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Reign In Blood

Slayer

1986

Reign In Blood

Album Summary

Reign in Blood is the third studio album by American thrash metal band Slayer, released on October 7, 1986, by Def Jam Recordings. The album was the band's first collaboration with producer Rick Rubin, whose input helped the band's sound evolve. The release date of the album was delayed because of concerns regarding the lyrical subject matter of the opening track "Angel of Death", which refers to Josef Mengele and describes acts such as human experimentation that he committed at the Auschwitz concentration camp. The band's members stated that they did not condone Nazism and were merely interested in the subject.Reign in Blood was well received by both critics and fans, and was responsible for bringing Slayer to the attention of a mainstream metal audience. Today, it is often mentioned among the greatest heavy metal records ever. In their 2017 listing of the 100 Greatest Metal albums of all time, Rolling Stone magazine ranked "Reign in Blood" at #6. Alongside Anthrax's Among the Living, Megadeth's Peace Sells... but Who's Buying?, and Metallica's Master of Puppets, Reign in Blood helped define the sound of the emerging US thrash metal scene in the mid-1980s, and has remained influential since. The album was Slayer's first to enter the US Billboard 200, peaking at number 94, and was certified Gold on November 20, 1992. In 2013, NME ranked it at number 287 in its list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Wikipedia

Rating

2.94

Votes

5580

Genres

  • Metal
Reviews
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Sun Aug 08 2021
5

I was gonna write something about the big 4, their skill as musicians, laying the groundwork for death metal, blah blah blah... but really, there is only one thing that needs to be said here: *deep breath* FUUCKIIIINNNGGG SLAAAAYYEEEERRRRRRRR!!!!!!

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Fri Jun 18 2021
2

Uhh...mom come pick me up im scared?

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Wed Jun 30 2021
5

I was today years-old when I discovered I was a Slayer fan...

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Wed Mar 03 2021
5

Relentless power. Feels so frenetic and dangerous. Makes me happy that music like this exists. The solo at the end of Jesus Saves is a thing of beauty.

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Wed Dec 16 2020
5

Great album. Could listen to this on repeat all week and it would still be epic on the seventh day. In fact I'm sure that's what God was doing on the seventh day. He was so awed by their awesomeness he just had to kick back, drink some beers and listen to some Slayer.

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Mon May 17 2021
5

Absolute masterpiece. Not just one of my favorite metal albums, one of my favorite albums ever! Extremely hype, intense, fast-paced, horrifying, heart-pounding...and PERFECT.

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Wed Apr 07 2021
3

More punk than I thought, so that was kind of cool, but couldn't get behind the lyrics.

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Wed May 05 2021
1

J'ai fait écouter cet album à Satan qui m'a bien confirmé que c'était de la merde.

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Sun Oct 10 2021
1

This project has enabled me, for the first time, to be able to tell you the difference between a number of heavy metal bands. Slayer is no Metallica. In this relentless 28 minutes there is no variance of tempo, no recognizable riffs or remarkable solos, and neither melody nor rhythm to any of the lyrics. I couldn't tell you which song is which upon hearing a sample. Is it bad that I laughed out loud a few times listening to this? Is "How can we really freak mom out?" the sole driver of this creation? There is absolutely no meter or structure to the random, screamed lyrics. I was trying to imagine what else might be performed in this manner. Julia Child's recipe for Bœuf Bourgignon? And then it hit me that I wanted to hear the poem "This is Just to Say" performed in this manner. "...so cooooooooooooooooooold!" This isn't to say that it doesn't represent its genre well. It has a consistent badass sound and scary lyrics. I love the scream at the beginning of "Angel of Death" but it did make me laugh as I listened to it over and over, and I'm not sure that's the intended effect. Some of my favorite lyrics: "How long can you last in this frozen water burial?" "Dismembered destiny" "Transforming five toes to two" and "These shackles will be useless when your life is out of time" I love that the somewhat timely "Epidemic" ("pulmonary overthrow") ends with the ominous line, "Years will pass before it can be cuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuured!" Hail, Satan!

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Fri Oct 29 2021
1

i had shitty taste in music at 15

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Wed Mar 17 2021
5

Soul crushing and demonic I love it!

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Wed Apr 28 2021
5

Raining BLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD

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Wed Jun 30 2021
4

I like the music, but the satanic lyrics make them look gay

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Tue Jun 08 2021
4

Brooooooo, no idea how anyone else will react to this (not well is my guess) but I was kind of bobbing along? Definitely not my type of music and I doubt I'll relisten but for what it is, great.

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Fri Dec 31 2021
4

Absolute genius in its own way. Essentially, this is the same basic musical setup as The Beatles or Booker T and the MGs but THIS music sounds like it’s from another planet which is terrifying and frightening. Slayer get this sound out of those same instruments. Music is incredible. I couldn’t listen to this too many times but I’m glad I have heard it.

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Sun Apr 10 2022
3

metal has never been my thing. I suppose there’s a certain level of artifice present within the lyrics and presentation of bands like Slayer. Songs like Angel of Death and Postmortem simply feel performative to me in terms of lyrical content. Maybe it’s more a rejection of the genre clichés than the music itself for me personally. It's competently made music, well put together and a pleasingly brief in a satisfying way. I simply have no wish to ever listen to it again, but am glad I did if only to gain insight into a genre I still have no draw towards. 6/10

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Fri May 20 2022
3

Harmless satanism, breakneck speed, and some kind of purity--by which, I think I mean that, thanks to Rick Rubin, the songs are short and focussed. The lyrics and vocals are beyond silly, and all the better for it. Tom Araya yells like he's had wet cement poured into his veins and is trying to get his words out before it dries. All of which makes the technical showboating genuinely exciting rather than the drag it usually is. Deliberately overrating this because I can.

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Mon Apr 12 2021
1

Not for me

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Thu Mar 25 2021
1

This is super not my kind of music. I finished it, but only because it's short. Maybe 1 star, I don't know. Really didn't enjoy this.

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Wed Dec 01 2021
1

I should love Slayer given my metal tastes, but I just don't.

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Thu Nov 12 2020
5

I couldn't listen to this everyday. But this is an example of genre perfection.

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Wed Jun 30 2021
5

I love every single songs on this album. Definitely their greatest imo

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Thu Mar 11 2021
5

Brutal. Love it.

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Wed Jan 20 2021
5

Obviously a standard by one of the giants of the genre.

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Thu Mar 18 2021
5

10 из 10

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Sun Jun 13 2021
5

it's slayer

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Wed May 26 2021
5

Classic!

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Wed Jul 28 2021
5

This album fucking slays (pun intended). One of my favorite thrash albums of all time. Great way to wake up in the morning on a day when you've been up since 4am.

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Sun Aug 08 2021
5

Excellent record from the darkest of the Big 4.

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Sun Aug 15 2021
5

😲

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Wed Sep 01 2021
5

This is what I wanted Master of Puppets to sound like. I'm know that's legitimate heresy to say, but it's true.

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Sun Sep 05 2021
5

Holy shit. Today is the day I found out I love thrash metal and Slayer! This album is a verified banger from start to finish, But not for the faint of heart or easily offended. Music that challenges norms always deserves credit, especially the controversial stuff-and by golly gee wiz this deserves to be in the forefront.

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Thu Nov 25 2021
5

Classic album in the evolution of Thrash and metal as a whole. You can feel Rick Rubin's hands all over this album, funneling the band's aggression into the work, without negating or nullifying the emotion. I understand why it is not for a large portion of the population, but it's critical listening for modern metal. And honestly, even people who know nothing about Slayer know about Raining Blood and "SLAAAAAAYERRRRRR" jokes, so clearly there's been a huge impact. Outside of RIB's obvious power, Angel of Death, Jesus Saves, Piece by Piece, and Reborn are standouts. But it's worth listening to the whole thing. || Shoutout to Ms. Anker's 9th grade English class where I was allowed to play "Angel of Death" as a 'media piece' for my speech about torture...yeah, I was an edgelord, yes I am embarrassed hahahah.

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Thu Nov 25 2021
5

Foundational. Fucking Slayer!

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Sun Jan 02 2022
5

SLAYER

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Wed Jan 05 2022
5

awesome!

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Fri Jan 21 2022
5

This is my second favourite album from Slayer (first one is without doubt Seasons in the Abyss). Great work.

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Wed Jan 26 2022
5

Love it.

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Thu May 19 2022
5

This still effing slaps.

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Mon May 23 2022
5

People are saying it more and more and it's true you hear it a lot that this is the best metal album ever.

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Mon May 23 2022
5

This is objectively the best Slayer album. Every song is incredible, and somehow catchy. Everyone after them were just try-hard wannabes.

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Mon Jul 04 2022
5

Holy shit the drummer

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Wed Jul 27 2022
5

One of my favorites.

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Wed Aug 17 2022
5

As a dyed-in-the-wool heavy metal maniac I'm not giving this any less than five well-deserved stars. This album absolutely smokes. Lots of bands tried to sound like Slayer. Few bands actually sound like Slayer. 'Angel of Death' and 'Raining Blood' are all-timers in the metal pantheon.

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Thu Aug 25 2022
5

Åh fy fan vad fett

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Thu Aug 25 2022
5

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!" -Opening line of "Reign in Blood" if I remember correctly UPDATE: I remembered correctly. This album fucking TEARS. UPDATE 2: This one is an absolute burner. I don't think I've ever noticed that it's almost completely seamless. There's a slight break before Raining Blood kicks in but other than that it's just wall-to-wall insanity. Love it.

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Thu Sep 15 2022
5

Construção poderosa do metal

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Fri Sep 23 2022
5

Any true metalhead has this album.

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Wed Oct 19 2022
5

I have nothing smart to say about this. It's hard, fast, and utterly devoid of good taste. LOVE IT

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Thu Nov 10 2022
5

One of the best thrash metal albums of all times.

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Fri Nov 25 2022
5

This album fucks so heavy, the switch ups are so gruelly and reek of pure violence, fills me with primordial rage like no other record

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Fri Jan 20 2023
5

Thrash me. This is a great album! The recording is clean, the guitars are shreddy, Tom Araya sounds like a heavy metal priest.

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Fri Feb 17 2023
5

LP

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Wed Mar 15 2023
5

love it

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Thu Mar 16 2023
5

Great album, a metal essential

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Tue Sep 15 2020
4

Solid classic thrash. I generally prefer more melodic metal, but still very good.

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Fri Jan 22 2021
4

Probably my favorite Slayer album and without the immensity of Raining Blood I’m not sure they would be remembered with as high regard

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Wed Jun 30 2021
4

pretty good, didn't know slayer so much, happy to have listened to this one

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Fri Feb 12 2021
4

Solid.

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Wed Mar 03 2021
4

Got go wrong with a classic metal album

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Mon Feb 08 2021
4

Tremendo para su época

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Thu Mar 18 2021
4

Thrashy goodness

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Mon Feb 01 2021
4

Ja. Endelig.

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Wed Mar 17 2021
4

Not for everybody, but enjoyable.

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Mon Jun 21 2021
4

So freaking sick!

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Mon Jun 21 2021
4

Yo this album goes hard as fuck.

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Fri Jul 16 2021
4

More like it.

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Sun May 09 2021
4

I’d lever listened to a full Slayer album, now I will often

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Thu May 20 2021
4

A classic of the genre sending a flaming spear into the future of metal that nearly every other metal band has had to dodge.

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Sun Jul 25 2021
4

Fast and heavy, what more do you need

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Fri Sep 10 2021
4

This is a good album. Thrash is always a fun listen and Slayer do it particularly well. Highlights: Angel of Death, Jesus Saves Lowlights:

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Mon Oct 11 2021
4

A silly but perfectly formed blast of death metal. It sounds like there are too many lyrics for each song. Can't believe it came out in 86, it still sounds fresh.

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Wed Oct 13 2021
4

I'm not really into this type of music, but sounds interesting

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Sun Oct 17 2021
4

Album rocks. Postmortem into raining blood is fucking sick. Definitely deserved of all the praise it gets

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Fri Oct 29 2021
4

if you like hard rock is a good disc. Not my cup of tea this type of music

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Mon Nov 08 2021
4

Schockt viel krasser als das lame Black Album von Metallica neulich. Stimme, Schlagzeug, Gitarren, Geschwindigkeit, Aggression und Nihilismus: genauestens kontrolliert auf den Punkt gebracht, geil abgeliefert. Wäre das mein Style (und würde es mich nicht doch irgendwann bisschen ermüden), hätte es vielleicht sogar noch mehr Punkte gegeben. Aber bei (Thrash-) Metal die Latte an der ich jetzt alles andere messe.

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Thu Nov 18 2021
4

SLAYERRRRRRRRRRR

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Thu Nov 18 2021
4

SLAYER! But Seasons in the Abyss is my favorite.

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Fri Nov 19 2021
4

Blood, sacrilege, violence, and general mayhem are key in this classic old school thrash album. Did I mention the blood?

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Wed Dec 08 2021
4

great content. good pacing. enjoyed the fanciful lyrics. for me this fills the excellent workout jams niche.

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Thu Dec 16 2021
4

Ahhh… this takes me back to high school. While I was more into Anthrax, Slayer and Metallica rated a close second. This was the album from them that I played often to my parents discontent.

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Sun Dec 19 2021
4

4/5. Solid, kinda sloppy sometimes, self-indulgent, pretty fun though

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Wed Jan 19 2022
4

Can you imagine the discussions between the band members, when they were putting these songs together? "Oh yeah, that sounds great, but let's try it like 5 times faster." "Totally, and while you guys do that, I'm going to scream at the top of my lungs about BLUHHHHHHHHHHHHD!" Whatever state of mind they were in, the result is a blistering fever dream of thrash metal that set the bar for everything else to come. For my tastes, I'd love to hear the album sans vocals. At times Tom had a hard time keeping up with the track, which was distracting. More important to me though is that the lyrics feel cringy and pointlessly scandalous. I think they turn a lot of listeners off from appreciating the album on the whole.

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Fri Jan 21 2022
4

Probably a 3.5 but I do enjoy the album a fair bit.

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Fri Jan 28 2022
4

Explosive!

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Wed Feb 02 2022
4

As someone who was more into the indie rock scene, this was one of the few metal albums my friends and I would listen to in college. There is something about the ferocity of the pace and the athleticism of the performances that kind of knocks the wind out of you, especially considering when this came out. They take it to the edge without going over the top, and that is what makes them more palatable to me than some other metal. Takes itself seriously enough to give you chills but not completely freak you out. Those high notes in the vocals are like a reassuring wink to the audience that it's all in good fun. Not something I'd put on every day but would be very welcome in the right context/mood. Stands head and shoulders above other metal from the era and holds up remarkably well over 30 years later.

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Mon Feb 07 2022
4

I'm usually not a metal fan but I enjoyed this way more than I thought I would.

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Fri Mar 04 2022
4

NICE!

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Fri Mar 11 2022
4

Powerful, hard hitting metal, iconic if not slightly showing its age in some places

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Thu Apr 21 2022
4

"Spil noget med Slayer!" Awesome album, though only one song was memorable. 4

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Wed Apr 27 2022
4

Fuck yeah, Slayer. This album is one of the many examples of everything Rick Rubin touches turning to gold. While he was in the midst of building one of the most successful hip-hop albums, he was producing this album. Slayer is one of those bands that really has done one thing for their entire career, and they do that one thing so well that they don't need to diversify. Slayer makes thrash metal. That's it. Metallica did it better during the 80s in my opinion, but they stopped making thrash towards the end of the decade, while Slayer kept making thrash well into the 2000s. This album is one of their greats. It hits you like a brick to the face, yet manages to be so intricate that it stays fresh over several listens. I've come back to this album over and over throughout the years, and it doesn't disappoint. 4/5. Fuck yeah, Slayer

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Fri Jun 10 2022
4

The best way to clear a drum circle. Best Tracks: Angel of Death; Postmortem; Raining Blood

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Thu Jun 16 2022
4

All rippers, no skippers

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Sun Jun 26 2022
4

Loud.

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Wed Aug 10 2022
4

Very loud, fast, and short. Songs about a wide variety of topics, which got them in a bit of bother. The 'big 4' band I knew least we'll before, but would be happy to see them pop up again

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Wed Aug 17 2022
4

I was really excited to listen to this again. It's been a loooong time. But you know what? I quickly remembered that I was never a huge Slayer fan and I think I can pinpoint why now. I like Arraya's voice. I like everything Lombardo's doing. But, man, I am torn about these guitars. Yes, the riff in "Angel of Death" rules. "Raining Blood" is a no-brainer, can't argue balls-to-buttholes classic. But listen to the end of "Reborn." And then listen to the beginning of "Epidemic." And just focus on the guitars. My dudes, those two songs sound like they used the exact same riff. They might be the same song just played twice with some different fills. Maybe that's where this band has kept me at a bit of a distance in the past? I don't know. Whatever reason, when it came to the Big 4 of thrash, Slayer was at the bottom of that list for me personally. And, yeah, I know I'd be a lot cooler if that wasn't the case! And they influenced so many bands I love! But still... thank Satan this made the list. I'll take Slayer over trip hop any and every day of the week.

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Wed Aug 24 2022
4

Classic. Heavily influential across metal and even some sub-genres of Hardcore.

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Fri Aug 26 2022
4

Pure metal. Heavy guitaring, fast double bass pedal drumming. Standouts are "Angel of Death" and "Raining Blood" opening with it's iconic riff.

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Wed Aug 31 2022
4

It's good. Not really my current mood. But it's a good one.

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Wed Sep 28 2022
4

Part of the big 4 for a reason. Love the energy, too fast to comprehend on 1 go

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