Slayer: Dissected, Reviewed, Ranked


Slayer are, for better or worse, a part of every metal fan's journey. Everybody has an opinion on them: you may find it appealing to carve their name on your flesh, you maybe enjoy their music a lot or you maybe hate their guts for being so popular and so simplistic in their ways at the same time. There was a time when even I worshiped at the altar of Reign in Blood as the crowning achievement of extreme metal and considered the american unit to be the most evil and blasphemous group in history. It wasn't long before I found different types of metal to enjoy and I left Slayer behind, with a new found distaste for their whole music and image. It took a couple of years of exploring the depths of death metal, in my eternal mission to become the biggest musical caveman, until I was forced to boomerang back to these famous giants. Slowly, they managed to capture me somehow, but now with a much more detached (and less normie-approved) approach to their albums, I'm sure I can bring a pretty unique point of view on Slayer as a musical experience. Here I'll do my best to rank 10 of their 12 albums, leaving behind the much disliked Diabolus In Musica and unoriginal Undisputed Attitude, two losses which I'm sure everyone will mostly be okay with since they would've served just to fill the bottom spots. It'll be spicier without them, trust me. Let's begin.


#10: Reign in Blood (1986)
This is at the bottom of my list for a simple reason: I just think this record is way, way too overrated. I understand that Angel of Death is a classic song and that most of you know this entire track beat by beat, and I won't lie, Raining Blood is a huge bop and probably one of my favorite songs from them. But the filling in between? Nah. These songs are competent, as I'd expect from such super stars, but they lack a distinct feeling. They merge into one abomination of a thrash baby, tying the two hits of the album together. It's functional, yes, it might even be great for the fans of extremity of the time, but to me, it rings soulless when I press play, and I don't like my "classic" albums to be like that.
My grade for Reign in Blood: 2.5/5 - Caught between sterile competence and soulless thrash
Favorite song: Raining Blood

Slayer - Reign In Blood

#9: Show No Mercy (1983)
We're entering the good zone here, guys. Show No Mercy barely qualifies for the title of thrash metal. It sounds like it was made by another band, not the Slayer we all came to know and love. And yet, underneath the Judas Priest flavors in the riffing and the sounds of a band rising from nothing, you can hear the energy that would later create timeless records and moments. This is on spot 9 only and only because it's so different from the rest of their output. Trust me, I'm a big fan of this album, and it used to be my favorite before I actually got into their thrash style.
My grade for Show No Mercy: 3/5 - Impressive for a debut
Favorite song: Black Magic

Slayer - Show No Mercy

#8: World Painted Blood (2009)
Isn't it crazy that the second to last Slayer album that we're going to get came out 10 years ago? Chances are high that you haven't listened to this one, because it was lost among the rest of their entire discography. Conceptually, World Painted Blood is probably their most diverse when it comes to experimentation and limitations. It plays along like a compilation of their many different styles, very similar to what Seasons in the Abyss had done years before. However, what drags this album down the ranking is that by 2009, Slayer had a much fuller plate than before. They try to get things rolling with some old-school aggression with songs like Hate Worldwide, only to bring middling results, and the hardcore inspired "Americon", a tribute to their roots and their '96 covers album, is probably the worst song on the album. However, I consider the title track a classic, and weirder tracks like Human Strain are very welcome in Slayer's big collection of material.
My grade for World Painted Blood: 3/5 - An honest effort
Favorite song: World Painted Blood

Slayer - World Painted Blood

#7: Divine Intervention (1994)
With the dreaded 90s in full swing, Slayer did their best on this album to keep their momentum going. You can feel the drive they had to have things running their way, trying to work with a new drummer (Paul Bostaph had replaced Dave Lombardo) and to maintain relevancy in the wake of more extreme music being released. I like this one, I really do. It's pretty short for their standards, at a brief 36 minutes, and it's pretty savage as well. One of the things that bothers me is how Tom did the vocals on here, they seem removed from the instruments and generally take different paths, which muddles up Slayer's clear songwriting formula. I am impressed by their efforts to stay afloat and somewhat saddened by this album's treatment in the pantheon (even I took a lot of convincing to go through this one).
My grade for Divine Intervention: 3/5 - Underrated, even by me
Favorite song: Divine Intervention

Slayer - Divine Intervention

#6: God Hates Us All (2001)
When the millennium rolled, Slayer were probably at their lowest point up to then. The 90s weren't kind, trailing off with the disaster of Diabolus In Musica and a badly bent reputation. However, like a Pheonix from the flames, the band came back with a vengeance. Boosted by a devil-set release date, God Hates Us All fit perfectly into the new climate created by the attacks, and featured a revitalised band that was hungry for blood. You can't feel they are truly pissed about the new changes in the genre and oh boy, they ARE ready to tell you all about it. The product here, while having a pretty weak production, walks on the thin line between vicious and silly and walks it damn well. If you manage to maintain faith in Slayer's conviction to their cause, they will amaze you with their overflowing enthusiasm on this album.
My grade for God Hates Us All: 3.5/5 - Their angriest album
My favorite song: New Faith

Slayer - God Hates Us All

#5: Seasons in the Abyss (1990)
This is, or in my opinion should be a baby's first Slayer album. It has it all from their golden era, and serves as a great summary of their starting period. While it means a lot of good, groovy stuff is on this record and you get to experience their highs, you might also have some mediocrity here and there. However, don't take this as a big problem: Slayer have rarely been as vital as on this record, and hits like Blood Red and the unforgettable War Ensemble prove this very well. Add in some of the South of Heaven reliance on atmosphere and creepiness with fan favorite Dead Skin Mask and you get a pretty good fucking album.
My grade for Seasons in the Abyss: 3.5/5 - A fitting example of consistent songwriting
My favorite song: Skeletons Of Society

Slayer - Seasons In The Abyss

#4: Repentless (2015)
Before I begin, make sure you understand that this album is one of the most important records ever for me. It's extremely difficult for me to be impartial, since this is basically the first release I ever got truly excited for. You need to do two things to understand my love for Repentless. First off, acknowledge the huge effort it meant for what was left of Slayer in 2015 to get their shit together long enough to record this. The fact that they were able to make it as competent as it already is means, for me, an accomplishment by itself. They were probably facing huge doubts about themselves. Tom, who I think we can all agree is the heart and soul of this group, was hit extremely hard by Hanneman's passing, but he wanted to keep going and make something the fans would love. And guess what, I do, and we come to the next thing on the bucket list: open your ears. You probably love this band as much as the next guy and I can bet you were disappointed four years ago, but trust me, there is ACTUAL good stuff to be found here. Even great, I'd argue. Don't you feel the shivers up your spine when the instrumental that opens the record starts playing? Can you hear the riff change after the second chorus of "Take Control"? Doesn't your blood start pumping at the end of Cast the First Stone? Repentless has a moment like that on every song, and you should start listening harder. You owe it to yourselves, as fans of the band, but more importantly, you owe it to Slayer for making your life so damn exciting.
My grade for Repentless: 4/5 - A statement from an older band that suffered from too much hype
My favorite song: Take Control

Slayer - Repentless

#3: Hell Awaits (1985)
This is Slayer at the height of their writing abilities. Many like to suck up to Reign in Blood, but I see far, far more elements of future extreme music in this little opus than in that overblown record. The songs are intricate and thought out. The vocals are far more unhinged than on their first album. The title track opens with an ominous reversed chant, after which a deep growl announces you, the poor listener, that you are welcome to step back into the hellish place that's being represented. As soon as your invitation is delivered, the band kicks in, going straight into an odd, atmospheric riff that chills your bones in anticipation. And that's just the first fucking song.
My grade for Hell Awaits: 4/5 - Their best when it comes to writing music
My favorite song: Crypts of Eternity

Slayer - Hell Awaits

#2: Christ Illusion (2006)
If I told you Slayer set out to write the greatest songs they could five years after their angriest album, would you believe me? There's a reason a lot of people, even those who pretend Reign in Blood is their best album, have a soft spot for Christ Illusion. God Hates Us All had woken up something in the band. Even if it returned to a disturbed slumber because of internal problems soon after this record, this doesn't change that there is an energy hanging around this entire album, and it's the dark sort that breeds mastery of thrash metal. This time, Slayer waste nary a second of your time, launching straight into an excellent song in the form of Flesh Storm, graced with excellent riffs, an involved vocal performance from Tom and a very fitting name. If you think the group were going to let up after that, you were greatly mistaken. This album is so catchy I find myself caught in multiple hooks at all times. If there ever was a late-career success story, this is it.
My grade for Christ Illusion: 4.5/5 - An opus that came when no one expected it
My favorite song: Skeleton Christ

Slayer - Christ Illusion

#1: South of Heaven (1988)
We've arrived, friends. This is where Slayer peaked, both in terms of performance and writing songs. I know that I said Hell Awaits takes that point, but that was about writing extreme metal songs. This is where Slayer put their foot down and created something that was purely SLAYER, nothing more, nothing less. One of the best riffs they have ever written opens the record, and by the time Lombardo enters it's all over for every listener. His fills are always great, but the drumming on this album is the best it's ever been, hands down. It's really difficult for me to describe the experience you get from this entire record. How many times can I say the riffs are good? Honestly, it's better off if you just listened to it. I will forever respect them for choosing to try and make a slower album, forgetting the Reign in Blood gimmick that had given them success. It's a frightening album, with creepy overtones and a clear malicious intent. Listen to it to understand what made Slayer such a good band.
My grade for South of Heaven: 4.5/5 - The album that got everything right about the band
My favorite song: Behind The Crooked Cross

Slayer - South of Heaven

Let's tie this up. It's difficult for me to believe Slayer will, very soon, cease to exist. They are such an important part of our journeys into this genre and I doubt there will ever be someone like them again. I will not deny a big part of my love was sparked when I saw them performing live during their final tour and understood what I had been too arrogant to enjoy for many years. For every 0-0-0-0-1 joke out there, Slayer had a creative song idea and an incredible riff to put in there, a fact which can be seen in all of these albums, even the ones I don't like. I'm sure you don't like me very much for putting your favorite album from Slayer at the bottom, but I think I've explained myself pretty well. At the end of the day, what's more important? I think it's the fact that we all fucking love Slayer and respect what they stood for all this time. Salute.

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