Cover Art and Album Title
God Hates Us All was originally intended to be named Soundtrack to the Apocalypse. However, Araya suggested that the title would be better used for a box set, which the band released in 2003. The phrase God Hates Us All originates from the song "Disciple", during which the line is repeated over the chorus. The lyrics are in reference to God's allowance of acts such as suicide and terrorism, while seemingly doing nothing to prevent them (see problem of evil). A member of the heavy metal band Pantera suggested using "God Hates Us All" for a shirt design after King played the song to the band. King agreed, although he thought the phrase would have more impact as the album title.
The original album cover depicts a Bible spiked with nails, covered in blood with the word "Slayer" burnt across it, while the liner notes feature Bible verses crossed out with a black marker. The idea was suggested by the band's record company, although King wanted more time to develop a better cover. He complained that the idea was typical of "a record company with absolutely no idea what the fuck they were going to do", and said that the cover "looked like a seventh grader defaced the Bible." King's concept for the cover was to show nails in a shape of a pentagram, and have them miss keywords in Bible verses so it appeared as if it had been created by a sociopath who knew where every word appears. A slip insert was placed in front of the covers in major retail outlets.
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