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Written based on this version: 1996, CD, American Recordings (Reissue, Remastered)
Slayer burst into the 1990s exactly the way one would expect: with aggressive speed, murderous lyrics, and an album cover that looks like it was finger-painted by Manson and Bundy.
“Seasons” was a reassuring album and it needed to be, as the climate of metal was changing significantly in the late 80s . The rise of funk and alternative metal had already corrupted a few hallowed artists at this point (Mordred and Death Angel had both begun to flirt with it). Death metal was still a few years away from taking hold internationally. From the very first cut, the punishing double-bass and machine-gun riffing of “War Ensemble” was a call to arms – Slayer were back, still the leading titans of metal, and the idea that they would ever release a weak album? Unthinkable! This band was an incorruptible, unstoppable force or, so it seemed at the time.
As the album plays out, it becomes obvious that the band is truly firing on all cylinders, thrashing cuts like “Spirit in Black” and “Born of Fire” blasting away with trademark intensity, Hanneman and King trading crazed solos over the speeding din. Even slow burners like the chugging “Skeletons of Society” find the band clearly in their element; riffing simple and effective, Araya belting out verse after twisted verse, the chorus doubled with eerie spoken accompaniment. Sure, “Dead Skin Mask” sounded like a creepy rewrite of “South of Heaven”, so what? It’s not like Slayer are running out of ideas! The 6+ minute title track is one of their greatest accomplishments, moving from Sabbathy crawl to clean melody to slashing riff crunch, all executed flawlessly, Lombardo pounding and pattering like a freak of nature. Overall, a collection of strong material, speed and power delivered in abundance. The band is obviously sticking with a winning formula as fans expected. If this lineup had stayed intact, who knows how many more quality releases could have been sustained.
The Clash of the Titans tour and world domination would continue for the next few years (I’m glad I bit the bullet and paid the outrageous 1991 price of $25 to see the Anthrax, Slayer, Megadeth, and Alice in Chains on the same bill. I almost passed on it!) At any rate, the unsuspecting metal hordes had no idea this was the end of the band’s strongest era.
Track List :
1. War Ensemble 2. Blood Red 3. Spirit in Black 4. Expendable Youth 5. Dead Skin Mask 6. Hallowed Point 7. Skeletons of Society 8. Temptation 9. Born of Fire 10. Seasons in the Abyss
Written based on this version: 1988, CD, Def Jam Recordings
Picture this: you're Slayer. You've just released Reign in Blood. It is an extreme metal classic and is recognised as such on release. It is commercially successful, too, and has attracted tons of controversy. It is fast and lean, under half an hour long, and contains instantly iconic and recognisable songs. How the hell do you follow that up?
The answer, of course, was to slow down. After pushing thrash to such limits, Slayer had no choice, else suffer from making the same album twice (which they did end up doing, but that's for another time). Rick Rubin is back on the boards, Dave Lombardo is back after a very short absence, Jeff Hanneman has written most of the riffs due to Kerry King's absence - he moved house and got married - and Tom Araya steps up his lyrical game. Oh, and his vocals are still manic and crazed but in a more measured way.
Just to make this clear, South of Heaven is not doom metal. There are too many faster, thrashier moments for it to qualify. It does, though, have a sense of doom and dread running throughout which is arguably more potent than Reign in Blood. Whilst Reign is a blink and you'll miss it slideshow of atrocity, disease, murder, death and agony, South of Heaven is that same slideshow but with a crippling inevitability. As a result, it's pretty intense, as song by song you get the feeling that something horrifying is about to happen, and there is nothing you can do to stop it.
Compared to the anti-reverb machinery of Reign in Blood, the production of South of Heaven focuses heavily on Dave Lombardo's drumming. They're fucking huge on this album. They never sounded better on record. As a result, Tom Araya's vocals are a little buried in the mix which could put off listeners who love the more upfront approach on Hell Awaits or Reign. The guitars are a bit drier than previously, which again is an acquired taste, but one I have acquired.
Track by track, it might not have the seamless album flow that Reign in Blood does. It also may lack a bookends of classic songs. To me, though, South of Heaven works better as an album because individual songs stick out to me more than on Reign. And I defend that album from the usual "songs sound the same" criticism. What's more, South of Heaven contains personal favourites of mine, and all in one place.
The title track opens with an iconic riff, eventually building with the addition of divebombing harmonics, drum strikes and fills. When Araya's vocals come in, you can hear the bomb ticking, about to go off; "before you see the light, you must DIIIIEEEE!" And with that, the slowburning opener is off. The riffing, mostly courtesy of Hanneman, alternates between being doomy and ominous to outright attacking in the verses, whereby the drums come out of their mid-tempo groove and into more familiar thrash territory. The lyrics, intriguingly for Slayer, do not actually consider South of Heaven to be about Hell: it's about Earth.
Forgotten children confirm a new faith
Avidity and lust controlled by hate
The never ending search for your shattered sanity
Souls of damnation in their own reality
Chaos rampant in age of distrust
Confrontations impulsive habitat
The chorus is something of a great pay off, in my opinion. The pre-chorus - "CHAOS! RAMPANT!" etc - leads you to believe something is upcoming, only for the main riff to come back in and repeat the process. As per most Slayer songs, the solos are a trade off between Hanneman and King, with each bringing their distinctive styles together at various points. The closing of the song is nearly a minute long of sustained feedback, ringing in the ears. Yes, this is my favourite Slayer song, and the perfect way to open the album, spelling out that this will not be a retread of their 1986 classic.
Despite its reputation of being much slower than its predecessor, South of Heaven contains pretty aggressive and thrashing fast songs. The title track fades into the next song, Silent Scream, which is nonstop and break neck in its precision and its power. A song about back alley abortions - whether its pro-life or pro-choice I don't know and honestly don't want to go into - Silent Scream contains nightmarish vocals, flawless drumming (check out Lombardo's fills on the track and his double bass attack, borderline blast beasting!!!), and lyrics designed to both intrigue and horrify. Whatever side of the debate you sit on - pro choice myself - it leaves an impact.
Silent Scream
Crucify the bastard son
Beaten and torn
Sanctify lives of scorn
Innocence withdrawn in fear
Fires burning can you hear
Cries in the night
Other thrashier numbers include Ghosts of War, with its haunted opening couple of bars, leading right into the song. Also notable is its doomy mid-section. Like most of the album, the themes seem to concern duty over free will, as on the WWII inspired Behind the Crooked Cross. Like a lot of Slayer songs, it's related to the Nazis (don't even go there), but from the perspective of the average German man conscripted into the army. It's actually a very sympathetic song, reminding us that people died in the war regardless of the side.
Time melts away in this living inferno
Trapped by a cause that I once understood
Feeling a sickness building inside of me
Who will I really have to answer to
March on through the rivers of red
Souls drift, they fill the air
Forced to fight, behind
The crooked cross
Fuck what I said earlier about transitions. As soon as Crooked Cross ends, it jumps straight into one of Slayer's greatest songs, Mandatory Suicide. This song is fantastic, with its main riff at once descending and ascending thanks to the dual guitars. Again Lombardo shines on the song, guiding the band through mid-tempo grooves and irregular time signatures as the guitars all too calmly palm mute in the choruses. Araya's vocals are also great - "feel the heat/BURRRRN!" - because they are actually mostly restrained, as on the chorus ("suicide...suicide..."). After a killer drum fill, the outro of the song contains more double bass drum insanity, haunting guitar effects, and a spoken word monologue.
Lying, dying, screaming in pain
Begging, pleading, bullets drop like rain
Mines explode, pain sheers through your brain
Radical amputation, this is insane
Fly swatter stakes drive through your chest
Spikes impale you as you're forced off the crest
Soldier of misfortune
Hunting with bated breath
A vile smell, like tasting death
Dead bodies, dying and wounded
Litter the city streets
Shattered glass, bits of clothing and human deceit
Dying in terror
Blood's cheap, it's everywhere
Mandatory suicide, massacre on the front line
King's love/hate of religion comes to the fore with Read Between the Lies, slamming Televangelists. Araya's vocals are machine gun fire. Whilst the song may be one of my least favourites on the albums, it's still a banger, especially with how energetic it is. The same for the Judas Priest cover, Dissident Aggressor, which is pretty out of place and I welcome it as a detour.
Why does Kerry King hate Cleanse the Soul? It's awesome, with angular riff work not at all "happy", as he once described it. Well, read this lyrics, bro:
Body that rests before me
With every dying breath
Spellbound and gagged
I commence your flesh to dirt
Body that lay before me
In everlasting death
Entombed in abscess
To rot and lie stinking in the earth
Sounds like a laugh, dunnit?
Live Undead took a while to grow on me, with its borderline sludgy and lethargic feel and winding/unwinding drum work. It's the doomiest song on the album, and even contains Tom Araya's signature stepped-on-a-LEGO-scream ("the PAAAAIIIIIN!!!!"). I love it. I also dig the alternating solos between Hanneman and King, almost a gauntlet to see who can out do the other. On this one, Hanneman comes out on top.
Closer Spill the Blood is another slow-burner, which takes its time to truly develop but gets there. It boasts some of Araya's best vocals, an acoustic guitar (on a Slayer album?), and a killer riff with weird bends and dissonance. Lyrically, it depicts some sort of blood sacrifice. Either that or a deal with the Devil.
I'll show you sights that you would not believe
Experience pleasures thought unobtained
At one with evil that has ruled before
Now smell the stench of immortality
Whilst the song does not stand out immediately, after repeated listens it does. I love the fact it closes the album in the same doom-laden and creeping way as the opener. A more subtle bookends compared to Reign in Blood.
In terms of Slayer's legacy, this album has the unfortunate distinction of being sandwiched between their most popular album and their most well-rounded one, that being Seasons in the Abyss, which shows Slayer consciously writing faster material again to balance out the slower stuff. In my opinion, Slayer never made a better overall album than South of Heaven. Coming off the heels of Reign in Blood, though, the album received a more mixed reception, with some complaining about the fact the band slowed down. Maybe in terms of tempo, but certainly not in terms of work ethic and songwriting.
Thrash metal rarely gets any better than this. Long live Slayer.
Track List :
1. South of Heaven 2. Silent Scream 3. Live Undead 4. Behind the Crooked Cross 5. Mandatory Suicide 6. Ghosts of War 7. Read Between the Lies 8. Cleanse the Soul 9. Dissident Aggressor (Judas Priest cover) 10. Spill the Blood
Line Up :
Tom ArayaVocals, Bass, Lyrics (tracks 1-3, 5, 7, 8)
A hipster’s worst nightmare, a true metalhead’s paradise - 100%
By EnvenomedThunder666, November 23rd, 2020
In the series of me ranting about how much I love metal, we have arrived at the classic album that started the hell raising in my putrid mind. Slayer is definitely the most important band for me when it came to getting into metal and they will always be one of my favorite bands of all time. I’m an absolute Slayer geek and it’s pretty clear. My nostalgia for this album and Slayer in general is far too extensive to fit into one paragraph, but I’ll put it all as bluntly as possible. Out of the many metal albums that have influenced me as a musician and a songwriter over the years, Reign In Blood is by far the album that has stuck with me for the longest time. I still vividly remember the first time my young ears heard Tom’s iconic “Angel Of Death” screech and being absolutely blown away. I had heard Metallica before Slayer as a kid, but Slayer are who really proved to me that metal was something that I was gonna be into for a long time. Slayer at that time felt like a freight train filled with napalm hit my ears at 1000 miles per hour. Tom’s deliverance of “ENTER TO THE REALM OF SATAN!” on Altar Of Sacrifice proved to my 12-year-old brain that you can make such a basic line sound so devastating. Not to mention nailing “Raining Blood” back on Guitar Hero 3 for the first time was one of the most satisfying feelings of my life. With nostalgia covered, I present to all of you wonderful folks an essay on why Reign In Blood is in fact NOT overrated, from the ashes of my repulsion filled soul.
Songwriting and song structural wise, Reign In Blood never ceases to satisfy me. Right off the bat, “Angel Of Death”, the controversial and brutally honest tale of the holocaust, begins the lyrical massacre with a fistful of steel. I really love how a lot of the songs on the album feel incomplete from one another, especially the infamous combo of “Postmortem” and “Raining Blood” as well as the bludgeoning combo of blows to all that is holy “Altar Of Sacrifice” and “Jesus Saves”, because it forces everyone to listen to the entire album if they want to get the full experience. Jeff and Kerry have absolutely phenomenal chemistry and they are both great songwriters who have their own style of writing haunting lyrics. Jeff specializes on the gritty war and social lyrics, while Kerry specializes on the horror fantasies and anti-christian songs. “Piece By Piece” is a fine example of how well Kerry specializes in the gore obsessed lyrical content approach, and his riffs are bone crushingly fast in addition. Despite the song only being 2 minutes long, not a second is wasted in ripping everyone’s fucking head off. The same applies to the following track "Necrophobic". “Altar Of Sacrifice” and “Jesus Saves” are a menacing combo of hostility, the first song obviously being a satanic anthem and the latter being a devastating blow to all that is holy. The following track “Criminally Insane” is a first person story about a serial killer: “Epidemic” is self-explanatory, and you could even argue that Slayer predicted 2020 with the song. “Postmortem” is a song once again spoken in first person, this time however about dying, and what the afterlife has in store for the deceased soul. And of course, I shall not rant about Slayer and not talk about the band’s most career defining and most popular song, “Raining Blood”. Everyone who’s ever listened to metal in their life knows this song, but not too many people look at it in-depth from start to finish. Written musically by Jeff and lyrically by Kerry, the song is an antichristian barrage of terror, telling a fantasized story about a genocide of a group of souls who are in a purgatory, and it finalizes on it’s aftermath. Tom’s performance on the album closing line “Raining blood from a lacerated sky, breeding its horror, creating my structure, now I shall reign in blood!” pretty much sums up what Slayer as a band are all about in just one sentence. They take no prisoners and slay anything in their path.
There’s no doubt that there’s plenty of high-speed, razor-sharp aggressive instrumentation all throughout this monstrosity. The guitar solos are infamously messy and over the top fast, but in my opinion they fit the chaotic tone of the albums perfectly, and the iconic and super headbang-able thrashing riffs totally make up for the sloppiness of the solos. Some of the solos actually serve a good purpose in addition to the madness, especially on “Criminally Insane” where the solo turns into demented whammy bar madness towards the end. No matter what all the annoying contrarian hipster “metalheads” try to say I’ll always back that up. And of course, Dave Lombardo is one of the best fucking drummers of all time and this album shows what he is capable of. So many rapid fire machine gun skank beats and double bass blasting is present and the fills make the already insanely over the top songs even more crushingly intense. The previously mentioned dual track musical piece of carnage “Postmortem” and “Raining Blood” is where the tempos become less predictable and the songs get slightly longer, but the furious attitude and catchy riffs remain in prominence. Hell, “Raining Blood” contains arguably the most recognize-able metal riff ever written.
You may be asking yourself “why on earth are you reviewing Reign In Blood, everyone and their grandma has reviewed Slayer before! Why don’t you review *insert crappy obscure black metal album or awful contrarian worshipped album here* instead?” which is a question I often get from imbecilc contrarians who think liking Limp Bizkit makes their taste free from pretentiousness. The answer is simply the fact there’s still so much to talk about that most metalheads would either willingly ignore or try to debunk, despite all that has already been covered about this classic. Besides, I would rather review a timeless masterpiece with tons of coverage then an abysmal fluke with no coverage any day of the week.
“Oh my god Slayer is so overrated bro Infant Annihilator and Signs Of The Swarm and *insert awful generic overproduced slam band here* are so much heavier and betterrrr!!!!111” Well, sorry to break it to you, inexperienced deathcore kid with a lack of functioning brain cells and an extraordinarily underdeveloped taste, but pig squealing and generic chugging riffs with obviously programmed and overproduced production with horribly pretentious and cringeworthy lyrics does NOT translate to heavy music, LET ALONE quality music. You wanna know what defines quality music? Superb and impactful songwriting, razor-sharp yet intense and aggressive musicianship, catchy riffs, verses, and choruses, memorable songs that keep you coming back after each listen, which ends up creating a replay value that’s through the roof high. Try listening to music that isn’t made by computers for once in your life and you’ll learn to appreciate rawness.
“All slayer songs are just random fast notes being played super fast” sure thing, ignorant thrash kid who endlessly worships Anthrax and Vio-lence as if their music is anything more than painfully dull and generic thrash that you only talk about because your self-righteous contrarian mind doesn’t want to appreciate bands that are highly beloved and respected. You can’t handle music that never slows down or loses it’s intensity? Then go listen to the obnoxious hippie alternative bands that RYM users worship and get the hell out of the metal community, you puny pretentious hipster. Metal fans like myself have had enough of hipsterism in our community and we don’t want you here. Ugh, sorry about that, I hate people. I just HAD to get my pent-up irritation off my chest, back to the actual review.
The cover art for Reign In Blood is quite intriguing and quite notable for this review, considering how immensely it depicts the lyrical content. Painted by Australian painter Larry Carroll (R.I.P 1954 - 2019). The artwork is a visual representation of multiple songs from the album. “Raining Blood” being the most obvious of the bunch, as the album artwork features lost souls being trapped in a purgatory breaking free and proceeding to cause a morbid massacre in heaven. The artwork is also the band’s depiction of hell, as evidenced by the goat headed satan performing a nazi salute and being carried on a throne by morbid angels, which is possibly a reference to “Angel Of Death”. The demons are surrounded by waves of blood and fire, and severed heads on top of impaled bodies surrounding the carnage, representing the fast, aggressive, overtly satanic and anti-christian anthems that are “Altar Of Sacrifice” and “Jesus Saves”. These songs, the intense artwork, and the major label promotion of this album in 1986 resulted in a massive spike in popularity and critical acclaim for the band, and it all resulted in Slayer’s cultural impact. They became one of the most worshipped, idolized, and influential metal bands of all time and they deserve every single piece of it.
In my eyes, there are 5 aspects of a metal album that truly define whether an album is great, let alone a masterpiece. Rawness, hostility, memorability, speed, and bold, groundbreaking intention. Slayer knocked all 5 of those categories WAY out of the park in 1986 with Reign In Blood and no matter what, I will never get tired of listening to Reign In Blood or Slayer in general. What’s crazy about this entire review is that you’d expect this to be my favorite Slayer record (unless you know me better), but if you did, you’d be mistaken! I like Hell Awaits just a smidge more musically, although impact wise Reign easily takes the cake. My multi paragraph long thoughts on Haunting The Chapel and Hell Awaits are for different reviews, but either way, R.I.P Slayer, R.I.P Jeff, R.I.P Larry, and hail Slayer for the rest of the crypts of eternity!
Highlights: Angel Of Death, Piece By Piece, Altar Of Sacrifice, Jesus Saves, Criminally Insane, Epidemic, Postmortem, and Raining Blood
Track List :
1. Angel of Death 2. Piece by Piece 3. Necrophobic 4. Altar of Sacrifice 5. Jesus Saves 6. Criminally Insane 7. Reborn 8. Epidemic 9. Postmortem 10. Raining Blood
Slayer's Masterpiece, They Never Topped This - 100%
By ThrashFanatic, April 25th, 2018
Written based on this version: 2004, CD, Metal Blade Records (Reissue, Remastered,, US)
In my last review, I discussed how much I enjoyed Slayer's classic debut record, "Show No Mercy". That was a awesome slab of thrash, but THIS is just on a whole new level! Slayer's follow-up "Hell Awaits" certainly raised the bar higher than it could go, with even more Mercyful Fate influence and stronger songwriting. The riffs are more varied, and Tom Araya's vocals are even more dark and sinister than the previous record. In my eyes, this is Slayer's undisputed masterpiece, and one that would never be topped.
The production is even more grittier and more evil sounding than "Show No Mercy". The atmosphere is truly diabolical, very dark and hellish. The guitar tone perfectly captures this imagery, with Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman's razor sharp riffs and solos. Tom Araya's bass is audible as audible can be, this is how you mix the bass on a record! His bass lines shine throughout, and they are amazing. Araya has always been one of my favorite thrash bassists. His vocal performance here is the best vocal performance he has ever done on any Slayer record. His vocals resemble that of a tortured soul suffering the most barbaric torture imaginable! Dave Lombardo is amazing as usual, with his lightning fast drumming and creative fills. You also can't forget his remarkable double bass!
As for the record itself, the opening begins the whole listening experience with some of the most demonic voices played backwards. These voices if played backwards continue to repeat "Join us". Then, a voice resembling that of Satan himself proclaims "WELCOME BACK". The chaotic riffing of "Hell Awaits" soon follows, and Araya's barks out the vocals with rapid fire intensity. The title track is truly a classic, easily in the top 5 Slayer tracks of all time. The voice that growls "HELL AWAITS" is quite possibly the beginnings of death metal.
My favorite track on this record however is the creepy "At Dawn They Sleep" which is about vampires, this song from what I can recall is Dave Lombardo's personal favorite Slayer song. The opening is as creepy as creepy gets. The haunting melody then leads into amazing riffs, and this section of the song is quite possibly the best example of Araya's bass talents. The solos on this track in particular are the best solos Hanneman and King have ever done. This track is essential listening. "Necrophiliac" has some incredible riffs, especially during the opening. I have always thought this track was a precursor to "Necrophobic" from "Reign In Blood". Anyways, this is a awesome track too!
This record is by far Slayer's most ambitious and progressive. I really wish Slayer did more albums like this, because this easily blows away any of their later stuff with maybe the exception of "Reign In Blood". The song structures are complex, the riffs are heavy, the solos are varied and aren't just whammy bar wankery, the bass is audible, the Araya's vocals are at their peak, and Lombardo's drumming is on point. These 7 tracks will drag you through the fiery depths of hell, I highly recommend this to fans of Venom, Mercyful Fate, Exodus, Dark Angel, and Exumer.
Track List :
1. Hell Awaits 2. Kill Again 3. At Dawn They Sleep 4. Praise of Death 5. Necrophiliac 6. Crypts of Eternity 7. Hardening of the Arteries
Heavy metal distilled into liquid obsidian--the cruel truth!
By GTO26, December 20th, 2020
Show No Mercy has a lot of things going for it--the songs are well written, well rehearsed, and considering the previous Slayer material it's clear that the band had a strong ethos of quality over quantity and what kind of songs needed to be written. It's situated perfectly between the plethora of heavy metal and hard rock influences to pull from and right on the cusp of the extreme metal blowout that Slayer would have a massive hand in bringing up. In addition, it's got enough speed to that even though it's retroactive we may finally use the descriptor "speed metal" to describe the metal contained within. For the occultic, Satanic freaks--it's finally the heavy metal album that actually FEELS like Satan worship this side of Venom. You thought Link Wray and Little Richard were selling Satan to children, Mr. Preacher?...it's time to face the Slayer.
One hallmark of a famed heavy metal album--and one as powerful as Show No Mercy--is that when brought up in crowds, and asked what the favorite song is, there's a plethora of answers. Some people prefer the gang-shouted ritual worship of "Evil Has No Boundaries," others prefer the mid-paced breakdown of "Die by the Sword," some prefer the catchy night stalker vibe of "Tormentor," and even some love the mid-paced, fist-pumping "Crionics," I settled on 100%--and probably the only album I'll ever call 100%--because I looked at every track and new that in some way each one held its purpose, each one deserved its place on the album, and even ones like "The Final Command" that seem out of place for the first twenty all of a sudden stamp out the tempo and riffs in a way still not yet demonstrated by the album. By the time the album is over--Slayer has never last place, showing something new on every track.
Show No Mercy is pure power, a resident of its time, and a template for apprentices that wish to worship at the altar of metal. The best part of it--there's so much meat to take, it's fair enough to say that some of the potential of Show No Mercy is still untapped to this day. It can't be imitated, because it was already made so.
Track List :
1. Evil has No Boundaries 2. The Antichrist 3. Die by the Sword 4. Fight till Death 5. Metal Storm / Face the Slayer 6. Black Magic 7. Tormentor 8. The Final Command 9. Crionics 10. Show No Mercy
In January 2018 the band announced it would embark on its final world tour, which began that May and ended in November 2019; the band is not breaking up but will not perform live anymore. Despite being referred to as a farewell tour for Slayer, their manager Rick Sales has stated that the band is not breaking up, but has no intention of ever performing live again. Kristen Mulderig, who works with Rick Sales Entertainment Group, has also been quoted as saying that there would be Slayer-related activities following the tour's conclusion.
Not to be confused with Texas power metal band S.A. Slayer, who was initially known as Slayer.
Slayer was formed in 1981 by Los Angeles schoolmates and guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Tom Araya soon joined on bass and vocals, and drummer Dave Lombardo joined last in 1982. They played in a style reminiscent of early Exodus, influenced heavily by Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, before their attendance at a mid-1982 Metallica concert convinced them to play faster and heavier.
"Black Magic" was written in February 1983 and marked Slayer's definite venture into thrash metal. They secured a spot on the compilation appearance Metal Massacre III in 1983, contributing the speed metal song "Aggressive Perfector". They also recorded two demos in 1983 and became a popular live act in the Los Angeles area (in 1983, Bob Gourley filled in for Dave for one gig and later appeared in Dark Angel). Their debut LP, Show no Mercy, was recorded in November, 1983.
Show No Mercy was released after Slayer appeared on Brian Slagel's Metal Massacre III compilation. Then came the two EPs Haunting the Chapel and Live Undead, the latter of which was actually recorded in the studio in front of 50 of their closest friends.
After 1985's Hell Awaits, Slayer were signed to Rick Rubins Def Jam record label, better known for acts like Run DMC. This led to three studio albums, including the brutal Reign in Blood, as well as a 1991 live double CD, Decade of Aggression.
Dave Lombardo left the band in 1987 for several weeks and was replaced for a few live gigs by Tony Scaglione (Whiplash), and then again left in 1992. Finally, in 1994, Paul Bostaph from Forbidden was brought in and three more albums were recorded. Drummer Jon Dette was an official member of Slayer briefly in 1996.
In 2001, Bostaph left to join Systematic. Lombardo, who had been in Grip Inc. and Fantômas, rejoined the band.
While both have sometimes been reported, the band was never known as Dragonslayer, and Slayer is not an acronym for 'Satan Laughs As You Eternally Rot', even though those words appeared on the first vinyl pressing of Show No Mercy between the grooves of the record (known as dead wax) and the paper label in the middle.
Slayer Discography
Show No MercyFull-length1983
Live UndeadLive album1984
Hell AwaitsFull-length1985
Reign in BloodFull-length1986
South of HeavenFull-length1988
Seasons in the AbyssFull-length1990
Decade of AggressionLive album1991
Divine InterventionFull-length1994
Undisputed AttitudeFull-length1996
ÜbernoiseCompilation1998
Diabolus in MusicaFull-length1998
God Hates Us AllFull-length2001
Soundtrack to the ApocalypseCompilation2003
Christ IllusionFull-length2006
World Painted BloodFull-length2009
The Vinyl ConflictBoxed set2010
RepentlessFull-length2015
The Repentless Killogy (Live at the Forum in Inglewood, CA)Live album2019
Anthrax continue their resurgence with a career highlight
By DerekB2323, January 5th, 2021
Written based on this version: 2016, CD, Nuclear Blast
For All Kings is one of Anthrax's best albums.
No qualifiers. No addendums. No bullshit. This is a classy, powerful release from a veteran band who, after a long drought, are experiencing a genuine career resurgence. For All Kings incorporates elements from their entire musical history into a perfectly balanced version of their sound, and the fact that it has some of their best songwriting only solidifies its place near the top of their catalog.
So what's so good about it? A few specific things, but also something general—the record has an intangibly large feeling. It feels big. It feels grandiose. It feels supremely confident, which is especially gratifying coming from Anthrax. After years of unsure releases in which they seemed to be trying to sound like other bands, it feels like Anthrax has rediscovered themselves. It feels like they've finally embraced who they are and their place in the history of metal. And that's a good thing, because few bands do this particular style as well as Anthrax.
For All Kings begins with a fury in "You Gotta Believe," a blistering thrasher in which we're treated to Scott Ian's tight riffing and Charlie Benante's driving rhythms. When these two lock in, it's thrash perfection. From there, the pace slows down a bit, but the songwriting is strong enough to maintain the momentum. The title track "For All Kings" is a gorgeous metal song, with escalating thrash riffs that build up to one of the biggest choruses Anthrax has ever written. "Breathing Lightning" comes in next as the clear "single" and centerpiece of the album. Often in thrash, the "single" just means "the boring money-grabbing song," but again, the songwriting here is good enough to more than carry the load. It's a perfectly catchy and classy kind of accessible metal single.
The second half of the record is where things get more interesting musically. "Suzerain" features a chugging riff that feels more "modern metal" than the rest of the record, but things storm back into more familiar territory with "Evil Twin." Anthrax's years of writing more melodic music really benefit their return to thrasher material, as they can apply those melodic sensibilities to that old thrash template. The result is songs like "Evil Twin" and the aforementioned "You Gotta Believe," vicious thrashers that include enormous hooks. It's a beautiful thing.
"Blood Eagle Wings" is a massive, sprawling song that explores a lot of different dynamics, and later, the album closes with a pair of gems. "This Battle Chose Us" features a huge chorus that's impossible to NOT sing at the top of your lungs, and "Zero Tolerance" closes things with some of the album's thrashiest riffs.
If you're able to sideline your nostalgia and judge it based on its merits, For All Kings easily tops records like State of Euphoria and Persistence of Time. No kidding. The songs are more memorable, the music is more ambitious, the performances are tighter and the skippable tracks that interrupted the flow of their earlier records are largely absent here. It's not quite at the level of Among the Living or Spreading the Disease, but For All Kings is shockingly good for a band this late in their career. Bravo, Anthrax, and congrats on taking back the throne.
Songs to check out: You Gotta Believe, For All Kings, Evil Twin
Track List :
1.Impaled
2.You Gotta Believe
3.Monster at the End
4.For All Kings
5.Breathing Lightning
6.Breathing Out
7.Suzerain
8.Evil Twin
9.Blood Eagle Wings
10.Defend / Avenge
11.All of Them Thieves
12.This Battle Chose Us
13.Zero Tolerance
LIne Up :
Scott IanGuitars, Vocals (backing)
Charlie BenanteDrums, Percussion, Guitars, Guitars (acoustic)
Frank BelloBass, Vocals (backing)
Joey BelladonnaVocals
Jonathan DonaisGuitars (lead), Vocals (backing)
***Disclaimer***
I do not own any copyright for any of this material!
Copyright belongs to Anthrax and Megaforce Recordings!
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