Best of Slayer

When entering this discography, I expected one thing, and one thing only. Fury. Now looking back at it, I find Slayer to be a more versatile band than I thought before, while still relying on that fury to run over the few doubters that exist. Yes, Slayer truly deserve to be among The Big 4 of thrash metal, showing a relentless (or repentless?) desire to out do everyone in any shape and form. So, let us all sum it up, this is the best of Slayer.

Best albums

3. Hell Awaits

Close to a progressive record, "Hell Awaits" takes that sweet Slayer mantra (that was not yet fully developed), and takes it to its limits. The songs in here are longer, but the band does not slow down the tempo one bit, keeping that furious speed in an impressive manner. With a cleaner production and some more fully developed ideas at hand, Slayer made sure that they would not suffer from any sophomore slump. Yes, this record kicks ass, and it is as evil as the devil himself.

2. Seasons In The Abyss

After the slow experiment known as "South of Heaven", the band bounced back big time with "Seasons In The Abyss". The song library here is simply awesome, and also very diverse, from the classic "War Ensemble" and the incredibly fast "Hallowed Point", to the  haunting title track, "Seasons In The Abyss" delivers an onslaught that few will get away without any injury. Seasoned close to perfection.

1. Reign In Blood

No surprises here, my opinion is just like everyone else's when it comes to the best Slayer album. Not only is "Reign In Blood" the band's crowning achievement, it is also one of the strongest metal records ever released. Screw the fact that it is only around an half hour long, those are the most intense minutes you can ever experience. Simply put, the m/s (metal per second) is incredibly high, and it is just so god damn amazing.

Worst album

Diabolus In Musica

It seems like every band went through a weird phase during the 90's, and Slayer had one too. Fortunately, it was a short detour from what makes the band so good, but "Diabolus In Musica" still made enough damage to make one wonder if they would even recover from that. This is more of a nu-metal record than thrash, and it is really questionable if Slayer really did this, or they just got scammed by Fred Durst or someone.

Best songs

5. Kill Again

Compared to the entire discography, "Kill Again" is not really that special. It is just another typical Slayer song that sounds good, but does not add anything unique. However, I have started to love the raw nature of the song, the rough edges really gives it a cool personality. It also has the single most hilarious moment in the band's history, Araya screaming "Homicidal Maniac" in a crazy, and cringy way. Makes me giggle every time.

4. Raining Blood

The most well known song in the discography, the "title track" for "Reign In Blood" raised the bar for almost all metal bands out there. The evil build up is enough to give you chills, but add an angry Araya, and two wild, screeching guitars that goes completely bonkers in the end, and you get one of the most evil songs ever. It is also a very useful tool for getting rid of a huge crowd of hippies.

3. Black Magic

The Ground Zero of the Slayer sound, "Black Magic" is just as magical as the name suggests. The build up is fantastic, the riffing is simply demonic, the drums pounds with great power, and the solos are just orgasmic. When released, no one had heard anything like this, like it just appeared out of the blue thanks to some evil witch spell. Not even some black metal bands today can reach up to these standards.

2. Angel of Death

It is a debate that everyone who listened to "Reign In Blood" has encountered, which is the better song, "Raining Blood" or "Angel of Death"? I prefer the latter, not because it is more effective in its execution or anything like that, but simply for the lyrics about the manic scientist (or torturer depending on who you ask) Josef Mengele. It is so easy to imagine him in front of your eyes, doing all of those awful things, when listening to this song. An infamous song for an infamous butcher.

1. Chemical Warfare

Winning this battle is a song that is not even in an album. "Chemical Warfare" first appeared in the 1984 EP "Haunting The Chapel", and is probably the most evil thing I have heard from the band ever. It still had that underground production that highlighted "Show No Mercy", so the darkness was only increased here, and added with the insane solos and the ever shifting tempo, this song was something out of the scariest haunted house ride you could ever imagine. Such a shame that it never got to shine in a full length release.

Best album cover

Reign In Blood

I love highly detailed album covers, and there are few covers out there that can match "Reign In Blood" on that. There is so much going on here, from the evil goat overlord to the severed heads. It was a statement, telling who Slayer was and what they were all about. Larry Carroll, you have made one hell of a painting, one that probably Lucifer himself has hung up on his bedroom wall.

Total discography verdict

Quality: 8/10
You know what you get with Slayer, and they rarely disappoint (except late 90's Slayer). It is ball breaking fury that gets the blood pumping and the antichrists rolling.

Creativity: 6/10
In one way, it is interesting to see someone reinventing the wheel over and over again, but at the same time, it means that your dreams of this band making a fantasy epic are not coming to reality in your (or their) lifetime.

Band Chemistry: 7/10
The band chemistry took a big hit with the death of Hanneman and the second departure of Lombardo in 2013, but it still holds up pretty well, with an old friend and a former member replacing, keeping the band stable.

Musicality: 6/10
Okay, it may not be too much musicality in a style that relies heavily on speed, but these guys know what they are doing. King and Hanneman could truly cook up some insane solos when they were at their best.

Lyrics: 7/10
It started out as almost pure satanism, but has in later albums evolved into more social criticisms, like war and such. The band has evolved in this department over the years, but I doubt a lot of people listen to Slayer for their "deep meanings".

Album rating summary
Show No Mercy: 7,5/10
Hell Awaits: 8,5/10
Reign In Blood: 10/10
South of Heaven: 6,5/10
Seasons In The Abyss: 9/10
Divine Intervention: 6/10
Diabolus In Musica: 4,5/10
God Hates Us All: 7/10
Christ Illusion: 7,5/10
World Painted Blood: 7/10
Repentless: 7/10

Average rating: 7,318181818181818/10

Another discography done then, which means I have to do a new one. Which band will be next? Follow me on Twitter (@ForsakenGates) to find out tomorrow (or just wait and you will see the first review eventually, still give me that follow though :P)

Stay Metal!
Robert "Sharkruisher" Andersson

Slayer - World Painted Blood (2009)

The new millennium had so far been kind to Slayer, revitalizing their sound and reignited their fury. The year 2009 was no different, a year when the band released their 10th album "World Painted Blood", a powerful knuckle sandwich that was ready to knock everybody down. While it did that to some extent, it was still a little lackluster in its performance, and it is quite telling now that I look into this album, about 8 years after its release.

You see, this album is really fierce, but there is something with this production that just flat out sucks. The whole band sounds muted, like they performed behind a glass wall or something. It forces me to raise the volume to an unnecessary degree that will only come back to haunt me when I play some other media after wards. Maybe it is not surprising since the band had lost more and more contact with Rick Rubin as the years had gone by, but it shouldn't be this bad (this is also the last Slayer record that Rubin had anything to do with).

"World Painted Blood" is also the last album that featured the original line up of the band. In 2013, Lombardo left once again (and was replaced with Paul Bostaph once again), while iconic guitarist Jeff Hanneman died in the same year by liver failure. While the band did not know this would be the final album for this line up, they still played like it would be, bringing it all on every song, never letting go of the gas pedal. Just the speed and fury of songs like the title track, "Snuff", and "Public Display of Dismemberment" would make any other musician jealous (or feel finger pain).

And that is the most frustrating thing about "World Painted Blood", the fact that it contains a really good batch of songs,  but also a couple of pointless fillers, and they all lose some quality because of the dense production. This album definitely had the potential to reach the same heights as "Christ Illusion", or even "Hell Awaits", but it is held back by its own dumb mistakes. Then we have the fact that the lyrics are just decent at best, nothing that stands out or anything like that.

Once again though, it is the performance of the band that lifts the record. Araya is pissed, King and Hanneman blazes through every riff and solo with great precision, and Lombardo pummels those drums with determination. This is a band that has found it groove again, delivering a passionate performance that should leave no fan untouched.

Man, this is an annoying record. It has such great ideas, such fury, such power, and yet, it has the hand brake on, never gaining any real momentum. The faults that plague "World Painted Blood" are too much of a hindrance, completely killing what could have been, a kick ass album that might have been one of the better Slayer records up to date. It is still a fine record, that is for sure, but it is not the steam roller I think a lot hoped for, and for that, it ultimately ends up as a disappointment. Just imagine the possibilities it could have had with some half decent production.

Songs worthy of recognition: Snuff, World Painted Blood, Psychopathy Red

Rating: 7/10 Americons

www.slayer.net/
twitter.com/slayer

More reviews of Slayer
Show No Mercy
Hell Awaits
Reign In Blood
South of Heaven
Seasons In The Abyss
Divine Intervention
Diabolus In Musica
God Hates Us All
Christ Illusion
Repentless

Slayer - Christ Illusion (2006)

The first word that comes to my head when I watch the cover artwork for Slayer's "Christ Illusion" is "nostalgia", because this is basically another "Reign In Blood" cover, only more yellow. It is actually a pretty accurate description of the album as a whole too. The band went back to their core sound in this record, and most of the blame could probably be laid on Dave Lombardo, whom returned to the band after Paul Bostaph had to leave because of a chronic elbow injury. Now, Lombardo was not in the song writing process, but I believe the rest of the band got some old school inspiration because of this member change.

The band is not wasting any time or space in this record, cranking up the speed and intensity from the start, hardly letting go of the gas pedal in any part of this album. This obviously makes "Christ Illusion" one of the most intense Slayer albums in a long time, mostly because it is as straight forward as it can get, not containing any bullshit. However, there were still a lack of quality song writing in here, especially in the lyrical department that were more of the same old stuff of religion, war, and that.

But the thing that really hindered "Christ Illusion" in my humble opinion is the lack of memorable songs. Most of them are good, that is for sure, but it is not easy to remember them, because Slayer has done so many other, similar songs that are simply better. It all starts with the riffs, while being good fun and all, King and Hanneman simply did not produce anything extra ordinary here, and the same can definitely be said about the solos that do not elevate the experience all that much.

The only time I even get really excited in this album comes in the second to last song "Cult", where Slayer is bashing religion like a boxer facing an old lady in the ring. With the lines "Religion is hate/Religion is fear/Religion is war/Religion is rape/Religion's obscene/Religion's a whore", Slayer is not holding back anything, attacking with brute force. An impressive assault that comes a little too late, but it does give a much needed boost to the album (and helps the final song, "Supremist", too). Otherwise, the only other song that really stands out is "Eyes of The Insane", not because it is a good song or anything, but because it won Slayer their first Grammy award, which is odd since I do not even think it is one of the better songs of this album. Oh well, we all know the Grammies are a joke anyway.

Back to the album, because even if I have been pretty rough on the band and on "Christ Illusion", I still think this is one of their best records in over 15 years. It is hard hitting, consistent, and a nostalgia trip that just warms a thrashers heart. As said though, this is still an album with few stand out riffs, solos, and songs, so the band can absolutely do better. It is still a very enjoyable album, and a successful comeback of the original line up, but it just does not hold up for any prolonged time, that's all.

Songs worthy of recognition: Cult, Skeleton Christ, Jihad

Rating: 7,5/10 Consfearacies

www.slayer.net/
twitter.com/slayer

More reviews of Slayer
Show No Mercy
Hell Awaits
Reign In Blood
South of Heaven
Seasons In The Abyss
Divine Intervention
Diabolus In Musica
God Hates Us All
Repentless

Slayer - God Hates Us All (2001)

There is no surprise that Slayer chose "God Hates Us All" as their next album title. While I do not think it is a direct reference to what they did in their last album, I can imagine that God did not like that one all too much (or anyone else for that matter). No, the title stems instead from the track "Disciple", and it is both an impactful slogan and a good hint at what the band is speaking about in the lyrics. No matter what, it is also a sign that the band was back at their old tricks again, making millions of fans breath a sigh of relief.

Yes, "God Hates Us All" is no weird 90's nu-metal experiment, it is straight up Slayer thrash instead. While it may not have the same furious spirit as some of their early releases, it is still good thrashing fun for the entire family, just what you want from a band like Slayer. The guitars are angry, the vocals are angry, the drums are angry, and the bass is as happy as can be... just kidding, it is angry as well. You can just feel the anger that fuels this album, and it is a very lovely feeling.

The band is obviously in the hunt for redemption with this album, and they do get it to some extent. I do think that the songs here though are ranging between good to mediocre, and the lack of a true knock out punch makes "God Hates Us All" feel a little more lack luster in its approach. There is still a lot of songs to enjoy here though, like "Disciple", "Exile", "Cast Down" and "War Zone", so you can tell that the band has not been lazy in the song writing process.

With that said though, I feel like "God Hates Us All" is an album that could have been done even better if the band had cut out a couple of songs. The album is not really too long (roughly 42 minutes), but it is packed with 13 songs, which is the most we have seen in a single Slayer album still to this date. With some of the fat trimmed away, this could have been a fantastic album. It is still a pretty damn consistent album from start to finish, but that makes me want a more compressed version even more. After all, the best Slayer albums are short and sweet.

What more can I really say here? This is the Slayer that we want, not that weird band we got in "Diabolus In Musica". "God Hates Us All" is angry, heavy, and overall a really solid album where the band never really shines, but delivers the goods in a very admirably way. It is a comeback that was much needed, and it shot the band into the 21st century with some good momentum. All in all, it is vintage Slayer, no more, no less.

Songs worthy of recognition: Disciple, Cast Down, War Zone

Rating: 7/10 Paybacks

www.slayer.net/
twitter.com/slayer

More reviews of Slayer
Show No Mercy
Hell Awaits
Reign In Blood
South of Heaven
Seasons In The Abyss
Divine Intervention
Diabolus In Musica
Repentless

Slayer - Diabolus In Musica (1998)

Looking into the Slayer discography, "Diabolus In Musica" is probably the album that stands out like a sore thumb, an ugly mark on an otherwise excellent retrospective. Now, why is this so? The obvious answer is that the album is different, very different from what a typical Slayer album is. Okay, not that different, but different enough to make one cringe.

"Diabolus In Musica" was released in 1998, in a time when the nu-metal scene dominated, something that is most certainly reflected into the album (and the new band logo for that matter). This album is a full on experiment, it takes the classic Slayer sound, throws it in a blender together with some Pantera groove, creating some weird, murky 90's metal humbug (plus some dust, don't breathe this). This description is awful in itself, and unfortunately, it does not sound much better.

The classic Slayer sound is there, buried deep behind a couple of C# tuned guitars that are taken straight from hell's trash bin. I do not know if it is the production or the actual guitars that makes them sound so awkward. There are some great riffs here and there, but it simply does not hold up. Araya also sounds weird here, probably because there are a lot of different effects that skews his voice. He tries, but he can't help it here. The only one that sounds fairly normal is Bostaph and his drums, and thank god for that, because without them, this album would be a complete mess.

So are the songs any good though? Well, the before mentioned stuff makes it harder to appreciate them, and there is none that is anywhere close to the best Slayer songs, but there are some that is noteworthy. "Stain of Mind" actually gets the groove thrash right, making a weirdly enjoyable Rage Against The Machine beat that suits nicely with Araya's aggressive style. "Scrum" might be short, but it is sweet as hell, blasting through in an impressive manner, something that "Point" also points out nicely.

Slayer (or should I call them §LL^YER?) tried to show that they could keep up with the young folks and their music, and to no one's surprise, they failed miserably. It might have been an album that worked for the time being, but it just does not hold up today, mostly because the effects and production is just garbage. There is some glimmer of hope here and there, but not nearly enough to save the album. So yes, this is without any competition the worst Slayer album out there, because of the simple fact that it sounds like a cheap copy of Slayer.

Songs worthy of recognition: Scrum, Stain of Mind, Point

Rating: 4,5/10 Desires

www.slayer.net/
twitter.com/slayer

More reviews of Slayer
Show No Mercy
Hell Awaits
Reign In Blood
South of Heaven
Seasons In The Abyss
Divine Intervention
Repentless

Slayer - Divine Intervention (1994)

Whenever a band lose a founding member, or a member that has been with the band for a long time, there is surely going to be changes not only in the line-up, but in the chemistry as well. While it seems like the separation between Dave Lombardo and the rest of Slayer went without any particular hick ups, the first album without him was a clear showing that Slayer had been shaken up to its core.

It is obvious from the beginning that "Divine Intervention" is not a future classic, because the production here is really gritty (and not the good kind). I guess the band and Rick Rubin wanted to create the same sound that they got from "Reign In Blood", but they over thought their design here, spending so much time to perfect it that it just becomes stale. There is no heart behind this production, and it hurts the album a lot.

Deep inside though, it is the classic Slayer that we get treated with. It is evil thrash with rabid riffs and demonic vocals. Still, there is something missing, something vital. I really cannot put my finger on it, but there is something (besides the sub par production) that just makes "Divine Intervention"... mediocre. The band tries their best, pummeling on and on with all their might, but they just cannot seem to get past the wall they try to break.

Some songs does punch a hole or two though, and it makes the album much more bearable than it would have otherwise been. "Dittohead" is one of the most aggressive pieces I have heard from the band, blazing through every part of their register in just over 2 and a half minutes. "SS-3" is a nice song about the German Schutzstaffel, and is also one of few songs where Tom Araya does not sound like he has a sandbox down his throat (he truly sounds hideous in several songs). Finally, the opener "Killing Fields" have some nice bite to it, while "Serenity In Murder" and the title track tries to recapture what the band did in "Seasons In The Abyss", and does so fairly successfully.

Other than those songs, "Divine Intervention" is just an album filled with bland songs that simply does not hold up. It is just one long shoulder shrug after another, and just like I said before, I cannot really put my finger on why it is so.The aggression is there, the fire too, and the lyrics are nice as well, depicting the evil that we see almost every day on the news. Could it really be that the production takes away so much? Nah, it might be more that it just does not match the quality that we are used to hear from the band, not in the musical structures or the memorability factor. It just does not stay put in your mind for any prolonged time.

"Divine Intervention" is a hard album to get your head around. It is still Slayer, and it is aggressive and all, but the  quality is just not there. There is very little in here that stands the test of time, and while it might be a decent album to just mindlessly listen to time and again, it is still far inferior to all of the other Slayer albums that I have covered thus far. Not a bad record per se, but very far from a brilliant one.

Songs worthy of recognition: Dittohead, Killing Fields, Serenity In Murder

Rating: 6/10 Mind Controls

www.slayer.net/
twitter.com/slayer

More reviews of Slayer
Show No Mercy
Hell Awaits
Reign In Blood
South of Heaven
Seasons In The Abyss
Repentless

Slayer - Seasons In The Abyss (1990)

With the release of "Seasons In The Abyss", Slayer went back in its development, but possibly for the better. The mid-tempo songs that underlined "South of Heaven" were still there, but it was broken up more with what we saw from "Reign In Blood", which of course meant fast and technical riffing, plus an aggressive persona that is unstoppable. In other words, a blend of the two different sides that we have seen from the band, fused into one mouth watering piece of thrash candy.

One thing that is new though is that "Seasons In The Abyss" is a seamless album, transitioning between tracks very smoothly. This of course makes the album a lot easier to listen to in its entirety, but the individual songs do not suffer from this. Every song starts and ends in a natural way, and that just shows what a good connection the band had with Rick Rubin, even if he used the polisher a little too hard here.

The album opens with a killer song, and one of the band's all time classics. "War Ensemble" is just how you would want a Slayer song to be. It is fast, technical, fierce, and has a pair of amazing solos. King and Hanneman delivers big time, putting out some sinister riffs that just crushes your skull. Let us also not forget that breakdown that leads to a classic Araya scream. It may not build as much tension as the opening to "Raining Blood", but it makes sure that the solo hits you hard.

While the album does not reach those kinds of speeds or thrills again (except in "Hallowed Point" were the pedal is to the metal from start to finish), it makes sure to stay fresh and strong throughout its run time. "Spirit In Black" has a smooth speed that just suits well, eventually transforming to that classic Slayer thrash that we all know and love. "Dead Skin Mask" shows off more of the mellow side of the band, a slow tempo song that creates a disturbing mood. It is what the band tried to create on "South of Heaven", but was not able to. Then we also have "Temptation" that uses an interesting technique that I like to call "The Double Araya". Simply put, Araya sings in harmony, using two separate vocal tracks to give the illusion that the band cloned him and created a singing two headed monster. Have to admit, that would be sweet if it was possible.

While my inner Slayer fan is usually attracted to the faster stuff, the slower title track strikes as my favourite track of the record. "Seasons In The Abyss" has a mysterious doom like start, not too far from what Black Sabbath did in their early years, building the tension up in a horrifying way. The tempo suddenly ramps up, transforming into a charging stead fast beat that is both bone chilling and hair rising. To top it off, we get yet another amazing solo that just fits so god damn perfectly in there. If your head is not rocking back and forth to this song, then maybe you should go look for a band that is more suitable to you, like One Direction.

This album also marks the last time we will hear from drummer Dave Lombardo (at least until he returns to the band in 2001), and while his style is perfect for the band, it is very rarely I think "damn, I love the drums on this track". It is probably because Slayer is so riff driven, but it still needs someone to bring some impact into the songs, and Dave does so nicely. No matter what, it is always a bummer when an original member decides to leave, putting a dent in the band chemistry that is not easy to get rid of.

Slayer had all the ingredients to cook up a tasty thrash meal, mixing their two latest recipes into one. The end result is a very diverse record that takes the best parts out of their two styles, creating a symbiosis that is so beautiful to hear. This album is the successor to "Reign In Blood" that everybody wanted, and that "South of Heaven" could never be. A great album that has just the right seasoning for success.

Songs worthy of recognition: Seasons In The Abyss, War Ensemble, Dead Skin Mask, Hallowed Point

Rating: 9/10 Temptations

www.slayer.net/
twitter.com/slayer

More reviews of Slayer
Show No Mercy
Hell Awaits
Reign In Blood
South of Heaven
Repentless

Slayer - South of Heaven (1988)

With the success that Slayer has gotten over their first albums, bringing a fast and demonic attitude to the growing thrash genre, many were possibly surprised when they listened to "South of Heaven". Unlike its brethren, this album is notably slower and not as heavy, which is actually a intended move by the band. Jeff Hannemann himself has said that the band knew they would not be able to top the predecessor "Reign In Blood", so they wanted to try something different, change up the pace of the band's career. An odd move indeed, but a successful one none the less.

Because while "South of Heaven" may not have the same anger and fury as "Reign In Blood", it still has enough fire power within to make the listener bang its head relentlessly. With songs like "Ghosts of War" and "Silent Scream", you can't really go wrong, it is classic Slayer in its best kind of form. Pure thrashing madness.

The rest of the songs though are kind of hard to melt down, mostly because we are not used of hearing Slayer playing like this. The beats are slow and moody, and Tom Araya is rarely screaming, toning down his voice by a lot. It is a lot to take in for the fans of the band, and it even might act as a divider, but there is no doubt that this is a Slayer record, a different one. The title track is evidence enough of that, being just as evil as you want the band to be.

My main concern over the album is the guitars, mostly because there seem to be no energy to them. We get some good riffs here and there, and some cool solos as well, but Hannemann and King is not delivering their A game here. It is not that I think that they cannot slow things down, I just think they did not put their hearts out here, not committing to the music fully. The same could be stated about Araya, but I think it is more that his vocals just do not fit in here properly. Simply put, he held back a little too much here, should have loosened up a bit.

In fact, the only one that seems to be fully on point in this record is Lombardo and his drum beats, but that could be a mirage since the drum track is pretty high in the mix. Maybe it was a good choice because it gives these slower songs some more impact, without drowning the guitars all too much. Songs like "Mandatory Suicide" and "Live Undead" take full advantage of this production, sounding a lot fresher than what they might have been with quieter drums. Still though, I do not think that is the make or break point of the album, it is just there as a nice added touch.

Speaking of nicely added touches, we got a cover in this record, and while it is not necessary at all, it is still an interesting one. Slayer have covered the Judas Priest classic "Dissident Aggressor" from "Sin After Sin", a great song that Slayer transforms to their own, and while it does not steal the show, it is a valiant effort that gives the song a new character. I like it, and it fits neatly into the album.

Overall, "South of Heaven" is a disappointment, with some lows and some highs in just over 35 minutes. We all knew that it would not reach the same heights as "Reign In Blood", that was given, but one would hope that it still would hold a high quality. It is a challenging record, one that tests the patience of the common Slayer fan, but there is enough interesting stuff in here to keep it from being boring. I like the fact that the band tried something different here, but let us be honest, we want the faster stuff instead of this. So move on over "South of Heaven" and let me get to the next album in the discography already.

Songs worthy of recognition: Silent Scream, South of Heaven, Ghosts of War

Rating: 6,5/10 Mandatory Suicides

www.slayer.net/
twitter.com/slayer

More reviews of Slayer
Show No Mercy
Hell Awaits
Reign In Blood
Repentless

Slayer - Reign In Blood (1986)

After taking steady steps up the ladder of success, Slayer was finally ready to really hit it big time. Before they started working on their third album, they switched record labels, from the smaller Metal Blade records to the major label Def Jam Records. Yes, you read that right. Slayer, one of the greatest thrash metal bands of all time, was picked up by a record company that is most known for its roster of hip hop artists. Let us all just take a small gander of what artists they have today. we have Axwell/Ingrosso, Ludacris, Will Smith (yes, he apparently still makes music), Kanye West, and (gulp) Justin Bieber. In fact, Slayer is the only thrash band ever picked up by Def Jam. I don't know why, but I find that to be hilarious.

Anyway, the one who made it all happen was the producer, and co-founder of Def Jam, Rick Rubin, who quickly gained interest for the band, and not surprisingly, he ended up as the producer for their new album, entitled "Reign In Blood". Now, we all know what a resume Rick has today, producing albums like "13", "Death Magnetic", and "The Life of Pablo", and that he has a tendency to clean off every last corner of the production, making it spotless (both for the good and for the bad), but there was something with the connection between him and the band that was clicking. The production in "Reign In Blood" does have a lot of the same clean feeling as its predecessor, "Hell Awaits", but Rick manages to put in more power into this record, making it sound even heavier.

While "Reign In Blood" is still a pretty demonic record, the lyrics were not purely about satanism this time. Slayer wrote more about real world issues this time, like death, murder, and anti religious things. It certainly gives the album more depth in its lyrical content than its predecessors (even if it is still kind of primitive). Just take the start of the album for example, "Angel of Death", a brilliant song about Josef Mengele, a horrific doctor who experimented on humans during world war II, most of them on twins. Some things he tried to do was changing eye colors by injecting chemicals, transfusing blood, and amputating without any reason at all. Oh, and if one twin died, the other was killed too for postmortem examination purposes. Brutal.

The album may only be a half hour long, but it is filled to the brim with high class music. The already mentioned "Angel of Death" is just orgasmic for so many reasons, like Araya's screams, the insane riffing and solos, and the wild drumming of Dave Lombardo. Actually, now that I think of it, that description could more or less be put into every other song on this record. While the songs are not exactly the same, they all do have a formula that works incredibly well, making "Reign In Blood" a very action packed 30 minutes that is short, but incredibly sweet.

So unlike its predecessor, "Reign In Blood" focuses more on brute, quick force, which works really well. The longest song on this album is just under 5 minutes, and there are only 3 out of 10 songs that makes it over the 3 minute mark. The only break you get here is to the opening of "Raining Blood", and that is just the calm before the ultimate storm, unleashing one of the wildest barrages you will ever encounter. Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman brings out the most evil riffs possible, and the solo is complete insanity, it is so hard to take it all in, but you know that you just want more of it.

Many consider "Reign In Blood" to be the best thrash metal record ever made, maybe even the best overall metal record of all time. While I would not go that far, it is still clear to see that "Reign In Blood" is an incredible record, holding no real flaws, except maybe the short run time, but even that seems justified, because the bands makes the best out of every single second, making sure that everything is done with 110% commitment. And the songs here are just god damn awesome, extremely tasty thrash candy that will leave you with a sweet tooth for more. Needless to say, this is an amazing album, and if you have not heard of it before, go listen to it now, or suffer eternal damnation, you uncultured swine.

Songs worthy of recognition: Angel of Death, Raining Blood, and every other song

Rating: 10/10 Altars of Sacrifice

Slayer - Hell Awaits (1985)

It is quite hard to match up the words "progressive" and "Slayer" together. Both are like magnets with the same charge, they just push away from each other. Still, I cannot find any word in the dictionary that describes "Hell Awaits" the best, it simply is progressive. Well, not exactly Dream Theater progressive, but more Mercyful Fate progressive, which is not surprising since that was the band that Slayer was influenced by in those days. With the longer songs (including 4 that goes over the 6 minute mark), it was clear to see that Slayer really tried to expand their wings in their sophomore effort.

Do not be mistaken though, "Hell Awaits" still packs the same, evil punch that the debut "Show No Mercy" did, but the success from the predecessor led to changes, some good, and some bad. First up, the good changes. The band feels tighter performing like clockwork, giving everything they got, and the same can be said about the song writing, which feels more cohesive. The classic Slayer beat is certainly there, and while it would still take another album to make it perfect, it was clear that the band was well on its way towards completing their sound.

However, we also have some bad changes, and most of them are in the production. Unlike last time, the band actually got a budget to record after, which led to a more professional approach. Now, even if "Show No Mercy" was a rough cut, "Hell  Awaits" could be seen as the exact opposite, sounding quite clean... too clean actually. It does not sound band, but it is missing a soul (which does sound like it would suit the band perfectly, but trust me, it doesn't).

On to the music itself, and while "Hell Awaits" does not contain any straight up classics, it still packs a lot of good punch, helping in solidifying the band. My personal favourite is "Kill Again", not only because it could be seen as a early blue print to other Slayer classics, such as "Angel of Death" and "Chemical Warfare", but the performance here is simply awesome, especially from Tom Araya. Even though I laugh my ass off every time he screams "Homicidal Maniac", he performs his vocals with tons of passion, raising the bar of the song even higher. It might even be my favourite performance from Tom ever, including every song that was to come in the future.

Another fantastic song is "Praise of Death", and on this song, it is Kerry King and Jeff Hannemann who steals the show, battling it out time and time again with their guitars until only one is left standing (spoiler alert, it is King who ends on top). It is thrash to the bone and definitely worth the five minutes of play time. You also got to love the pure evil that is the title track, while "At Dawn They Sleep" is a nice change of pace, slowing it down a notch (and it also include a cool drum break down). And "Necrophiliac" is... a song about fucking dead people. Do I really need to explain more about that song?

"Hell Awaits" is definitely an upgrade from "Show No Mercy" in close to every aspect (besides the soulless production), showing the band's potential. This is a Slayer album from the first to last second. It is heavy, evil, energetic, and short, just how it should be. While it it still far from perfect, "Hell Awaits" is a great thrash metal album, foreshadowing what would eventually come in the future for this band, and yes, it is indeed a bright future.

Songs worthy of recognition: Kill Again, Hell Awaits, At Dawn They Sleep, Praise of Death

Rating: 8,5/10 Necrophiliacs

Slayer - Show No Mercy (1983)

Funded by a loan from Kerry King's father and the savings of the famous respiratory therapist known as Tom Araya, "Show No Mercy" was released in 1983, and marked the beginning of Slayer, one of the founding fathers of thrash metal. The young band certainly made an impact on the public, quickly becoming the highest selling artist in (the still relatively young) Metal Blade history.

But what was it that gave Slayer this head start? Many would probably point out the satanic theming, and they would be right. Slayer was far from the first band to include satanism into their music (Black Sabbath, Mercyful Fate and Venom, to name a few, already did it), but these lyrics was combined with a sound that could as well have been stolen from any of the 7 circles of hell. The speed outclassed anything from that time, the riffs are outright demonic, and Tom Araya is probably the meanest and fiercest respiratory therapist out there (imagine his business card back then, "Tom Araya, Therapist and singer of Slayer").

The production however is kind of... meh. It is gritty, muddy, and in a lot of ways, cheap. Sure, the band got what they paid for, but they could have tried a little harder at least. It still got some type of charm to it that makes it tolerable, but it also takes away a good chunk of the band's excellent performance. Oh well, fortunately, that did not affect the band all too much in the early stages of their career.

What really mattered in the end, is the song quality, and sure enough, "Show No Mercy" has a pack of great Slayer songs. While they might be considered as typical Slayer songs nowadays, they were close to revolutionizing back when this album was released. Some songs have not aged all too well though. Songs like "Tormentor", "Fight Till Death" and the title track are okay at best when you know what the band would come up with in the future. In fact, some of these songs are closer to pure speed metal than thrash, which obviously showed that the band had not fully developed their own personal style yet.

The best songs on here are really good, still holding up to this day. Both "The Antichrist" and "Die By The Sword" shows up in the band's live set from time to time, and no wonder why, they are great songs that fits the band like a glove. But the crown jewel of this album is without any doubt "Black Magic". This is Slayer as we know it today. Frenetic riffing that sounds evil, fast drumming to get you pumped up, some shrieks from Araya, and best of all, an amazing solo that is sure to make you go nuts. If the previously mentioned songs held up to today, then "Black Magic" could almost be considered to be timeless, still sounding fresh today. A prime example of what would come with this band.

Everything that "Show No Mercy" lacks in production value is made up for with a great performance from the band, and the good song quality. Slayer truly laid the foundation to their legacy here, and while it may be rough around the edges, it still holds up as a solid piece of thrash/speed metal even today. After all, it is still a fast album that will get your blood pumping and your head banging, no matter if you are a seasoned veteran or a rookie. It is simply Slayer, even if it is kind of a warm up for what would come.

Songs worthy of recognition: Black Magic, The Antichrist, Die By The Sword

Rating: 7,5/10 Tormentors

Alcohol double review: Trooper 666 and Slayer 666 Red Ale

One comes in a luxurious box, the other with Eddie on it

The alcoholic market has become a great way for established bands to take if they want to get back the money that they loose from the decline of album sales. Almost all of the biggest bands have at least one brand of alcohol up for sale at our local liquor distributors. Today I will review two of these beverages, one that is a limited edition version of a previously released drink, and another one that has the devil's number in its name, and they are marketed by two legendary bands, Iron Maiden, and Slayer.

Trooper 666

My first alcohol review was on Trooper, a nice clear beer that I did a shit review on. What can I say, I was young, stupid, and drunk when I did it. I am not so sure if I would give the same rating today, but I will say this, Trooper does have a better taste than most other beer in the same class that I have tried.

To celebrate the great success Trooper has become (the beer has sold over 10 million pints!), Robinson Brewery and singer Bruce Dickinson has now presented Trooper 666, a darker version of Trooper that also has a higher percentage of alcohol, but promises to have the same rich flavour of the original. Now, I would not say the original was rich in flavour, but it was the least I could expect from 666, that it would resemble its brother.

The beer certainly meets my expectations, it is darker in both taste and looks, and also has a higher percentage of alcohol in it. The taste does also have sort of that citric taste that mad the original Trooper stand out, which I am very pleased over, since I feared that the darkness would consume its personality. In fact, it gets its own personality thanks to this darkness.

If Trooper was this teenager that could barely grow a mustasche and had just reached the required age to buy beer, Trooper 666 is a guy in his late 20's/early 30's, mature and experienced enough to know what kind of beer they want, but young enough to still go out and party. Robinson Brewery has certainly succeeded in evolving this beverage into something that one would not mistake for water. Up the Irons!

Rating: 8,5/10

Slayer 666 Red Ale

Slayer 666 Red Ale actually comes from a Swedish brewery called Nils Oscar Bryggeri (Sweden, fuck yeah!!!), which actually surprised me since Slayer is an American band. But then I remembered one thing that could explain one thing or two, that most American beer suck. For us Europeans, American beer tastes like water. Beers like Budweiser, Coors and Red Stripe is so much blander than what I am used to. The only American beer I can actually enjoy is Samuel Adams, and that is mostly thanks to this sketch from "The Chappelle Show" (Dave Chappelle, what a guy).



Compared to Trooper 666, Slayer 666 Red Ale is not that much different. It is a little darker in color and it only packs 6.5% in alcohol percentage compared to Trooper 666's 6.6%. The main difference comes of course in the taste, which is a much darker one. Whenever I take I sip, I get taken down to hell, just to get a seat next to Jeff Hannemann where he will sit, in his throne, reigning in blood. Okay, I might have carried away a little there, but I have to admit that it was better than what I expected.

First off, the beer is dark, a lot darker than what I am used. It is not quite as dark as the idol of all dark beer, which of course is Guiness, which eased my mind since I consider those types to be more tar than beer. Anyway, the beer does take a while for me to chug down, but it is not so bad that I have to force it down. It does hit you as hard as the band can do when they reach their max potential.

What I do not like about the beer is that it does not have too big of a own personality, it just tastes of dark ale. The taste is good, and reflects the band quite well, but I would have liked more originality to it. With that said, it is still obvious that the band and brewery master Patrick Holmqvist connected together and was really dedicated to create a beer that did not taste like piss. Certainly something for the fans of the band.

Rating: 7/10

In conclusion, two fine examples of beer that every fan should try at least once in their lives. I may think that most of these alcoholic band drinks are just a complex and innovative way to get some more cash, but there is several upsides to it, one is that it makes it easier for a music lover to chose among the endless list of beverage that is available. So support your band, and chug, chug, chug!

Stay Metal!
Robert "Sharkruisher" Andersson

Slayer - Repentless (2015)

There are few albums I have been so worried about as the 11th Slayer album "Repentless". Not only becaue the band has not done a impressive album in a long time, but it was also the first one since the death of Jeff Hanneman, original guitarist and major song writer for the band. Not only that, the band has had an infected break up with drummer Dave Lombardo to top it all off. The question was now up if replacements Paul Bostaph and Gary Holt could help Slayer enough to make "Repentless" a strong force to be recon with, enough to make Jeff smile from his throne in hell.

In the last two years or so, the band has released some tastes of the albums with highly various results. First was "Implode", which I first felt was like Slayer impersonating themselves. It had aggression and fury, but it was more controlled and laid back than what I want to hear from the band. Feels like they are running on 70% steam here, which is not acceptable. The next released track was "When The Stillness Comes", which literally put me to sleep. The idea might have been okay with this dark and gloomy setting, but it did not really pay off. However, the ending of that song was both surprising and impressive, which definitely got my hopes up that "Repentless" would have some fire in it, hopes that was more or less fulfilled when the title track was released.

I can honestly say that "Repentless" is one of the best songs the band has created in the last 20 years. Combining fast drumming, frenetic riffing, and a aggression that just screams Slayer, "Repentless" is the perfect modern interpretation of the band's classic stuff. I do think that Tom Araya sounds a little troubled, struggling to get those clean screams out, but his scratchy voice does give the song a nice little extra touch that makes you forget about the short comings. All in all, a fantastic song that is the clear stand out in the entire album.

What surprise me the most with the album "Repentless" is the whole inconsistency of the songs. Some songs are pure thrash candy, while others are about as sluggish as my gran (sorry, no offense). The band is doing nothing wrong in their performance, because thanks to the multiple years of touring together with the band, Gary Holt (Exodus) has established himself into the group and created a strong, solid bond with Kerry King. Paul is also doing a good job, which does not surprise me one bit since he was in the band before (92-96 and 97-01).

No, the problem lies in the song writing, which is incredibly inconsistent. "Pride And Prejudice" is a really rough song that ends the album in a bad way, while "Cast The First Stone" and "When The Stillness Comes" creates some kind of slow void inside the album, almost splitting it in half. Just a super weird decision to put those two together. I also think "Vices" is really strange, with its lyrics about drugs, although it does make me chuckle when Tom screams "Let's get high!". Good or bad? You decide. Listen instead to the amazing riffing in "Atrocity Vendor", the fury of the Araya in "You Against You", and also "Implode", that does surprisingly get better over time (especially the second half of the song).

Despite being a uneven experience, "Repentless" does live up to its name. The band shows that they do not regret anything and that they are still here and thrashing hard, despite the various events that has happened to the band lately. As you would guess, "Repentless" is not even close to match the classic albums, but it does have its charm, and stands up as one of the better albums the band has put out in the 21st century. Slayer is surely the true definition of repentless (even if it only is a made up word).

Songs worthy of recognition: Repentless, Atrocity Vendor, You Against You

Rating: 7/10 Piano wires