Black Metal History Month- Slayer : "Hell Awaits"

 I used to call this column "Looking Back in Anger" and perhaps will, this month since it is Black Metal History month a subtitle like that makes things too long. I hope most of you know this Slayer album came out in 1985 and was the band's second full length studio album. While thrash this album is darker than most other thrash releases at this time and help serve as the foundation black metal as we know it today was built upon. The ripping title track is one of the bands strongest songs. They continue to hit you with a bulldozer of fury on "Kill Again" which is blazing fast Not as compelling as the opener but still solid. 

There is more groove to the commanding "At Dawn the Sleep" which allows them to simmer on the darkness. While Slayer was always just playing around with Satanism for shock value, they did succeed at capturing dark feelings in their music at this time, I think this is due to Jee Hanneman's interests in the dark side that created this. Serial killers and Nazis are perhaps darker than Hammer Horror window dressing. Midway when they drop that half time riff it's just with crushing power. It is easy to hear how when they came out they fooled me as a kid. It still sounds great even if this is all pretend.  Then pour the speed back on and the results are not as impressive as the previous song today, but for when it came out well that is another story. Without question Dave Lombardo established him as one of the best metal drummers ever which he solidified when "Reign in Blood" was released.   

Alice Cooper already covered the subject matter of "Necrophiliac" this is just taken to more of an in-your-face extreme, well because this is Slayer it is also one of the album's best songs. "Crypts of Eternity" is a deep cut band the band that never gets the recognition it deserves. It has some solid head banging grooves that showcase the band's ability to create very heavy music that still serves a song.  "Hardening of the Arteries" finds Slayer barreling ahead at full strength, not playing to what I consider the bands strong points in terms of songwriting.  Overall, this album excels, so I will give it a 9.5. Not their best but heading in that direction.