Slayer is about as far on the "heaviness" scale as I like to go, but I do like them a lot. "Raining Blood" is a classic featuring one of the all-time great metal riffs. The sound of rain and those drums kicking in still gives me a chill, decades after I first heard it. In my opinion this is heavy metal at its most brutal and primitive (played live the bit from 2:10 to 2:38 results in an instant mosh pit; I've seen these guys in concert and the reaction is pavlovian). Yes, there are "heavier" bands, but Slayer still remains recognizable as music--a savage and scary brand of music, but one performed by talented musicians. Your mileage may vary, of course.
Turn it up, but not too loud, lest you frighten your household.
This album really hasn't lost anything over time (unlike the band themselves following Seasons). Another good choice this week.
ReplyDeleteI agree, its an ageless album.
ReplyDeleteI think it's rather overrated, to be honest. It's got two outstanding songs at the start and end, and some good stuff in between but a lot of the middle runs together for me. Thankfully it's such a short album that I don't really resent it too much for that, but I think Hell Awaits, South of Heaven, and Seasons in the Abyss are all superior.
ReplyDeleteAndy: No!
ReplyDeleteBut seriously, my favorite Slayer album in Seasons in the Abyss. I just happen to think that Raining Blood is their most iconic song.
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ReplyDeletehi brian
ReplyDeleteslayer's going to perform for the first time in india on oct 20
hell awaits!
cheers
ranjit