bondagewound's Full Review: Reign in Blood [PA] by Slayer
1986 was a very good year for rock fans. It saw the release of several of the best hard rock and metal albums of all time including, "Appetite For Destruction" by Guns and Roses, "Master Of Puppets" by Metallica, and "Reign In Blood" by Slayer. While "Master" may be the greatest metal album, it's progressive leanings and lyrical high-mindedness took the band out of the thrash leagues. Slayers epic "Reign In Blood" exemplified and exaggerated everything that made thrash so cool. It mixed the powerhouse riffs of hard rock with the speed and fury of hard-core punk. In fact, the record occasionaly seamed to have less in common with the former and more to do with the latter, at least in terms of structure; it always sounded very metallic.
The subject matter of the record (ways to die) coupled with the evil sounding music laid the foundation for American Death Metal. The difference between Slayer and the bands that copied them however, is that Slayer makes sadism, devil worship, necrophilia, and the like very believable. From Aryan occult wizards torturing their victims in Auschwitz (Angel Of Death), to funerals (Postmortem), to bloody storms (Raining Blood), Slayer's success can be, in part, attributed to the fact that they never endorse the twisted practices they sing about; they merely describe horrific goings-on and make their sonic bludgeoning as disturbing as possible.
The album alternates between hyper-speed assaults and the rarely seen, slow-form death metal that makes extensive use of the ride cymbal. Nothing sticks around for too long however. Most songs are over before they begin (The average track length is 2:50). The album clocks in at a little less than one half-hour. Not that the lack of playing time is a bad thing. It perfectly suits the maniacal spirit that dominates this record. Almost every element is geared towards making things as crazy as possible. Not only does Tom Araya imitate and mock the screams of the songs' victims, the vicious leads of Jeff Hanneman and the hideous whammy squealing of Kerry King do as well. Then you have Dave Lombardo, one of the original kings of speed on the drums. Araya's militaristic barking sits well in the mix and suits the music well. The whole thing is a package of aggression that, to this day, is unmatched. I don't believe that their is a single clean note on the whole album. The guitars are crunchy but not over-saturated. Though the tones could be heavier, they bite and never loose to fizziness. Tom Araya's bass is the only aspect that leaves something to be desired. There is very little punch to it; it is all mid-range and does not stand alone. Fortunately, it is only audible on it's own once throughout the entire record and it is for such a brief time that I can't fault the record for it; it doesn't detract, but it doesn't add either.
I started listening to Slayer on the recommendation of Henry Rollins. If you take a listen to his extremely funny "A Rollins In The Rye" album, he sites Slayer as one of the most intense listening experiences around. He is dead on. The record transcends the origins of metal (which lie with Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple) and is devoid of any blues influence. If speed and fury is what you crave, Slayer is an overdose of mania. This album is an undisputed classic of thrash. It is a masterpiece and an essential album for any fan of the hard and heavy.
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