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Slayer - War Ensemble - Guitar Lesson

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Slayer - War Ensemble - Guitar Lesson

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Slayer - War Ensemble guitar lesson video
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Seasons In the Abyss album cover
Seasons In the Abyss
1990 4:52
Listen on Spotify
Slayer Thrash Metal 1990 E minor
Capo Advisor 0 E minor · Original key

War Ensemble

"War Ensemble" is a track by thrash metal band Slayer, featured on their 1990 album Seasons in the Abyss, released through Def American Records. The album was recorded in Los Angeles and marked the last record with original drummer Dave Lombardo until 2006. For electric guitarists, the song offers a challenging study in high-speed thrash riffing, aggressive picking technique, and the tight, precise rhythm playing that defines Slayer's influential style.

  • Seasons in the Abyss was recorded across three Los Angeles studios, including The Record Plant, giving it a polished thrash production.
  • Drummer Dave Lombardo appears on this album; it was his last with Slayer until reuniting on Christ Illusion in 2006.
  • Critics compared Seasons in the Abyss stylistically to Slayer's earlier albums Reign in Blood (1986) and South of Heaven (1988).
Marshall JCM800
Amp

Marshall JCM800

Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman relied on the JCM800's raw, scooped-mid aggression cranked to extreme volumes to achieve Slayer's signature saturated tone without overdrive pedals. The amp's natural power tube saturation is essential to their pure, unprocessed rhythm and lead attacks.

EMG 81
Pickup

EMG 81

The EMG 81's high-output, compressed tone with cutting highs delivers the tight, aggressive attack that defines Slayer's palm-muted riffs and solos. Its hot signal keeps the cranked Marshall in full saturation while eliminating noise at extreme gain levels.

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah
Pedal

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah

Kerry King uses the Cry Baby wah as his only regular effect pedal, adding expressive chaos and intensity to his trademark chaotic solos over otherwise unprocessed, pure Marshall saturation.

DigiTech Whammy
Pedal

DigiTech Whammy

Not part of Slayer's core tone. King's whammy effects come from intentionally detuning non-locking tremolo systems on his B.C. Rich guitars, not digital pedal-based pitch shifting.

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