Undisputed Attitude

Infobox Album | Name = Undisputed Attitude
Type = cover
Artist = Slayer

Released = May 28, 1996
Recorded = 1996
Capital Studios
Hollywood Sound,
Los Angeles, California, USA
Genre = Punk rock
Hardcore punk
Crossover thrash
Length = 33:01
Label = American Recordings
Producer = Slayer
Rick Rubin
Dave Sardy
Reviews = *Allmusic Rating|2.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:3k9ks34ua3dg link]
*"Entertainment Weekly" [http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,293083,00.html link]
*"Rolling Stone" Rating|3|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/slayer/albums/album/298848/review/5944444/undisputed_attitude link] |Last album = "Divine Intervention"
(1994)
This album = "Undisputed Attitude"
(1996)
Next album = "Diabolus in Musica"
(1998)|

"Undisputed Attitude" is an album of punk covers and three original songs by thrash metal band Slayer. Although the initial idea to record heavy metal covers was shelved, guitarist Kerry King came up with the concept of paying tribute to bands that "made Slayer what it is". Guitarist Jeff Hanneman had written four punk songs in 1984–85 and used the best two, while King and vocalist Tom Araya wrote an original song titled "Gemini".

Released on May 28, 1996 through American Recordings, "Undisputed Attitude" peaked at number 34 on the Billboard 200. The album received generally negative reviews; Adrien Begrand of "PopMatters" dismissed the effort as "easily the weakest album in the Slayer catalogue", while "Entertainment Weekly"'s Chuck Eddy commented that the songs were "generic hardcore-punk".

Recording

"Undisputed Attitude" was recorded at Capital Studios in Los Angeles, California with producer Dave Sardy, while "Reign in Blood" producer Rick Rubin helped executive production. Recorded in three to four weeks, the reason behind the album's creation was due to the interest of guitarist Kerry King, stating the songs were by bands that "made Slayer what it is", and to keep Slayer in the public eye.cite web
title=Audio interview with Kerry King Part 1 and 2
publisher=toazted.com
url=http://www.toazted.com/interview/100/Slayer.html
accessdate=2007-12-13] cite web|title=Midwest Metal Magazine interview with Tom Araya|author= | publisher= Midwestmetalmagazine.com|url=http://www.midwestmetalmagazine.com/interviewslayer.html|accessdate=2007-12-13] The album initially featured material from heavy metal artists that had influenced Slayer, including Judas Priest, UFO, and Deep Purple. However, after several rehearsals King believed "things didn't pan out" with heavy metal covers, so the band decided to cover punk songs.

Slayer considered covering 1960's psychedelic rock band The Doors as they were an influence to vocalist and bassist Tom Araya. When asked which track they considered recording, Araya responded, "Maybe 'When the Music's Over', 'Five to One', something like that." A cover of Black Flag's "Rise Above" was suggested by Rubin, although was shelved after the band was not sure how to arrange it musically.

Guitarist Jeff Hanneman had written four unreleased songs in 1984–1985, while in the side project Pap Smear with Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo and Suicidal Tendencies guitarist Rocky George. The band chose the best two, namely "Ddamm (Drunk Drivers Against Mad Mothers)" and "Can't Stand You".cite web | title =About|author=|publisher=Slayer.net|date=|url=http://www.slayer.net/site.php#about|accessdate=2007-03-17] cite web | title = A Rare Interview With Slayer Shredder Hanneman, Gripping Firmly onto the Reigns of Metal | author = Davis, Brian | publisher = Knac.com | date = | url = http://www.knac.com/article.asp?ArticleID=3153 | accessdate = 2007-03-17 ] "Gemini" was written by King and Araya several months before entering the recording studio. King asserts it's the only "Slayer" song on the album.

Slayer's cover of Minor Threat's "Guilty of Being White" raised questions about a possible message of white supremacy. The controversy surrounding the cover involved the changing of the refrain "guilty of being white" to "guilty of being right", at the song's ending. This incensed Minor Threat frontman Ian MacKaye, who stated "that is so offensive to me". [Blush, Steven "American Hardcore: A Tribal History by Steven Blush" (New York: Feral House, 2001), "Guilty of Being White", in an interview with Ian MacKaye, 30–31.] King said it was changed for "tongue-in-cheek" humor as he thought the racism at the time was "ridiculous".

Reception

"Undisputed Attitude" was released on May 28, 1996, and peaked at number 34 on the Billboard 200 album chart.cite web|title=Slayer's album chart history| publisher=Billboard.com|url= http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/retrieve_chart_history.do?model.chartFormatGroupName=Albums&model.vnuArtistId=5692&model.vnuAlbumId=789249|accessdate=2007-03-17] Paul Kott of Allmusic commented that "Undisputed Attitude", while not perfect, is a fitting tribute to the bands that inspired Slayer to break from the traditional metal mold."cite web|title="Undisputed Attitude"|author=Kott, Paul |publisher=Allmusic|url=http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:3k9ks34ua3dg~T1|accessdate=2007-03-18] Sandy Masuo of "Rolling Stone" reasoned; "some punk purists will undoubtedly cry foul, but when the dust settles it's hard to argue with Slayer's mettle."cite web|title=Slayer - Album Reviews|author=Masuo, Sandy|publisher="Rolling stone"|url=http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/slayer/albums/album/298848/review/5944444/undisputed_attitude|accessdate=2007-03-18] "Entertainment Weekly"'s Chuck Eddy dubbed Slayer's cover interpretations "generic hardcore-punk", and observed that that the group "seem to think that playing as fast and rigidly as possible makes for harder rock -- but it's just lazy shtick".cite web
title=Music Capsule Review - "Undisputed Attitude"
author=Eddy, Chuck
publisher=Entertainment Weekly
date=1996-06-21
url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,293083,00.html
accessdate=2007-12-13]

Reviewing 2003 Slayer box set "Soundtrack to the Apocalypse", Adrien Begrand of "PopMatters" dismissed the effort as "easily the weakest album in the Slayer catalogue",cite web|title =The Devil in Music| author = Begrand, Adrien| publisher= Popmatters.com|date=2004-01-23|url=http://www.popmatters.com/music/reviews/s/slayer-soundtrack.shtml|accessdate=2007-03-17] whereas "Westword Online"'s Michael Roberts dubbed the record their "biggest mistake." [cite web|title= Westworld Online interview with Kerry King|author=Roberts, Michael|publisher=Slayersaves.com|date=2000-08|url=http://web.archive.org/web/20061018174731/http://www.slayersaves.com/interviews_kerry3.htm|accessdate=2007-12-20] Araya has since stated that he "knew it wouldn't do very well, people want to hear Slayer! The real die-hards picked up on it and that was expected."

Track listing

tracklist

writing_credits = yes
extra_column = Original artist

title1 = Disintegration"
"Free Money
writer1 = Eric Mastrokalos, Brett Dodwell
extra1 = Verbal Abuse
length1 = 1:41

title2 = Verbal Abuse"
"Leeches
writer2 = Mastrokalos, Dodwell
extra2 = Verbal Abuse
length2 = 1:58

title3 = Abolish Government"
"Superficial Love
writer3 = Todd Barnes, Ron Emory, Jack Grisham, Mike Roche
extra3 = T.S.O.L.
length3 = 1:48

title4 = Can't Stand You
writer4 = Jeff Hanneman
extra4 = Pap Smear
length4 = 1:27

title5 = Ddamm
writer5 = Hanneman
extra5 = Pap Smear
length5 = 1:01

title6 = Guilty of Being White
writer6 = Brian Baker, Jeff Nelson, Ian MacKaye, Lyle Preslar
extra6 = Minor Threat
length6 = 1:07

title7 = I Hate You
writer7 = Mastrokalos, Dodwell
extra7 = Verbal Abuse
length7 = 2:16

title8 = Filler"
"I Don't Want to Hear It
writer8 = Baker, Nelson, MacKaye, Preslar
extra8 = Minor Threat
length8 = 2:28

title9 = Spiritual Law
writer9 = Casey Royer, Rikk Agnew, John Calabro
extra9 = D.I.
length9 = 3:00

title10 = Mr. Freeze
writer10 = Kyle Toucher
extra10 = Dr. Know
length10 = 2:24

title11 = Violent Pacification
writer11 = Spike Cassidy, Kurt Brecht
extra11 = D.R.I.
length11 = 2:38

title12 = Richard Hung Himself
writer12 = Royer, Fred Traccone
extra12 = D.I.
length12 = 3:22

title13 = I'm Gonna Be Your God
note13 = parody tribute of "I Wanna Be Your Dog"
writer13 = James Osterberg, Ron Asheton, Scott Asheton, David Alexander
extra13 = The Stooges
length13 = 2:58

title14 = Gemini
writer14 = Kerry King, Tom Araya
extra14 = Slayer
length14 = 4:53

European edition

tracklist

writing_credits = yes
extra_column = Original artist

title1 = Disintegration"
"Free Money
writer1 = Mastrokalos, Dodwell
extra1 = Verbal Abuse
length1 = 1:41

title2 = Verbal Abuse"
"Leeches
writer2 = Mastrokalos, Dodwell
extra2 = Verbal Abuse
length2 = 1:58

title3 = Abolish Government"
"Superficial Love
writer3 = Barnes, Emory, Grisham, Roche
extra3 = T.S.O.L.
length3 = 1:48

title4 = Can't Stand You
writer4 = Hanneman
extra4 = Pap Smear
length4 = 1:27

title5 = Ddamm
writer5 = Hanneman
extra5 = Pap Smear
length5 = 1:01

title6 = Guilty of Being White
writer6 = Baker, Nelson, MacKaye, Preslar
extra6 = Minor Threat
length6 = 1:07

title7 = I Hate You
writer7 = Mastrokalos, Dodwell
extra7 = Verbal Abuse
length7 = 2:16

title8 = Filler"
"I Don't Want to Hear It
writer8 = Baker, Nelson, MacKaye, Preslar
extra8 = Minor Threat
length8 = 2:28

title9 = Spiritual Law
writer9 = Royer, Agne, Calabro
extra9 = D.I.
length9 = 3:00

title10 = Sick Boy
writer10 = Colin "Jock" Blyth, Colin Abrahall, Ross Lomas
extra10 = G.B.H.
length10 = 2:14

title11 = Mr. Freeze
writer11 = Toucher
extra11 = Dr. Know
length11 = 2:24

title12 = Violent Pacification
writer12 = Cassidy, Brecht
extra12 = D.R.I.
length12 = 2:38

title13 = Richard Hung Himself
writer13 = Royer, Fred Traccone
extra13 = D.I.
length13 = 3:22

title14 = I'm Gonna Be Your God
note14 = parody tribute of "I Wanna Be Your Dog"
writer14 = Osterberg, Asheton, Asheton, Alexander
extra14 = The Stooges
length14 = 2:58

title15 = Gemini
writer15 = King, Araya
extra15 = Slayer
length15 = 4:53

Japanese edition