Released in 1990, Seasons in the Abyss was well-received in all respects, incorporating more of the classic Slayer intensity into a more commercial - but no less uncompromising - sound. Drummer Lombardo took some time off and was briefly replaced by Whiplash drummer Tony Scaglione, but soon returned to the fold. South of Heaven disappointed some of the band's hardcore followers, as Slayer successfully broke out of the potential stylistic straitjacket of their reputation as the world's fastest, most extreme band. Combining Slayer's trademark speed metal with the tempos and song lengths (if not structures) of hardcore, along with the band's most disturbing lyrics yet, Reign in Blood was an instant classic, breaking the band to a wider audience, and hailed by some as the greatest speed metal album of all time (some give the nod to Metallica's Master of Puppets). Due to the graphic nature of the material, CBS refused to distribute the album, which garnered a great deal of publicity for the band eventually, Geffen Records stepped in. Two EPs, Haunting the Chapel and Live Undead, were released in 1984, but 1985's Hell Awaits refined their lyrical obsessions into a sort of concept album about damnation and torture and made an immediate sensation in heavy metal circles, winning Slayer a rabid cult following.ĭef Jam co-founder Rick Rubin took a liking to the band, signed them to his label, and contributed the first clear-sounding production heard on any Slayer album for the stripped-down Reign in Blood. While Slayer's early approach was rather cartoonish, their breakneck speed and instrumental prowess were still highly evident.
SLAYER DISCOGRAPHY ISRABOX SERIES
3 compilation (a series that also saw the vinyl debuts of Metallica and Voivod) a contract and debut album, Show No Mercy, followed shortly thereafter. The band was invited by Metal Blade's Brian Slagel to contribute a track to the Metal Massacre, Vol. They started out playing covers of Judas Priest and Iron Maiden songs, but quickly discovered that they could get attention (and fans) by exploiting threatening, Satanic imagery. Slayer were formed in 1982 in Huntington Park, California, by guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman also recruited were bassist/vocalist Tom Araya and drummer Dave Lombardo. Slayer survived with the most vitality and the least compromise of any pre-Nirvana metal band, and their intensity inspired similar responses from their devoted fans. The band put out some high-quality albums, including one undisputed classic (Reign in Blood), and saw the number of naysayers and detractors shrink as their impact on the growing death metal scene was gradually and respectfully acknowledged. Naturally, Slayer stirred up quite a bit of controversy over the years, with rumors flying about Satanism and Nazism that only added to their mystique.
Their full-throttle velocity, wildly chaotic guitar solos, and powerful musical chops painted an effectively chilling sonic background for their obsessive chronicling of the dark side this correspondence helped Slayer's music arguably hold up better than the remaining Big Three '80s thrash outfits (Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax). Their graphic lyrics dealt with everything from death and dismemberment to war and the horrors of hell. Slayer were one of the most distinctive, influential, and extreme thrash metal bands of the 1980s.