Reign In Blood

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

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!!!!!!

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!

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

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

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.

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.

i had shitty taste in music at 15

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

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

So I have mentioned this before, but I thoroughly enjoy hard/heavy music - so Zeppelin, Sabbath, Nazareth, UFO, Iron Maiden, Tool, Metallica, Dio, Scorpions, Priest etc. - as are all in my wheelhouse, but for some reason, speed and thrash metal, have never really appealed to me - and this album was NO different... Once again, we have a band that is trying to play as fast as possible, along with almost NON-EXISTIENT vocals - which did absolutely nothing for me... BTW - just because a drummer has mastered the double bass pedal from a speed perspective, doesn't mean that you should use it ALL the freakin' time... And vocally, there is no melody of any sort, no singing of any kind - just screaming, and the lyrics are just dreadful... I'm beginning to think that my issue with this genre, is that there is absolutely NO room for the music to breathe... Good music is a nice balance between the notes, and the empty spaces - with some arguing that the empty spaces - and the contrast that they create with the actual notes, is what creates musical magic... This band is trying to play as many notes as the possibly can, and trying to play them as fast as they possibly can, that there is absolutely no space for the music to breathe - like AT ALL... Not a decent song on the album in my opinion, and in fact, I was running through what some of the reviewers thought were the best songs on the album a 2nd time through... So I was listening to "Alter Of Sacrifice" and was about 35 seconds into it, when I REALLY began to regret my decision... Fortunately, right about then, a good friend called - which stopped my music app so I could take the call... I answered by saying "...Thank God you called, I really appreciate you saving me..." : ) Would truly give this a "0" (ZERO) if I could, and I think there may have been only 1 other album to date that I thought that about - so 1-star for this dreadful, dismal, awful-excuse-for-an-album...

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.

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.

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

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

A bunch of self-absorbed dweebs, hellbent on making their mothers dislike their art, stumble upon both the Nuremberg transcripts and a second brain cell. They resolve to make a completely tasteless first track in the name of being edgy. I imagine adolescent boys and maladjusted art critics spend forever trying to justify it, but literally nobody wants to be at that conference. 2 stars as a result, which is a shame, because the music was occasionally enjoyable.

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

I fucking needed this. Extremely aggressive and extremely fast. Thrash's finest hour. And listening to this album in full makes "Raining Blood" just hit SO much harder

nothing like listening to Slayer to remind you how garbage lars ulrich's drums are in comparison

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

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

😲

Raining BLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD

Soul crushing and demonic I love it!

Produced by Rick Rubin, this legendary Thrash Metal album not only became one of the best known Metal albums of the 80’s with Slayer being one of the big 4 of Thrash but it also paved the way for how Death Metal was recieved in the eye of the common Metal listener and in a way being an important step in the full creation of the genre that would officially come with the debut album by Death a year later. But that came with a cost because of the way they made and showed of the album as this satanic and violent piece, it was banned for many children from their parents which did in a way make them wanna listen to it even more. One thing is clear, this is one of the best Metal albums of the 80’s and most likely of all time. The very energetic and fast paced ‘Angel of Death’ opens the album with some really good vocals that work perfectly with the songs sound and structure. It’s this really grimy and dark song that even though it isn’t even 5 minutes long, still stays as the albums longest track. I really like the riffs and the general playing as well as the overal performance that just plays really well with the ideas of Thrash Metal and this whole satanic image and results in an incredible track full of great moments like the guitar solo near the end. The hints of Death Metal appear on ‘Piece by Piece’ which still continues the obvious Thrash Metal sound and create a loud and energetic song that plays with apocalyptic imagery that is even portraited in the music itself. But it’s mainly the vocals that make this such a great listen. ’Necrophobic’ is the shortest song with less than 2 minutes of playtime and has even more of the hints of Death Metal as well as a really fast paced instrumental that really plays out into a manic solo that just helps the entire song feel even crazier and more out there. I’m also impressed with how fast the vocalist is able to get these words out of his mouth. This is a great song. With ‘Altar of Sacrifice’, they continue the loud and manic styles with a guitar solo that is really everywhere at once and switches between notes so fast that I am genuinely impressed with how they managed to pull all of this together. It’s genuinely such a great song even though it might’ve been even better if they put a bit more structure into the chaos but still better than if they had thought all of it out into the littlest detail and maybe ruined it in the end, so I am not mad with how unstructured it is because it is still really great. Side A of the album ends with ‘Jesus Saves’ which does take some time to start and once it does it feels unstructured but not really in the “great” way. It feels thrown together and unfinished. The hook of him saying the title is strong as is the guitar solo but it’s all a bit too fast and without enough focus which is why it’s good but not great. ‘Criminally Insane’ starts the second half with a still fast, chaotic and manic song but one that is fleshed out more and better. In fact, it’s a really entertaining song that pretty much does everything correct that it could’ve made correct. I don’t think that it’s perfect but it is close and I might actually prefer it over ‘Angel of Death’. The vocals are just so incredibly well made and every second feels at least somewhat valuable. This is really incredible. Sadly, ‘Reborn’ does the thing again where it just plays a bit too fast and makes the vocals sound washy at points. The chorus is pretty much perfect though and the solo also rocks but there are still moments pulling it down and leaving it at great although it could’ve been more. On ’Epidemic’ they do make a pretty strong song but I personally just think that some parts of it are just a tad bit samey and although it is a good song it does feel a bit like it’s been done already on the album and done better. It’s good and I like the solo as well as the vocal delivery but it doesn’t reach further although it very well could’ve. ’Postmortem’ pulls off the best riff so far and easily one of the best deliveries both vocally and instrumentally. This is what a Thrash song is supposed to be and I absolutely love it. There is not much to say here excpet that the song deserves its reputation and is without a doubt a perfect song. 80’s Thrash Metal perfection with hints of Death Metal and some amazing vocals… what would you want more? I tell you what you want more: the closing track ‘Raining Blood’ which is the 80’s version of ‘Black Sabbath’ (the song) with the rain and thunder sounds while still being their crazy Thrash Metal. It’s everything the previous songs tried to be but better and more METAL!!! Yeah, this is easily their best song ever made. The riffs, the vocals, the effects: All is just perfected to the most perfect possible. favourites: Raining Blood, Postmortem, Criminally Insane, Angel of Death least favourites: Jesus Saves Rating: strong 8 https://rateyourmusic.com/~Emil_ph for more ratings, reviews and takes

Wat een plaat! Live ook fantastisch om te zien.

SLAYER! But Seasons in the Abyss is my favorite.

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.

Noise, shred, noise, shred, noise, shred. Is it possible to smell music? I could smell this, it smelt like sweaty men. There just seemed to be nothing melodic about it. I can't stand these sort of guitar shredding solos for the sake of it, "OK you can play notes fast, congratulations". Not for me.

Not got long to live and want to make what little time is left to you feel much longer? Then boy do I have the album for you! This short album will make 28 minutes seem like over an hour with this one neat trick: playing the same song over and over and over again. Your early death will seem like a blessing after subjecting yourself to this.

No. 101/1001 Angel of Death 2/5 Piece by Piece 2/5 Necrophobic 2/5 Altar of Sacrifice 2/5 Jesus Saves 2/5 Criminally Insane 2/5 Reborn 2/5 Epidemic 2/5 Postmortem 2/5 Raining Blood 1/5 Average: 1,9 That's too heavy for me. Also was kinda repetitive.

I could appreciate the craft, but it was too loud and too angry for me.

Listened once. Just not my thing. 2/5.

Man I try and give every artist a fair shake, but gogdamn, this stuff gives me a headache and makes me want to blowup the outside world. Thankfully, when I was debating this thought in my head, I thought of Soundgarden and Chris Cornell. Crisis averted. Not for me. Will never be for me. Looking forward to a great concert Saturday night and happy this album is behind me. Will not be revisited. 1

Hyper frenetic tempo throughout, vocals are simply dreadful …. If a zero star were allowable, this would be it ….

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.

Not for me

MF’n Slayer.

9/10

Probably the only thrash metal album you’ll ever need to hear Perfection

I'm not the biggest Slayer fan in the world but this is a bona fide classic. A pummeling, nonstop 28 minutes that continuously punches you in the face and when it's done, you want to put it back on This also deserves respect for the massive influence it had on death metal (side note, Pleasure to Kill by Kreator should be on this list for the same reason) and setting such a high bar for thrash metal (along with Master of Puppets and Rust in Peace) that everyone has tried to meet for nearly 40 years This is absolutely the best produced 80s thrash album, it sounds fresh without sounding too sleek and lifeless like a lot of modern metal does Highlights: Jesus Saves, Raining Blood, Piece By Piece

I feel bad to people who can't stand metal, but this album is very influential and important in music history. (Also just because someone screams does not make it screamo or death metal, but it will always be funny when I read these review) This is one of those bands you know the drummer is jacked even if you've never seen him. When I first heard this album I didn't like it, besides angel of death and raining blood. Every song really sounds the same when they play so fast and you dont pay attention, but over the years this album has really grown on me. It is short and sweet and has some great riffs. Like that breakdown in the middle of Angel Of Death *chef's kiss*. Also it is impossible not to head bang to the "your time slips away" breakdown. The angel of death scream is so cool too. The halftime parts in Piece By Piece are great. The Criminally Insane drum groove is criminally underrated. One of the funniest things is that the expanded version of this album on spotify adds one remix and that's it. Some expanded version. High 5.

I had forgotten how short this is, because it feels like being run over by a truck. Repeatedly. Starts with 'Angel of Death', end on 'Raining Blood', and everything in between is just as perfect. Dave Lombardo is a beast.

Possibly the greatest metal album ever. It’s just absolute perfection from start to finish.

Fast, raw, hardcore, with rythym, sounds like a sexual thing but Im talking about the music. Insane display of mastering all instruments. This band is loyal to their roots and they could have gone mainstream and vecone billionares like metallicawhen they went pop rock but these guys are true musicians. Album must be considered one of the top 10 ever metal albums. Only 12 short songs but they are all powerful and the perfect length. Im a fan and this has been a staple of my metal soundtrack since high school back in the 90s.

I’m resisting the urge to just write, “Fucking Slayer!!!! 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻” To me, Reign in Blood is the best thrash metal record ever made, and maybe one of the best metal records, period. This was metal for punk kids, with punk’s breakneck speed and lyrics critical of religiosity, but adding in the chugs, shreds, and opera shrieks and grunts of metal. Reign in Bloods biggest issue is that its opener, midpoint, and closer stand leagues above the rest of the songs, but that’s only because they’re 3 of metal’s high water marks. Even without them, this is a brilliant and consistently amazing record. It may suggest some of the tropes that Slayer (particularly King) would be clowned for later in their career, but here, they’re innovative and still fascinatingly fresh. It’s consistently intense, and yet consistently catchy, never stopping for a moment. The fact that it still holds up as an intense listen today is a testament to Rubin’s production and Slayer’s compositional ear. Also, I love having my face melted off, so fuck yeah, I love Reign in Blood.

Not my type of music at all but I fucking loved this album. Those drums!! Big as an atomic bomb. Surprised to learn Rick Rubin produced it but of course he did. I also enjoyed that it was less than 30 minutes. All killer no filler (which is probably not on this list but should be #justiceforsum41)

Voor de vorm geluisterd, maar makkelijke 5 sterren dit, al is het maar voor Angel of Death en Raining Blood. Als ik dan toch een puntje van kritiek zou moeten geven: de gitaarsolo's. Die klinken vaak alsof de gitarist ze zelf ook niet zag aankomen en dacht: hooooo ik moet nu snel ineens wat doen.

woooooaaaaaaaaaaaahh

Slayer were always my second favorite out of the big 4 thrash bands - I probably woulda gone with "Seasons in the Abyss" over "Reign in Blood" but it's still a sold pick, so I won't quibble. They really went balls to the wall to push everything OTT - yes, it's very silly from certain angles, but that's part of the fun! I was probably leaning towards a 4 for this, but the specter of metalhead teenage me materialized and demanded a 5 while yelling SLAYurrrrrr over and over again. Fave tracks - "Angel of Death" is an immense opener and a declaration of intentions. "Jesus Saves" is lolz. "Raining Blood" is an excellent closer.... 🤘

This is the pinnacle of thrash. Not a wasted note, not a single moment of respite. Just a brutal kick in the teeth from the first second to its short end. \m/

It's fast. It's searing. It's only 30 minutes. This album is weirdly enough a very accessible thrash metal album. Catchy and DRAMATIC this album is what metal is about. It also features Rick Rubin as producer and while hit or miss these days was incredibly influential in the hard rock and metal scene in the 80's and as such deserves a shout out. This is an absolute essential for a metal enthusiast. Fuck any metal head that acts too good for stuff like this, bitter little bitches. Anyway 5.

Relentless hostility.

See, if you trim an album to just the hardest, nastiest songs, and make it under 30 minutes long, you'll hit gold.

SLAYER!!! SLAYER!!!! SLAYER!!!!! F@CKING SLAYER!!!

#303. While I wouldn't pick this as their best album, I suppose I can see why it would be picked for this as training Blood is probably their most iconic song. But there are plenty of albums on here that are neither iconic nor good, so I dont know man. 5/5: it's Slayer

This is among my favorite albums of all time. It's a masterpiece of thrash metal and at roughly 30 minutes long it almost demands a repeat listen. It's got a punk sensibility that just makes it so good. That said, I don't really listen to this anymore since I gave my life to Christ. I prefer positive music these days. I would be dishonest if I gave this anything less than a 5, but at the same time I encourage anyone reading this to go to the gospels. Scoffers gonna scoff. John 3:16

Very cute.

Lovely.

Easily my second favorite Slayer album. So pumped to see Kerry King next month - early setlists show him playing Raining Blood - and I can't wait.

This was just incredible. I'm more of an atmospheric sludge fan, but this early thrash is something else.

Excellent. Master piece

Absolute must hear if only to understand thrash. Second only to Metallica in sales. Possibly exceeds them in pure hard metal. Yes it’s brutal and fast and difficult. Just like my ex girlfriend. But unlike my ex worth revisiting and you don’t need a jail pass. Even if you don’t like thrash, this is a must hear. Even once.

This album close to changed my life

Hell yeah

Aggressive and relentless album. Araya's voice is a gift to metal music. Darkest of dark subject matter but sometimes that's what you need to see the light.

Buen thrash papi. strong 9/10.

I wouldn't exactly call myself a Slayer fan, but it would be crazy to deny this album's greatness. Short, to the point and enjoyable the whole way through.

Rick Rubin.

What a classic, what a scorcher! End to end a perfect record - tight, fast, furious, dark and evil. My go to record to passive/aggressively signal my displeasure at neighbours’ musical choices - and have a good time while doing it.

Fuck yes, some proper music

Slayer rules, this album is iconic.

This is a welcome album for me since my only exposure to thrash metal so far has been through a little Metallica and King Gizzard's metal albums (no doubt the latter were heavily inspired by these 80s bands). I got to see drummer on this album, Dave Lombardo play with Mr. Bungle last year. Wild that Rick Rubin produced this album, that must've been around the same time he was working with early hip-hop acts like Run-DMC and the Beastie Boys. This album rips, really gets the blood pumping, especially the really fast moments. It paired well with my morning caffeine. I can't say there were any moments I didn't enjoy. Out of all the albums we've listened to so far that I wasn't already familiar with, this is my favorite.

I feel a little hypocritical here, because I've definitely given records on here a note of "most of the songs feel the same" and listening with these ears, I feel the same on most of these. Thrashing, heaviness, an occasional Tom Araya scream, into a fast, harmonic-squealing solo. Unfortunately, i'm a hypocrite, and I love this record. I think one thing it has going for it, is that it's a tight, tight 30 minutes. That, and it's fucking Slayer. Favorite tracks: "Angel of Death", "Epidemic", "Raining Blood"

The greatest thing ever conceived by human mind.

Well, it's fucking Slayer. I think that says enough. Definitely one of the best metal albums to ever exist.

great thrash metal \m/

The sound of this album is what I will associate with the genre speed medal. I would qualify it as a defining album of that genre.

green fret, red fret, yellow fret, blue fret, orange fret.

Relentless, punishing, in your face, brutal. I forgot how many times I listened this record. It has been very formative in my appreciation of music and metal in general. Altar Of Sacrifice into Jesus Saves is chef's kiss This album is such an important one for me, but also music in general! Just a fantastic album! I wish the bass was more audible though. Standout tracks: Angel Of Death, Piece By Piece, Altar Of Sacrifice, Jesus Saves, Criminally Insane, Reborn, Epidemic, Raining Blood 9 out of 10

Oh boy. This is gonna be fun. So many great riffs. Amazing metal album.

Legendary. Of course

Fuckin' Slayyyyyyeeeeerrrrr. One of the best thrash metal albums of all time.

For me the best Slayer album

I feel I have to rate this album 5 stars. It is so monumental and has had such impact on metal and metalcore music. Personally, I'd probably give it 4 stars, just for my own enjoyment in 2024, as well as how often I'd ever return to it, but the extra star is definitely earned, as the album does still hold up in many ways, especially in how easily you can hear the impact on heavy music even today.

Somehow still melodic and musical while just going so hard

They are very good at what they do. Not quite my style, but they are very good.

This is a classic album, but probably not suitable for those who don't listen much to metal music. Nevertheless, this album should be known by everyone because it marks a generation and a way of making music.

Burst of energy. Every fast metal band was influenced by this record. It holds up surprisingly well for an old heavy record. Favorite song: Raining Blood.

orginal version 28:55 kuunneltu.. uskomaton levy.. Ei häivähdystäkään epäaitoudesta.m pelkkää ehtaa kamaa..

Out of the gate and never relenting, a brutal onslaught magnifying the worst of human suffering and depravity. A reminder that death is eminent. This set the framework for things to come and set the bar high with drums and guitars that thunder and scream like the marching and wailing of the Harbinger's Mares - Revelation 6: 1-8 Reign in Blood Rips

YAAAAAAAAAAAÀAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS. ... I will say that after about 20 minutes I was slightly numb from all the thrash. But then you've got the greatest metal song of all time to close out and it's only 28 minutes long. So. YAAAAAAAAAAAÀAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

GREAT way to start my morning!

One of the big 4, it's fucking SLAYYYYERRRR! Two of their most iconic songs are on this album, "Angel of Death" and "Raining Blood". Fast, aggressive, angry, and shocking. The best kind of metal. \m/

Man what an absolute shockwave of an album in the world of thrash. Raining Blood never ceases to give me chills.

Banger.

The best thrash album ever.

Easiest 5 of my life. Best thrash there is, if you don't thrash then you won't like this album and that's fine so I expect average reviews to be lower. Will I listen to again: 100%

Never gets old.