Slayer

Slayer's 80s stuff is just as horrible as Metallica's. Slayer didn't really make a good album until about 1994 and even that wasn't good enough for my likings. Although i do give them credit for their Masterpiece Christ Illusion [only because the cover looks like a KORN album], they will never compare to the heaviness and scariness of slipknot.

All these songs sound the same, the solos are too noisy, and they dont even have that many band members... why don't they have 9 members? Because nobody liked their 80s work!

For good Slayer check out anything after 1994, or for real heavy metal listen to Slipknot and Cradle of Filth.

I had been toying with the idea of buying this band's cover of punk songs called "Undisputed attitude" and I took the plunge in doing so, as well as picking up "Reign in blood" because a heavy metal magazine had recently said this was undisputably the greatest heavy metal album of all time. Thought about returning both cds, but held on to "Undisputed attitude" as it has a few good punk tracks (reviewed that title here, last).

My main problem with this title, and most of Undisputed Attitude is the sheer breakneck tempo of the music. There is no doubt in my mind that there is a 'cool' effect in increasing a song's tempo, such that the faster it goes, the more you like it. Here however, the tempo is so fast that it actually diminishes your enjoyment of the music. That's why I described this album as "techno for headbangers" in my header. In other words, IF you REALLY love VERY fast temp music, in a heavy metal style, you MAY LOVE this album.

Now, if the music had struck me as interesting, I MAY have been tempted to hold on to this cd. What made dumping this album even easier was the nature of the lyrics in it. They dealt with horror themes...quite detailed at times. It wouldn't surprise me if the horrific nature of the lyrics have been surpassed in recent times (search You Tube for Australian satirists "The Chaser" doing a cabaret version of a Cannibal Corpse song which is even more sickening than the lyrics on this album). I'm not saying that the lyrics in this cd are beyond the pale, but it crosses the line enough for me to be turned off by them.

The magazine which rated this album the greatest heavy metal album ever did mention this album being chock full of riffs. Unfortunately, either we have different notions on what a riff is, or I just found the riffs on this album unmemorable. Someone I had been emailing remarked that a certain heavy metal band that they had been listening to had a lot of "noodling" lead guitar work. Had never heard of that word before, but it did resonate with me...some of the lead guitar work here just seemed to wander around aimlessly.

Can't really say that I am a fan of the genre in heavy metal called "thrash", of which this album is apparently a part. The ONLY thrash album that I rate as good, is Metallica's "Master of puppets" (which I've reviewed here). Even though both these albums have elements in common, such that you couldn't be sure which band was playing that bit of music (e.g. the lyrical Haiku of Slayer's "Angel of death" and something like Metallica's "Thing that should not be"), I find the tempo so extreme in this Slayer album that I find it impossible to lump together these two bands, they are so different in style and intent.

The worst thing for me about this album is just the sheer lack of variety in the music. Like I said in the header, if you listen to one song on this album and like it, trust me, you will like ALL of the album. The converse is true too...if you listen to one song on this album and don't like it, trust me, you won't like ANY song on this album. I'm sure fans of this album will be able to point out instances where in fact Slayer DO change tempo or some such, but for me, the effect is never memorable. Their cover of "Violent pacification" is a shining example of how to change tempo to memorable and cool effect (on Undisputed Attitude).

Back to thrash metal, of the albums I've heard, mostly by Metallica, I tend to find them musically uninteresting for me...and those include albums that many heavy metal afficionados would undoubtedly call 'classics', like "Kill 'em all", "Ride the lightning" and "And justice for all". So...I would say that "Reign in blood" is superior to "Kill 'em all", which I regard as a bad album. It's just that I ditched BOTH albums. Would have ditched "And justice for all", if I could have, too. "Reign in blood" is not a bad album, musical proficiency wise, as I consider "Kill 'em all" to be...it's just that I find it one paced and uninteresting.

There really isn't a song on this album that I find "listworthy", as in Metallica's magnificent "Fade to black" on the otherwise unintersting "Ride the lightning" album. If pressed, I could say that some of the songs are SORT of interesting...e.g. "Angel of death", "Piece by piece" and "Raining blood", but they're not the kind of songs that I would really want to listen to for 'pleasure'. Which is not to say that I hate breakneck speed metal. In another album I briefly owned, the 20th Anniversary Nuclear Blast compilation, I did find myself liking the black metal song "Sanctus perversum" by Belphagor, which had interesting guitar work...melodically and texturally speaking. That song was also REALLY fast.

All I can say is that if you like absurdly fast heavy metal music with some gruesome lyrics (murder themes, occultish themes), you will find a lot to like in this cd. As I found the musical and lyrical tempo absurdly fast, I can't give this album any more than two stars. I'm rating this a better album than "Kill 'em all" but that is not saying much.

Of the kind of heavy metal albums I actually like, well, for thrash, I recommend Metallica's "Master of puppets", but my favourite album of theirs is "Reload". "Master of puppets" is a better album, overall, than "Black", but "Black" has two of my favourite Metallica songs "Enter Sandman" and "Unforgiven", so they almost break even, quality wise.

For those who like elements of hard-core music in their metal, my favourite such album is Coldseed's "Completion makes the tragedy" which is a brilliantly varied album combining what sounds like thrash songs to me, with power ballads, with grunge metal, with some guttural singing, with trippy songs. Reviewed all the albums mentioned above, mostly.

Fave metal songs:

Metallica: "Fade to black" and "Enter Sandman"
Megadeth: Prince of Darkness
Coldseed: "Burning with a shade" and "Low"

Also reviewed a lot of proto metal albums here and hard-rock.

After their second studio album "Hell Awaits" Slayer did their best album so far, "Reign In Blood". This album is not just thrash metal - it is speed metal - AND I Mean SPEED. It has 10 songs and it lasts less than 30 minutes. The songs are so heavy and upbeat. The band plays really fast and perfectly and the vocalist sings as fast as he can! Many of you argue that is this or Metallica's "Master of Puppets" the best thrash metal album of all time. Well, I don't know. They both are great and have no fillers. I still think that Megadeth's "Rust in Peace" is also a perfect one. This album has so many great songs: "Angel of Death", "Piece by Piece", "Altar of Sacrifice", "Jesus Saves", "Raining Blood" that are still in Slayer's live set. In fact, it's really shame that they all cannot be played in their every gig. This album is really evil! I should say that only Megadeth was more evil than Slayer in 80's. But argue also about that... Anyway, I think every real metal fan should have this album.
Stars: Raining Blood, Angel of Death, Jesus Saves

I am a musician, and over the years I have grown to enjoy and play most genres of music from rock n' roll to jazz to electronic music, but I have never lost my love of heavy metal. I am 35 now. I first heard this album as a mullet-headed, scrawny, pimply 16 year old a few years after it came out. I dubbed a cassette copy from a friend and completely wore it out.

There are nearly 600 other Amazon reviews here, so there's not much to say that hasn't already been said about Reign In Blood. Still, indulge me - I just want to make a few comments about how influential and timeless this album is.

To me, Tom Araya's vocals have always been one of Slayer's greatest assets. He can't really "sing" per se, his voice of more of an aggressive, unhinged bark, full of aggression and rage. Within his limitations he has a surprising range, too. To me his vocal style is more effectively aggressive than the standard cookie cutter, Cookie Monster-like cookie cutter death grunts and shrieks that are now a hackneyed cliché in metal bands. Plus, you can understand most of the lyrics by just listening - a lyric sheet is required for most metal bands.

Also, at the time this came out, with the possible exception of Venom, nobody was as blasphemous as Slayer. I don't think the band has ever really been Satanists, and I think they would probably describe themselves as atheists more than anything else. I look at the satanic imagery as more of a broadside against organized religion, Christianity of course in particular. In fact the lyrics of lot of the more Satanic songs, particularly on this album, would be quite cheesy if not for the raw rage with which they were delivered. Slayer is interested in showing us the darker corners of human nature, not in converting us to any one worldview. But if you've got a grudge against religion, Slayer is the band and this is the album for your angry moments.

Lombardo's drumming on this album is phenomenal, too - the guy practically invented the double kick drum technique that is now such a standard element of death metal. He's a little looser here than on most of their other albums. This was the mid 80s - no one had ever heard a drummer play so fast. There were a few English grind bands like Napalm Death doing blast beats, but blast beats at the time were more of an expression of punk aggression, not really a metal thing.

A few of the criticisms of this album are justified. For one, there is little bass presence to speak of, the same problem that plagued Metallica's otherwise excellent ...And Justice For All. For another the unrelenting attack makes these tunes sound kind of similar at times - the familiar "all the songs sound the same" critique. That can be true of metal bands in general, particularly in the years since Reign In Blood and with the personalityless grunts and inhuman roars have become the norm for metal. There is also a case to be made that some of the satanic stuff can seem a little ridiculous, again true for a lot of metal bands in general.

It's good that they made this Reign so short - I don't see how keeping this level of intensity couldn't start to grate if it went on much longer. After this record they began to explore more varied tempos.

But to this day, Araya's demonic shriek at the beginning of "Angel Of Death" still chills my blood. He sounds like a scaly, horned demon swooping down from a lightning-filled black sky to devour souls! The aggression and intensity do not let up from there. There are hardly even any gaps between the songs. It's a blistering, full-frontal assault from beginning to end. Some metal albums can be a little cheesy, but not this one. It's genuinely scary and perfect for frightening your parents, as it certainly did mine. It's an album whose legendary status is entirely justified, and continues to inspire new generations of metalheads to raise their hands in the "devil horns" salute. It's that good.

What else can I say? Simply THE definitive Thrash album of all time. Reborn is the only track I consider less than 5 stars on this one.

After "Reign In Blood" Slayer couldn't do anything than be slower and more evil. And that's what this album "South of Heaven" is all about! The songs like "South of Heaven", "Silent Scream", and "Mandatory Suicide" are still in Slayer's live set today. Why? Because they are CLASSICS! In fact all the songs in this album are great! At first I didn't like this album so much but after listening to it over and over again (after years of break) I realized that this album is awesome! It's no wonder that many think that this is one of the best albums ever. "Live Undead" is an interesting song. It seems like there's no chorus. Why? I don't know but the guitar solos are great. At first I thought I would give 4 stars but then I asked myself: "Why? This album has nothing but great songs!".
Stars: South of Heaven, Mandatory Suicide, Silent Scream

Another great album by Slayer and Rick Rubin. This album will grab you by the balls, and won't let go. Kerry King's guitar work is great as always!! This is a band that keeps giving you an assault of thrash and doom metal, that'll keep you comming back for more!!

Just another great album by Slayer. Slayer is a band you either love or hate. If you like this album then you will probably like all of their other albums except perhaps for 'Undisputed Attitude' because it's mostly punk cover songs. Otherwise, every album by Slayer rocks and this one is just as great with songs like 'South Of Heaven', 'Mandatory Suicide' and 'Read Between The Lies.' Enjoy!

Best Slayer record no doubt,and one of greatest Metal releases period. Every song on this disc is a classic Slayer,no fillers here.Brilliant musicianship and great production by Rick Rubin as always.

One of the best from SLAYER, if your a SLAYER fan and haven't heard this one then you aren't a true fan.
This album will grab you and never let go!!
I rate this album a 9 from 1to10!!

This is defintely an essential metal album. Slayer is one of the greatest metal bands of all time. This was the last album Slayer made with Dave Lombardo (before they reunited with "Christ Illusion"). As "South of Heaven" was very slow and evil, this album was again upbeat and brutal metal. True thrash! Although I love "South of Heaven", I think that there's something in the speed that always gives me special feelings. Just listen to songs like "War Ensemble" abd "Born of Fire", you notice that everything's in control while they're out of control. Although this is more upbeat than SOUTH OF HEAVEN, this is not as uptempo as REIGN IN BLOOD. I think that this is much like HELL AWAITS or SHOW NO MERCY but much better produced. The last track "Seasons in the Abyss" and the fifth track "Dead Skin Mask" represent the slower Slayer and the both tracks are classics. ALthough this is not as scary as HELL AWAITS, I really think that this is better.
Stars: Seasons in the Abyss, War Ensemble, Blood Red

Slayer is ok, I remember seasons in the abyss playing on headbangers ball and to me was no more better then when they played Overkill or Sepultura. The songs to me that really are decent are tracks 3,4,5,7 and 10. The rest of the songs to me are just thrash speed metal. I can find lots of influences from other bands in these songs and their album-- but to me the group stands on line with Pentagram. The riffs to me are nearly identical in tempo and style. They talk about black obscure spooky things. The lead singer is good and appreciate the way he expresses his voice in the songs mentioned. The irish are tending to be masters of black realmed music beginning with Pentagram, Slayer, Tool. But then again this is USA you cannot capture what you can let go.

Just another great album by Slayer. Slayer is a band you either love or hate. If you like this album then you will probably like all of their other albums except perhaps for 'Undisputed Attitude' because it's mostly punk cover songs. Slayer has always been consistant in style and quality: they just never sold out like other speed/thrash bands like Metallica, etc. Otherwise, every album by Slayer rocks and this one is just as great with songs like 'War Ensemble', 'Expendable Youth' and 'Dead Skin Mask.' The ultimate mosh band. Enjoy!

This album stays in the tradition of "SOUTH OF HEAVEN" & "REIGN IN BLOOD".
The blistering guitar riffs & the thundering drum beat, What METALHEAD wouldn't like this album.
From the very start of this album it will blast you into a totally different dimension having you hanging on for your pathetic life.
SLAYER is the best when it comes to METAL, Checkout "EXPANIBLE YOUTH" better yet checkout the whole album it will rock you and won't let go.
Keep this in mind this band started out hard and they haven't quit yet!!
I rate this CD a 9 from 1to10!!

This is considered by most to be Slayer's peak.And who am I to disagree.This is Slayer firing on all cylinders,every side of the Slaytanic machine are represented here.The guitars sound like chainsaws from hell and the drums are like machinegun blasts of the apocalypse.War Ensemble is possibly the most vicious recording ever captured.Tom araya's voice is incredible,mixing up vocal styles throughout.Thrash,death,doom metal,Its all here.After the smoke settles Slayer stand far above the hordes of generic death and black metal bands and are still the most intense and extreme metal band on the planet.

In the 80's there was four big thrash metal bands: Megadeth, Metallica, Anthrax, and of course Slayer. Although getting not big commercial success as for example Metallica, Slayer has been praised by true metal fans around the world. This album and "Hell Awaits" were quite unique in that time because of the evilness and speed. Of course there was metal bands that worshipped the devil but Slayer was still better than them.

I know that some of you may think that Slayer's first one is too unproduced but I have to say it makes it even more scary. The lyrics are very scary in this album. They are very evil! My favorites in this album have always been "Evil Has No Boundaries" and "Die by the Sword". However, recently I have discovered how great are the songs like "The Antichrist", "Black Magic" and "The Final Command". Also the killing title track is great! The music is also very scary, as the album front cover says. Has Slayer been influenced by Iron Maiden? Probably, because the song "Crionics" is melodically much near to early Iron Maiden stuff. However, Great!

Stars: Evil Has No Boundaries, Die by the Sword, Black Magic

Fast lyrics, fast instruments and an overall evil presence that defines the very word, 'SLAYER'. Tom Araya's 'theatrical' vocal style is reminiscent of Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson. Although it sounds as if Tom plays catch up with the rapid guitar leads, he plays it off with a long range of 'war cry falsettos' and an enduring, almost storytelling vocal style. Before a time of computer-accurate instrumentals, bands like Slayer were incorporating raw talent, in this case Hanneman and King's guitars, into their sound; a sound of rebellious Rock n Roll and evil thinking.

If you are inexperienced with Slayer, I'd recommend you start with 'Show No Mercy' to understand and learn the beginning stages of what they would become which is, undoubtedly, Heavy Metal Icons.

I picked this album up just to add it to my slayer collection actually. But i was blown back by it. I dont care that it's kinda cheesy and the production sucks a bit, this is probably my favorite slayer album. Its just good fun, pure thrash metal. It also has my personal favorite slayer song tormentor. The song just gives me chills everytime i hear it. Other great songs are evil has no boundaries(doesnt slayer just have a knack for making kickass openers?), the antichrist, die by the sword, and black magic.

Slayer's first album has not held up all that well, especially if you're cruel enough to judge it relative to their next few records. They're a bit larval here. Their musical growth and, uh, evil satanic menace growth or whatever between this and Hell Awaits is absolutely amazing. By my count this ten-track debut has only three good songs on it: "Die By the Sword," "Black Magic" and "The Antichrist." And on that last I just have to laugh aloud at how petulantly pubescent Tom Araya sounds while screaming, "I am the antichrist!" To take the song at all seriously you have to listen to the live version on Decade of Aggression. On the plus side, the part at the beginning of "Metal Storm" where King and Hanneman play the same riff over and over together with no accompaniment sounds pretty cool, even if the rest of the song sucks. So if you're not much of a Slayer fan don't bother; they have some much better albums. But if you're like me and you loves you your Slayer, then it's worth satisfying your curiosity about their first album. It's kinda fun.

Song by song:

A1 Evil Has No Boundaries **
A2 The Antichrist ***
A3 Die by the Sword ***
A4 Fight Till Death **
A5 Metal Storm / Face the Slayer **
B1 Black Magic ***
B2 Tormentor *
B3 The Final Command *
B4 Crionics **
B5 Show No Mercy **

The big four.
Slayer,Metallica,Megadeth, and Anthrax. Scratch Anthrax, I never liked them anyway. Replace them with Testament.
Slayer has consistently released quality album after album starting with this one.
A masterpeice that has withstood the test of time.
From start to finish.
Brutal,evil,scary, everything metal should be.
Slayer has only, after 25 years started to be recognized for their contributions.
And it's about time.
If your new to Slayer, this is a great place to start.

Just Imagine. You have died in your sin. God has sentenced you to life in Hell. The demons are all over the place, and they are about to tear your body and soul apart. There's no escape! You chose your way and now it's time to pay for all your sin. When you have been there for 1000 years, you think it's all over and your soul will be released - but then you find out it's not. It's all starting over again! The drums of doom are played again. HA HA HA! Your soul be in flames for eternity!

That's the feeling I got from this album. This is the scariest album I've ever heard. Just look at the front cover! There's demons tearing people's bodies apart. All the lyrics and sounds in this album are evil and scary. Even the beginning in which there's repeated "Join us" backwards many times is scary. The track "Hell Awaits" is one of the best songs Slayer has ever made. "Kill Again" shows the anger and wrath we have. "At Dawn They Sleep" tells about the nightime monsters. "Praise of Death", "Necrophiliac", and "Crypts of Eternity" has evil sounds - you know you're doomed when you hear the melodies. "Hardening of Arteries" is very short. There's about two minutes before the drums of doom which were in "Hell Awaits" start again. The whole album is a thrash classic!

Stars: Hell Awaits, Necrophiliac, Crypts of Eternity

Slayer-Hell Awaits ****

Not a classic per say but still a worthy purchase, Slayers third album Hell Awaits is one fire storm of an album. Chocked full of apocalyptic images and socially aware lyrics making this close to if not the most outrageous album of Slayers career.

Other than 'Necrophiliac' there really aren't any true Slayer 'classics' here. Though 'Kill Again' is metal brilliance courtesy of Tom Araya. Also 'Hell Awaits' the title track is among the greatest moments in Slayer history and is worth the price of admission alone.

So why not five stars? Simple, too simple in fact for Slayer. Where the guitar riffs of King and Hannamen are furious and well executed, as are their solos they feel dull and reused. Tom Araya's vocals are annoying at times here, and his lyrics are not up to the standards they would be on the next album through present day. Also is it me or does Dave Lombardo sound like an average drummer here? The man is easily the greatest drummer in the history of metal and here he sounds like just another kid in a garage. Also the production here is horrible. During the 1980's Slayer never had the same great production as Metallica which is what set them apart as a more raw thrash band, and in my book giving them they upper hand but here this is just too bad.

Over all Hell Awaits is a nice selection for any classic metal/thrash/hardcore fan. A great stepping stone as to what would come from the great Slayer.

This is one of SLAYER's best albums, back when they were playing 200 mph.
SLAYER is one of the only true metal bands left.
The whole album grabs you and makes you beg for mercy.
I rate this album a 10 from 1to10!!

Just another great album by Slayer. Slayer is a band you either love or hate. If you like this album then you will probably like all of their other albums except perhaps for 'Undisputed Attitude' because it's mostly punk cover songs. Slayer has always been consistant in style and quality: they just never sold out like other speed/thrash bands like Metallica, etc. Otherwise, every album by Slayer rocks and this one is just as great with songs like 'Hell Awaits', 'Praise Of Death' and 'Necrophiliac.' The ultimate mosh band. Enjoy!

1985 was a good year for metal. CELTIC FROST had "To Mega Therion", EXODUS released thier first album "Bonded by Blood", VENOM was still around with "Possessed", and SLAYER put out the thrash/speed metal classic, "Hell Awaits". The album begins with a slow fade into the monstrous sounds of suffering and fire in hell. A demon yells it's blasphemy and we now here the beginning of the song, "Hell Awaits". The title track possibly has one of the longest intros to a song and what a great intro it is. SLAYER builds the opener with a barrage of mid tempo riffs and thundering bass. Then the band switches into high gear and all hell breaks loose. Tom Araya is at his most fast and furious with his singing and Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King play some of the fastest guitar work at the time. Next is "Kill Again". Another tune with a rather long build up but, it's good. This album has a lot of parts with just music and no singing which means there are lots of parts where you just thrash out! "At Dawn They Sleep" Is one of SLAYER's best songs ever. Lots of cool time changes in this song. "Praise of Death" is very brutal. It pounds you with a gallopping drum beat and a killer riff and is also fraught with many time changes. "Necrophiliac" is a love song with a dead body. This song is also a SLAYER classic. "Crypts of Eternity" is an ignored song I think. Personally, I would say that this song sounds a little like IRON MAIDEN. There are a couple of duel leads. The sructure of the track seems similar to what MAIDEN would do but, that's not a bad thing. SLAYER liked early IRON MAIDEN and this song is just evidence of SLAYER's musicianship. The cd closes with "Hardening of the Arteries". The shortest song on this very short album but, don't worry, it's a great tune. I would like to give this album a five but I can't because it's not a very long album. Plus, it only has seven songs. I really think SLAYER could have put more on "HELL AWAITS". If you have the band's box-set, you know what I'm talking about. The length of the album is the only problem I have with it. All the songs are good. I'll tell ya something else that makes this record stand out among the rest. Tom Araya's bass tone is clean on this album. You can really here him. He also plays very well. He's not just mimicking the guitars. Some of Tom's best bass playing is on this album. "Hell Awaits" is one of those albums that you have to have. Don't be a poser, just get it and be cool.

I can only imagine the voices of those ones who realize that they have to be in Hell for eternity. This is a very scary EP. There's only four songs but they all are very scary. It may be as greatly produced as "Reign in Blood" or "South of Heaven" but it is as greatly scaryly produced as "Hell Awaits" and "Show No Mercy". This album includes very evil and satanic lyrics. "Chemical Warfare", "Captor of Sin", and "Haunting the Chapel" are the original EP tracks, and the song "Agressive Perfector" which is not as scary as the one in "Reign in Blood" reissue, is an extra track. All the songs are great. If you like "Show No Mercy" and "Hell Awaits", you should get this one right now.

A great short EP follow-up to Show No Mercy with great songs like 'Chemical Warfare.' You either love Slayer or hate them: there's no in between. Whatever people might say of them, Slayer has always been consistant in style and quality and if you like what's on this album you'll probably like everything else they've recorded except perhaps for 'Undisputed Attitude' which is mostly punk cover songs. Satanic thrash at its best. Enjoy!

Best 3 song cd ever recorded.... chemical Warfare, Captor of Sin, Haunting the chapel, At least thats what it was when i bought it years and years ago. Love it..

In 1984, just as Hair Metal finally overtook the New Wave of British Heavy Metal as the most popular form of Metal music in the U.S., Slayer finally decided to put their NWOBHM roots to rest and put out a three-song EP demonstrating the band that they finally became: an extreme thrash metal band. It was with this EP that they finally found their own identity as a band and found fans that didn't just see them to hold off seeing the next big British metal band come through.

This EP is very short, but sweet. Both Chemical Warfare and Captor of Sin are still live staples and amazing thrash material in their own right, and Haunting the Chapel is among Slayer's most underrated tunes, even though it doesn't hold up as well as the previous two tracks. The extra song on here, Aggressive Perfector (taken from Metal Massacre Vol.3) is Slayer's very first song, and is reason alone to grab this EP (even though it sounds like it's ripping off Metallica's Hit The Lights).

This EP is kind of hard to find; you may have to look in a second hand CD-shop or buy it online. Nevertheless, this is highly recommended for all Slayer fans!

Slayer were rapidly approaching their prime back in 1984. The previous years "Show No Mercy" album, along with Metallica's debut had sent shockwaves through the metal community, setting in motion a massive thrash metal movement that would exponentially grow throughout the next few years.

"Haunting the Chapel" was an EP originally released with only 3 tracks ("Aggressive Perfector" was added on the re-mastered 1993 pressing) and still remains essential for any Slayer fan. This is where the band really found their sound that they would perfect on later albums. While the debut displayed glimpses of the "Slayer Sound" that would be copied endlessly by other bands but never matched, all 3 original tracks on this album are just filled with said Slayerisms. The mid-paced powerful drumming (Dave Lomardo really starts to show his stuff here) backs up Kerry and Jeff's constantly interchanging twin guitar riffs and shredding solos, along with Tom's distinguished vocals. Each member of this band is outstanding at what they do, which is why Slayer were ever able to take the metal throne in the first place.

"Chemical Warfare" is the first and standout track and definitely one of the greatest tracks they ever wrote, and while "Captor of Sin" and the title track don't quite meet this standard, they are still highly enjoyable thrash and worthy in their own right.

As mentioned earlier, "Aggressive Perfector" was added much later and has a different sound to the rest of the tracks. It's also not as good, sounding more like a leftover from the "Show No Mercy" period, so I'd prefer to ignore this track when considering this release.

If you're a Slayer fan, then you probably already have this, but if you don't, then go get it. If you've never heard Slayer, then give yourself an uppercut to the head, then go get "Reign in Blood" now. Your life will never be the same again!

I was quite disappointed in the line that Slayer chose after Dave Lombrado left the band. However, this is the only Slayer album with no Lombardo that I love. In fact, I think this is their best since "Reign In Blood". All the songs are played and sung in a very aggressive way. There's much words and seems that there has not left enough time for solos. However, songs like "Bloodline" and "Here Comes the Pain" prove that Slayer is still, the same aggressive band which it was in 80's. The songs may not be as fast as in RIB but they are still fantastic! I have to say that I like each and every song in this album. This is metal - true thrash metal! It's great to notice that they still can be a true metal band although other thrash metal bands like Metallica and Megadeth had slipped away to mainstream metal.
Stars: Here Comes the Pain, Disciple, Bloodline

first things first...im not gonna write an over the top detailed review on every song...and second of all, i must admit that im not a die hard Slayer who gets tattoos of their artwork or song titles on my back or head, etc,... but i do listen to them and i personally agree with all the fans in that Diabolus in Musica is their worst album. ( my personal fav Slayer record is Seasons in the Abyss) now being that this record is the follow up to DIM, they truly needed to redeem themselves...and to me, they definitely did. the only track i think is weak compared to the rest of the album is "threshold". Slayer are capable of writing way better songs than this, but oh well. point is, is that this is a good record...so buy it.

Why is everybody bashing this album because is does not sound like Reign In Blood? What sense would it make for a band to put out the same exact album every time a release comes out. Now THAT would be dumb. Then everybody would complain that they did not come out with any new material!!

I read your reviews, you "three stars and below" folks, and held off buying this record because of your convincing comments that it was below par from the slayer classics...so i satisfied myself in not ever getting this record...until christ illusion came out, which i loved and would also rate as a five star classic. i had to give this one a shot...

what a foolish decision to wait so long: this record is by far the band's strongest, angriest, most powerful, brutal and evil record ever...period...and i'm a true fan of all of their records, except one. i could just never warm up to divine intervention, and i've given it a bunch of chances. every other record is a lead pipe classic in my book.

g.h.u.a. just starts so sinister with "the darkness of christ". you know from the very first seconds of this cut that you better strap in for a devil of a ride...then you're off with "disciple" and when you get to "payback", you realize that you've gone on the metal ride of your life.

one of the reasons for this is that the production of the cd is just plain louder. i've compared this to other cd's and g.h.u.a. is just dialed up on the volume knob.

musicianship is flawless, bostaph's best effort is here, and lyrically, the most vile anger is served up raw. no breaks, no ballads, no breathers and no filler. this one gets better with each listen. just like when i listen to reign in blood, i just never get tired of hearing the collection of cuts here. the aggression in the music is invigorating and never leaves me feeling cold...

to gauge your own tastes vs. mine, here's the slayer records i play the most, that get the most wear in the cd player or get pumped through the old ipod at the gym, in order:
ghua, reign in blood, christ illusion, hell awaits, diabolus, south of heaven, seasons, show no mercy (would be a lot higher with better production quality) and i never play divine intervention. i love decade of aggression but prefer studio recordings...

to those who hesitated on this one like i did, ignore the nay-sayers and enter a realm of sheer power and you'll see what i'm talking about.

one last note, friends, and i say this with all sincerity: SEE ... SLAYER ... LIVE ... AND ... IN ... CONCERT. you will be absolutely blown away; i've not seen a band to top them live...ever...

Why the review so late into the game? I was just listening to Slayer for the first time in a few months. I'm tired of everyone wanting "Reign in Blood" versions III IV and eventually V. I mean, come on, you don't think a band matures and moves on from playing 100 miles per hour?

Yes, I agree, that the same lyrics are getting OLD...hence the 4 star rating. The music is still top-notch and the aggression is still there, no matter what anyone THINKS they know about the band.

I bought the $28 import version and was glad I did. Yes, I know you can get the two other songs on the recently released box set, but they flow better in this album. It is well worth the extra $15 and then some. I still have yet to watch the videos or anything, I only care about the music.

My all-time favorite song by Slayer is on here: "Here Comes the Pain". Definitely destined to be a classic.

This is first Slayer album since SEASONS IN THE ABYSS with the drummer DAVE LOMBARDO who is one of the greatest drummers in metal. Still, I think I was a little bit disapponted because all of the songs in this album aren't as good as in GOD HATES US ALL which was one of the greatest albums ever made. There's great songs - just as "Jihad", "Catatonic" etc. which sound really angry - very aggressive! In fact the only songs I don't like so much are "Catalyst" and "Consfearacy" but that may be that I have only listened to this album seven times. I really think I have to listen to this more, and not just because of I can say it's perfect. I listen to it because I like it.
Stars: Cult, Jihad, Eyes of the Insane

I am a huge Slayer fan and when I heard that they were going to release their next album titled "Christ Illusion" I instantly pre-ordered the album to make shure I get it the day it comes out. I was suprised that Paul Bostaph left the band and Dave Lombardo returned to Slayer. God Hates Us All was a brutal album and Christ Illusion was a good follow-up album to that. When I listened to it for the first time I noticed that Dave Lombardo got better on his drum work and in some ways surpassed his drumming on "Seasons In The Abyss". Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman never lost their edge on guitar and still deliver a brutal guitar assault that would leave your ears bleeding and Tom Araya's bass playing and vocals are still killer. The cover art on the album are both offensive and really cool but eventually stores started to sell alternate covers on the albums. My favorite song on this album is also a controversial track, the song "Jihad" was criticized by victims of 9/11 because the lyrics are about the 9/11 terrorist attack in the view of the terrorists. Songs like "Cult", "Eyes of The Insane", "Catatonic", "Flesh Storm", and "Black Serenade" are heavy and brutal and gives the listener a dose of classic Slayer thrash.

Sadly I recieved word that Slayer is going to release one more album after "Christ Illusion" then they are going to quit the band.

Buy this album and keep headbanging to SLAYER!!!

You know what you get with a Slayer CD........every CD of the band's career is worth the buy...and that's the highest compliment I feel a band can get.

If you dig Slayer, check out the new SkinnedAlive live cd from Skinlab...a brutal, intense live cd....

With original Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo returning to the fold for Christ Illusion, there was much hype from the Slayer camp about this album being the best since Seasons in the Abyss. Usually these sorts of claims fall flat on their faces, but in the case of Christ Illusion, Slayer delivers and then some. Combining both their classic and modern (post-Pantera, ultra-low end) sounds, Christ Illusion is solid from beginning to end. I also consider Divine Intervention solid, but unlike Divine Intervention, every song on Christ Illusion is memorable (catchy in a Slayer way) and ridiculously heavy. Like it's immediate predesessor, God Hates Us All, Christ Illusion is a monstrous wall of brutality which doesn't let up for one second. Lombardo's performance is one of his best ever.

This album will not completely satisfy 80's Slayer purists, but if you like the modern God Hates Us All sound, this album will not disappoint. Christ Illusion shows that Slayer are still going strong after more than 20 years, and continuing to decimate most every other band around.

Favorite Track: Skeleton Christ

what can i say if you like slayer than get this you will love this.People say this is not as good but is so frickin awesome screw the ones who don't like this THIS IS GOOD SATANIC MUSIC!!!!!!1

How anyone accuses Slayer of selling out to the rock/rap of the 90's era I'll never know. Araya doesn't come anywhere close to rapping on these tracks. I've got to admit though, I hated it when it was first released. I'm 34 now and have been listening to Slayer since I was in high school. That said, I was used to RiB/SoH/SitA and hated the mods made in this release. I got away from metal for years when it went with the rock/rap garbage (Linkin Park...ugh!!). That said, Lamb of God brought me back and I started downloading a lot of older material that I'd gotten rid of over the years. I spent the money and redownloaded this album and am pleasently surprised. The sound is far head of its time. Deaths Head is an awesome track along with Love to Hate. Lots of memorable tracks on here on a release too often overlooked.

Probably one of Slayer's most creative albums. Those looking for full THRASH YOU [censored] BRAIN OUT metal album will be disappointed. The Tri-tone entrance that the album gets its name from (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabolis_in_musica) is a spectacular piece of work and will be able to last the ages along side some more classical pieces of music.

Not their best, but it's pretty good.
If you want to listen to a better album
get "Christ Illusion"!!
I rate this CD a 7 from 1to10!!

I wanted to love this CD. Just look at the artwork in the booklet and behind the CD! A man shot in the head, his blood all over the wall behind him, a whole line of needles sticking in the underside of someone's arm, and a pair of lips sewn shut! Rock on!

But sadly the music just doesn't live up the imagery. Standout tracks are only "Bitter Peace" and "Point" which are the two more aggressive songs on the CD.

This was Slayer's most experimental album, an attempt to incorporate elements of the popular (and very awful) nu-metal genre which had appeared around this time. It's somewhat interesting to listen to, but the songwriting just feels weak and lacking compared to earlier works. Something just doesn't quite work in most of the songs but I can't figure out definitively what.

You'll have to really be into Slayer to jump for this one.

THE MUSICK IS OK FOR HAVEY MEATEL BAND EVEN FOR A SLAYER FAN TJHE MUSICK Was good but the lyricks were crude overall my grade c+

This is first Slayer album since SEASONS IN THE ABYSS with the drummer DAVE LOMBARDO who is one of the greatest drummers in metal. Still, I think I was a little bit disapponted because all of the songs in this album aren't as good as in GOD HATES US ALL which was one of the greatest albums ever made. There's great songs - just as "Jihad", "Catatonic" etc. which sound really angry - very aggressive! In fact the only songs I don't like so much are "Catalyst" and "Consfearacy" but that may be that I have only listened to this album seven times. I really think I have to listen to this more, and not just because of I can say it's perfect. I listen to it because I like it.
Stars: Cult, Jihad, Eyes of the Insane

I am a huge Slayer fan and when I heard that they were going to release their next album titled "Christ Illusion" I instantly pre-ordered the album to make shure I get it the day it comes out. I was suprised that Paul Bostaph left the band and Dave Lombardo returned to Slayer. God Hates Us All was a brutal album and Christ Illusion was a good follow-up album to that. When I listened to it for the first time I noticed that Dave Lombardo got better on his drum work and in some ways surpassed his drumming on "Seasons In The Abyss". Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman never lost their edge on guitar and still deliver a brutal guitar assault that would leave your ears bleeding and Tom Araya's bass playing and vocals are still killer. The cover art on the album are both offensive and really cool but eventually stores started to sell alternate covers on the albums. My favorite song on this album is also a controversial track, the song "Jihad" was criticized by victims of 9/11 because the lyrics are about the 9/11 terrorist attack in the view of the terrorists. Songs like "Cult", "Eyes of The Insane", "Catatonic", "Flesh Storm", and "Black Serenade" are heavy and brutal and gives the listener a dose of classic Slayer thrash.

Sadly I recieved word that Slayer is going to release one more album after "Christ Illusion" then they are going to quit the band.

Buy this album and keep headbanging to SLAYER!!!

You know what you get with a Slayer CD........every CD of the band's career is worth the buy...and that's the highest compliment I feel a band can get.

If you dig Slayer, check out the new SkinnedAlive live cd from Skinlab...a brutal, intense live cd....

With original Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo returning to the fold for Christ Illusion, there was much hype from the Slayer camp about this album being the best since Seasons in the Abyss. Usually these sorts of claims fall flat on their faces, but in the case of Christ Illusion, Slayer delivers and then some. Combining both their classic and modern (post-Pantera, ultra-low end) sounds, Christ Illusion is solid from beginning to end. I also consider Divine Intervention solid, but unlike Divine Intervention, every song on Christ Illusion is memorable (catchy in a Slayer way) and ridiculously heavy. Like it's immediate predesessor, God Hates Us All, Christ Illusion is a monstrous wall of brutality which doesn't let up for one second. Lombardo's performance is one of his best ever.

This album will not completely satisfy 80's Slayer purists, but if you like the modern God Hates Us All sound, this album will not disappoint. Christ Illusion shows that Slayer are still going strong after more than 20 years, and continuing to decimate most every other band around.

Favorite Track: Skeleton Christ

what can i say if you like slayer than get this you will love this.People say this is not as good but is so frickin awesome screw the ones who don't like this THIS IS GOOD SATANIC MUSIC!!!!!!1