Slayer 's first two albums , Show No Mercy (1983) and Hell Awaits (1985), were landmarks for thrash metal. They were more brutal, sinister, and explosive than those released around the same time by Metallica and Anthrax , for example. They paved the way for the screams and satanic lyrics, widely used by death and black metal that came later. Still, it was their third album, Reign In Blood , released in October 1986, that took the band to another artistic and commercial level.
While other thrash metal bands were releasing epic albums of 50 minutes or more, with abrupt changes in rhythm and tempo and almost clean vocals, Slayer saw an opening. They were already the heaviest and most extreme in the genre. Now, they wanted to be the fastest too. In 30 minutes of album, Slayer changed everything.
Therefore, in preparation for the band's farewell show in Brazil, Wikimetal has compiled a quick track-by-track analysis of the thrash metal masterpiece, Reign In Blood .
1. “Angel of Death”
The opening track, “Angel Of Death,” is what shaped a generation of metal. It changed the entire context of the heavy music market. It has a sinister opening riff, Tom Araya with an unparalleled scream, and that opening line (“Auschwitz, the meaning of pain”). It’s a shocking, destructive, and mesmerizing track. The horrors of the lyrics are combined with totally exciting riffs.
2. “Piece by Piece”
Coming immediately after one of the best opening tracks on a metal album, “Piece By Piece” could have easily faded into insignificance. But it’s an inventive track with a demonic riff. And it’s incredibly fast, in a frightening way.
3. “Necrophobic”
The shortest and most addictive track on Reign In Blood . A minute and a half of fury, speed, and a list of horrible ways to die. The chorus is also great: it talks about tearing human flesh apart and destroying limb from limb. Perfect for singing loudly at family parties.
4. “Altar of Sacrifice”
“Welcome to the kingdom of Satan!” screams Tom Araya in “Altar of Sacrifice.” Here is the grand celebration of ritualistic murders planned by Slayer as a form of culture shock. There are three absurd solos by Jeff Hanneman . And the final lines manage to be quite poetic: “Seeing angels dancing in the skies/ eternally searching for salvation.”
5. “Jesus Saves”
One of the fastest tracks on the album, “Jesus Saves” is one of those that shows how “Christianity is full of nonsense” and brings the first half of the album to a violent and breathless close.
6. “Criminally Insane”
This is the only single released from the album, but it's definitely not a radio-friendly track. It's 143 seconds of hyper-violent thrash metal. It shows just how terrifying Tom Araya can sound. It's a real adrenaline rush.
7. “Reborn”
Songs about witchcraft and the occult are always welcome. The second part of the album is less devastating than the first, but one of the highlights here is Jeff Hanneman's heavy solo.
8. “Epidemic”
Dave Lombardo 's drum intro is great, although it doesn't have any other particularly memorable moments.
9. “Postmortem”
The opening riff of "Postmortem" shows just how raw Slayer can be, far more so than their thrash metal contemporaries. It's one of the best things Jeff Hanneman ever wrote, with totally twisted lyrics. Not to mention that the build-up to the album's ending makes it all the better.
10. “Raining Blood”
"It rains blood/ from a torn sky." From the climatic and tense beginning to the eruption of chaos, "Raining Blood" brings the perfect ending to the album. It is yet another cornerstone in the evolution of heavy metal.
