Undisputed Attitude is the seventh studio album by the thrash metal band Slayer, released on May 28, 1996, by American Recordings. The album consists almost entirely of covers of punk rock and hardcore punk songs, and also includes two tracks written by guitarist Jeff Hanneman in 1984 and 1985 for a side project called Pap Smear; its closing track, Gemini, is the only original track. The cover songs on the album were originally recorded by the bands the Stooges, Minor Threat, T.S.O.L., D.R.I., D.I., Dr. Know, and Verbal Abuse, whose work was prominently featured with the inclusion of cover versions of three of their songs. Undisputed Attitude peaked at number 34 on the US Billboard 200.
Undisputed Attitude was recorded at Capitol Studios in Los Angeles with Dave Sardy as producer and Reign in Blood producer Rick Rubin as executive producer. Recorded in three to four weeks, the album was largely the brainchild of guitarist Kerry King, who stated that the songs chosen were from highly influential bands who “made Slayer what it is”. The album was initially to feature material from classic heavy metal artists such as Judas Priest, UFO and Deep Purple. However, after several rehearsals “things didn’t pan out” according to King, so the band instead elected to cover punk songs.
Slayer considered covering 1960s 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. Gemini was written by King and Araya several months before entering the recording studio. King asserts it is the only Slayer song on the album. The song begins as a sludge, doom number, before becoming a more typical Slayer song.
Tracklist:
- Disintegration/Free Money (Verbal Abuse)
- Verbal Abuse/Leeches (Verbal Abuse)
- Abolish Government/Superficial Love (T.S.O.L.)
- Can’t Stand You (Pap Smear)
- DDAMM (Drunk Drivers Against Mad Mothers) (Pap Smear)
- Guilty of Being White (Minor Threat)
- I Hate You (Verbal Abuse)
- Filler/I Don’t Want to Hear It (Minor Threat)
- Spiritual Law (D.I.)
- Mr. Freeze (Dr. Know)
- Violent Pacification (D.R.I.)
- Richard Hung Himself (D.I.)
- I’m Gonna Be Your God (I Wanna Be Your Dog) (The Stooges)
- Gemini (Slayer)
Slayer
Tom Araya: bass, vocals
Kerry King: guitars
Jeff Hanneman: guitars
Paul Bostaph: drums
Production and artwork
Dave Sardy: producer, mixing
Rick Rubin: executive producer
Greg Gordon: engineer
Ralph Cacciurri; Bryan Davis; Jim Giddens; Bill Smith: assistant engineers
Stephen Marcussen: mastering
Wes Benscoter: artwork, illustrations
Dennis Keeley: photography
Michael Lavine: front cover photo, photography
Dirk Walter: art direction, design
