Here we go with one of the greatest, and most diabolically evil records ever released. Slayers Reign in Blood from 1986 is regarded by many as their greatest record. Id say if it isn’t it would have to be up there. It was definitely the most extreme sounding record released up until that point.
There’s no easing into this album. From the first second this things kicks off you have an onslaught of guitars followed by the drums coming in and that brain heamorrage inducing scream that goes from high to low. This is Slayer at their best. Angel of Death was a new kind of brutality. I don’t think they’re the fastest band or this is the fastest guitar playing ever but it sounds so freaking fast its unbelievable. Angel of Death has some of the greatest guitar riffs ever made wrapped into one three minute song. Then theres the madness inducing guitar solos at the tail end of this song. Unbeleivable! The assault on the senses continutes with “Piece by Piece” this is dark and evil stuff the likes of which had never been seen before. The lad just don’t come up for air, especially Tom Araya with some of the fastest vocals ever laid to tape. Necrophobic continuing their musical interpretation of hell.
Altar of Sacrifice is just diabolical in its delivery this is a band that has mastered the art of making scary music. “Jesus Saves” has probably the first slow riff on this record before the band let rip one of the most extreme riffing ever. It is ironically enough one of the most unholy way a band could finish off side one of such a devasting record.
side two starts off “Criminally Insane” which I think was the only other slow (well, it’s medium pace but in comparision to everything else feels slow) and then again they hit around the head with skull crushing speed riffage. The Onslaught continues with “Reborn” and “Epidemic”. This is top notch thrash that only masters of the art like Slayer could produce. “Post Mortem” follows with some unholy riffage leading into one of the most iconic songs in the history of heavy metal… “Raining Blood”. This is pure metallic bliss. the crushing riffage at the start of the song sets a new standard of brutality for thrash and even Death Metal to follow. The opening riff is like a call to arms for metal heads everywhere before descending into one of the most crushing songs ever committed to tape.
This album is probably not even 30 minutes but listening to this loud leaves the listener feeling beaten up. This is one of the most ‘metal’ recordings ever and influenced and entire generation of metalheds who tried to emulate the sound and agression presented on this record.
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