"South of Heaven" was released on July 5, 1988, and was the final Slayer album distributed via Def Jam Records. When label co-founders Russell Simmons and Rubin parted ways, Slayer signed to Rubin's newly founded Def American Recordings label. The album peaked at number 57 on the "Billboard" 200 album chart, and on November 20, 1992, became Slayer's second album to be certified gold in the United States. "South of Heaven" was awarded silver certification in the United Kingdom on January 1, 1993, Slayer's first record to do so in that country. Slayer's official biography states that "some critics praised the album as demonstrating Slayer's desire to grow musically and avoid repeating themselves." Alex Henderson of AllMusic described the record as "disturbing and powerful," while Joe Matera of "Ultimate Guitar" deemed the album a slight departure; he wrote that while the pace was slowed down, it "didn't sacrifice any of the heaviness inherent in Slayer's music".