! SLAYER came to Japan for the first day of “LOUD PARK 15”. In addition, solo performances were held in Tokyo and Osaka with support from GOJIRA, making a total of 3 performances. Among them, this work was recorded at “October 6, 2015 Namba Hatch performance”. When it comes to tapers, when you think of Osaka Metal, this person is the “strongest taper in Western Japan.” The other day, Jeff Beck’s latest performance was recorded with an unusually high sound quality that was “better than the on-site sound!?” Even in SLAYER, the master’s skill is clear. The 100% metal sound has been captured with an exquisite audience recording that makes you wonder, “Isn’t it a better sound than the actual one?” The position this master craftsman chose this time is a reserved seat on the second floor. Well, since it’s SLAYER where a storm of tremendous moshing and circle pits rages, there’s no way you can make a decent recording from the first floor seats, but the technique of Mr. “The Strongest Taper” will shine in the future. At support GOJIRA, he decided that “Today’s PA doesn’t have good bass separation,” so he changed the microphone while setting up the stage. I recorded it using a microphone that suppresses bass to increase clarity. This shows how well the master craftsman knows the acoustics of each venue by the time he prepares spare equipment, but what’s even more surprising is his on-the-spot judgment. I don’t know how long it took from the end of GOJIRA’s performance to SLAYER, but there was no time or silence to calmly examine the recording in a noisy venue, so I was able to detect the recording condition just by the sound of the scene and use the appropriate equipment. So I switched. He is not only familiar with the equipment and venue acoustics, but also has a great “ear” that allows him to continue making special recordings… It is a terrifying world of top tapers. The sound of this work proves that such a technique is not an illusion. I have also received a recording of the same performance, but as Mr. “The Strongest Taper” said, the ensemble was blurred by the booming bass. However, the sound that comes out of this work is so crisp that you won’t even feel the on-site sound! The sharp, murderous riffs feel super-spa, and each hit of Paul Bostaph’s double-bass hits is so powerful that it reverberates through your five organs and destroys your six senses. Even those who haven’t seen the live show will probably think, “Wow! What a metal show!!”, but those who have actually experienced it will be surprised and wonder, “Is this the live show I saw?” I think so. It is the audience on the second floor that takes this “amazing recording” to a “god level”. The master craftsman said, “It was strange that everyone was quiet the whole time and didn’t even clap,” and it was true…there was no applause. To be more precise, “the applause is far away.” Of course, the first floor seats are a riot of pit, mosh, and cloud surfing, but even as the frenzy rises, there is no direct audience noise. Although it is clear and has a wonderful balance like an official live record, the liveliness unique to a live recording is not comparable to the official one, and there is no recent cheers or applause. It is a miraculous recording that makes you think that the entire venue is paying attention to this work. With Jeff Hanneman passing away and Dave Lombardo being expelled, there are many people who say, “I’m not that SLAYER anymore”…No, I’ll be honest. With that in mind, I didn’t go to the venue. No matter how popular the new album “REPENTLESS” was, I just couldn’t accept that “this is SLAYER too”. However, what you hear from this work is “SLAYER is SLAYER”. I can only feel that SLAYER, which has been called “music closest to the word ‘HEAVY METAL'”. With half of the original members left, it’s inevitable that people will think, “This isn’t that SLAYER.” They probably feel it more keenly than anyone else because they have fewer member changes than a normal band. What emanates from this work is a stage full of spirit that silently shouts, “No excuses, I’ll hit you back with a live show” despite such adversity. The first floor seats lost themselves in the recording technique of a master who loves HR/HM, the second floor audience watched as if they were checking out the “current SLAYER,” and the spirit of SLAYER himself. All of that produced this miraculous recording. This is a piece that captures the joy of being able to experience “sounds that are even better than the actual one”, even as you are overcome with intense regret for not going to the live show. This is the “heaviest metal” live album of 2015. I won’t be pushy and say, “Isn’t this also a SLAYER?” I can’t say. I just want you to not blindly cover your ears. Namba Hatch, Osaka, Japan 6th October 2015 ULTIMATE SOUND(from Original Masters) Disc 1 (45:11) 1. Intro 2. Delusions Of Saviour 3. Repentless 4. Postmortem 5. Hate Worldwide 6. Mandatory Suicide 7. Chemical Warfare 8 . War Ensemble 9. When the Stillness Comes 10. Implode 11. Disciple 12. God Send Death Disc 2 (50:20) 1. MC 2. Die By The Sword 3. World Painted Blood 4. Necrophiliac 5. Seasons In the Abyss 6. Hell Awaits 7. Dead Skin Mask 8. Raining Blood 9. Black Magic 10. South Of Heaven 11. Angel Of Death Tom Araya – bass, vocals Kerry King – guitar Gary Holt – guitar Paul Bostaph – drums