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.
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!!!!!!
Uhh...mom come pick me up im scared?
I was today years-old when I discovered I was a Slayer fan...
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.
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!
J'ai fait écouter cet album à Satan qui m'a bien confirmé que c'était de la merde.
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.
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.
I like the music, but the satanic lyrics make them look gay
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.
More punk than I thought, so that was kind of cool, but couldn't get behind the lyrics.
i had shitty taste in music at 15
Soul crushing and demonic I love it!
Raining BLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD
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.
Wat een plaat! Live ook fantastisch om te zien.
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
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.
Not for me
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.
I should love Slayer given my metal tastes, but I just don't.
I couldn't listen to this everyday. But this is an example of genre perfection.
I love every single songs on this album. Definitely their greatest imo
Brutal. Love it.
Obviously a standard by one of the giants of the genre.
10 из 10
it's slayer
Classic!
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.
Excellent record from the darkest of the Big 4.
😲
This is what I wanted Master of Puppets to sound like. I'm know that's legitimate heresy to say, but it's true.
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.
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.
Foundational. Fucking Slayer!
SLAYER
awesome!
This is my second favourite album from Slayer (first one is without doubt Seasons in the Abyss). Great work.
Love it.
This still effing slaps.
People are saying it more and more and it's true you hear it a lot that this is the best metal album ever.
This is objectively the best Slayer album. Every song is incredible, and somehow catchy. Everyone after them were just try-hard wannabes.
Holy shit the drummer
One of my favorites.
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.
Åh fy fan vad fett
"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.
Construção poderosa do metal
Any true metalhead has this album.
I have nothing smart to say about this. It's hard, fast, and utterly devoid of good taste. LOVE IT
One of the best thrash metal albums of all times.
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
Thrash me. This is a great album! The recording is clean, the guitars are shreddy, Tom Araya sounds like a heavy metal priest.
LP
love it
Great album, a metal essential
Love
Slayeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrr! Kwaliteit herrie en zieke invloed op de metal wereld
One of the great metal albums
LP
Очень классический треш метал, но опять же тогда это звучало очень свежо и необычно. Алкоальбом: слэмиться на фесте в кожанках и пить статут
Pretty awesome. How to not enjoy slayer ? More double kick drum please. Lyrics are ridiculous in the best way.
"Reign in Blood" is the third studio album by American thrash metal band Slayer. The album was produced by Rick Rubin and Slayer and was a step up production wise from their previous two albums. The music straddles between thrash metal and hardcore punk and the album is considered a cornerstone in that thrash metal genre. The lyrics deal with death, religion, insanity and human experiments. Human experiments you say? Yeah, there was quite a bit of controversy with the release of the record based on the lyrics of the first song "Angel of Death" and its subject Nazi physician Joseph Mengele and the human experiments he did in the Auschwitz concentration camps. The band denied being Nazi sympathesizers but it followed the band throughout their career. This album received much critical acclaim and brought Slayer into the metal mainstream. A guitar assault, ridiculously fast drums, a guttural scream and we're off with the aforementioned "Angel of Death." The subject was already discussed and was told through the viewpoint of Mengele. The song has been used in various movies, tv shows and video games. The metal onslaught continues in "Piece by Piece." We're into blood, gore and cannibalism now. "Jesus Saves" actually starts out with a slower heavy metal guitar and beat. No worries, we're quickly into thrash. The foolishness of relying on religion to save you. Slower drums and a grinding guitar open "Criminally Insane." Like before we're quickly into thrash. A mind-blowing guitar solo. Drummer Dave Lombardo changing his beats throughout. Murderers taking lives and not caring cause they are....!!! And what better way to end an album then with "Raining Blood." Rain, guitar feedback, drum knocks and then into those classic dual guitar chords and the thrash. The song slows in spots and the speeds up. A banished soul from heaven awakens in purgatory and, well, he declares his plan for heaven at the end with a scream of "I shall reign in blood!!!" Musical chaos. Thunder. Silence. These songs are short and intense. Thr band gets right to the point. The album itself is short at 28 minutes. I think some heavy metal (as well as other genres) albums are way too long and bloated. Not here. The guitar and drumming are next level. The lyrics? Yeah, the music fits. A rock and metal classic.
This album is a great example of thrash metal. There are several things I especially would like to mention. The main one is the tempo of the tracks, it’s incredibly speed. The vocals of Tom Araya are really hard to comprehend. At the same time the tracks themselves are really short, often less than 3 minutes (and the album is about 32 minutes) but nevertheless, they often include 1-2 guitar solos. And what is more, the drumming of Dave Lombardo is incredibly fast too, his fills and playing 16 notes on ride in an insane tempo are really memorable (as well as intro and outro to Epidemic). My favourite tracks so far are Raining Blood, Epidemic and Jesus Saves.
Great album of all time
A bit of nostalgia for this one. I know the lyrics are cringy (especially since you can understand them unlike later death metal lyrics) and there are times such as tracks 2-4 where the music blends together and lacks a little variety. But the riffs and atmosphere are there, it’s relentless, and doesn’t overstay it’s welcome. You can clearly see the major influence this had on early death metal. My favorite part is the Postmortem/Raining Blood finale which is one of my favorite metal songs of all time, and Criminally Insane is underrated. Overall I can’t help but give this 5.
That metal...yeah
When I saw the length of the album in question, I thought: you can't be serious? But, in all seriousness, Reign in Blood may very well be the definition of all killer, no filler. With Angel of Death leading the way in heavy riffage and, let's be honest, somewhat troublesome lyrical imagery, the album pummels with reckless abandon and seemingly endless displays of aggression. It could be said, with no indication of exception, that it is Slayer's brightest moment in the sun; a blood streaked parade that may never be forgotten.
I could write a long winded review or I could tell you about the time I blasted Raining Blood ear splitting volume to scare away seagulls trying to steal my fish and chips. This was done much to my then 3 year old daughter's delight
I honestly can't describe how much this album blew my mind when I first heard it. I thought Metallica was the peak of 1980s thrash metal, and to be fair they are... but my first experience of Slayer was something else. It made Master of Puppets sound like Rush. It gave me that "hory shet, now THIS is fucking cool!" feeling that is so fleetingly rare after about age 8. I've learned the whole thing on guitar over the years (except the solos, bc who the fuck learns a Slayer solo?) and it still fuckin thumps whenever I play it. Including today. 5/5.
FUCKIN’ SLAYER!!! this album, to many, is their masterpiece and considered one of the greatest metal albums of all time. tom araya with his barking vocals. guitarists jeff hanneman and kerry king with their sick riffs and alternating chaotic leads. and of course dave lombardo with his lightning fast drumming, you’d swear the dude is an octopus. this is the band’s classic lineup and the band is in top form with their trademark dark, angry energy. after all, what other band would put out a song titled “jesus saves” that mocks and questions christianity? my personal favourite slayer album is south of heaven, but you certainly can’t go wrong with either of these slabs of thrash excellence. highlights: “angel of death”, “alter of sacrifice”, “jesus saves”, “raining blood”.
Fun album. The sound seems straightforward on the surface, but it is actually very subtle because it is always different, so I was not bored. The lyrics are so unapologetic they become kind of relaxing.
I own every Slayer album and seen them 8 times live, need I say more
oh hell yeah!! 5 stars without even listening yet 😁 I don't know if I've ever listened to a whole Slayer album before. I'm pumped! My only qualm is that it's only 34 minutes long. Oh shit, Raining Blood is on this album! Fuck they're so good!
Probably the peak of metal music for me, doesn't really get much better. Album flies through at 200mph, insane riffs and solos. As soon as it's over I just want to listen to it all over again.
SLLLLAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYERRRRRRRRRRRRR
Brutal and insane. 5 stars.
Exemplary work - thankfully not too long, but exactly what it needs to be and exactly what you'd expect.
Solid classic thrash. I generally prefer more melodic metal, but still very good.
Probably my favorite Slayer album and without the immensity of Raining Blood I’m not sure they would be remembered with as high regard
pretty good, didn't know slayer so much, happy to have listened to this one
Solid.
Got go wrong with a classic metal album
Tremendo para su época
Thrashy goodness
Ja. Endelig.
Not for everybody, but enjoyable.
So freaking sick!
Yo this album goes hard as fuck.
More like it.
I’d lever listened to a full Slayer album, now I will often
A classic of the genre sending a flaming spear into the future of metal that nearly every other metal band has had to dodge.
Fast and heavy, what more do you need
This is a good album. Thrash is always a fun listen and Slayer do it particularly well. Highlights: Angel of Death, Jesus Saves Lowlights:
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.
I'm not really into this type of music, but sounds interesting
Album rocks. Postmortem into raining blood is fucking sick. Definitely deserved of all the praise it gets
if you like hard rock is a good disc. Not my cup of tea this type of music
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.
SLAYERRRRRRRRRRR