Here we go with the second album from one of my all time favorate bands. Slayer Hell Awaits, released in 1985 follows on from their first effort Show No Mercy, with a decidely heavier almost death metal feel to it. Whilst the first album had a lot of traditional metal influences (You can hear the Judas priest influences in their first album) This one is pure thrash metal!
After the demonic intro of Hell Awaits the song kicks in properly with some of the fastest and heaviest guitar work on a metal album to date. Tom Araya’s vocals have gotten deeper and more demonic in the year and a half since Show no Mercy was released and this would have to be one of the scariest and darkest metal albums released up until this point (The only thing coming close being Venom’s “Black Metal” album). Tom’s vocals on this are pure evil with some of the fastest vocalisations I’ve ever heard on a record. The dude just does not come up for air on he verses to both “Hell Awaits” and “Kill Again”.
“At Dawn they Sleep” keeps the diabolical riffage going and Tom’s “Kill” chorus is just magnificent… Just the thing for rebellious Teenagers to piss off their parents with! The intensity just doesn’t let up “Praise of Death” and “Necrophiliac” displaying glorious riff after riff, and of course Dave Lombardo’s drumming definitely levelling up for this album. “Crypts of Eternity” and “Hardening of the Ateries” close off what is one of the greatest thrash albums ever. Even 40 years after its release this still blows my mind in the same way as when I heard it in 1991. Crushing stuff from a crushing band!
Production wise this is a little better than their first effort with Metal Blade Records owner Brian Slagel shelling out a few more squids on actual producers after their first album had become the biggest selling record on his label. The sound is generally accepted as better, but I have to say I disagree. But that’s just my opinion. Regardless, the album went on to outsell their first one, and set Slayer up as major players in the then embryonic thrash scene.
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