Few leaders are as internationally reviled as Russian president Vladimir Putin. Whether he’s unlawfully invading his neighboring countries or meddling in American elections, the 72-year-old autocrat has a way of drawing ire from the Western world. While, unfortunately, he has been embraced in recent years by the American right, his recent statement on a state-run Russian news network is something that every American can unequivocally reject.
Vladimir Putin just said “Diabolus in Musica” is Slayer’s best album. Now he has officially gone too far!
In an interview with Dmitry Kiselyov of RT, Putin revealed that, not only does he consider the 1998 album his favorite of Slayer’s catalog, but he has lamented that their brief foray into nu-metal with this effort was abandoned on all subsequent albums.
Unforgivable.
The sadistic gall of this maniacal tyrant knows no bounds. Has he no shame? How could one possibly listen to the murky chord structures and down-tuned guitars of this album and look upon it more favorably than “South of Heaven” or “Show No Mercy”? Naming literally any other derided work in their catalog could have been understood if not condoned, but with this take, the Soviet leader has crossed an unforgivable line. “God Hates Us All?” We disagree, but sure. “World Painted Blood?” We’d be open to his insight. But “Diabolus in Musica?” No. Never.
This whole ordeal is leading us to mistrust Putin, as such a statement couldn’t possibly have been made had he actually listened to Slayer’s entire discography. Is he even a fan? And if not, the lack of effort shown in him not even performing a cursory look at the band’s catalog is more telling to us than anything else he’s ever done. Any fledgling Slayer fan can just give “Reign in Blood” as a stock answer for their favorite Slayer album, but it takes a special type of monster to do what he did. Now we’re going to find ourselves second-guessing everything he says going forward.
We hope you’re boiling with rage as much as we are, dear reader, and are ready to mobilize and finally stand up to this bully. In the meantime, we’ve just heard North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un has denounced all Dio-era Black Sabbath albums. This had better not be true.