The 1986 Listening Post - Slayer - To Hell with the Devil

Slayer - To Hell with the Devil

#448/2097

October 24 1986

Slayer

To Hell with the Devil

Genre: Christian Metal

4.5 out of 5

Highlights:

To Hell with the Devil

Calling on You

Free

Honestly

I think I’ve been pretty open about my love of big 80s hair metal when it’s done unapologetically but also with a knowing sense of self-awareness. So much so that I have talked about the retro band Station a few times who are cut directly from this musical cloth.

There’s no escaping that, despite their content, Stryper was really good at this idiom and it’s impossible for me to completely slag. This is a glam metal at it’s most fervent. 

It’s unabashed and honest and declarative and cheeky. 

Dammit. 

Jesus, that first side is a Glam Metal classic. No? Even the Power Ballad, “Honestly” is spectacularly 80s. 

Ultimately, this is just a fine example of the form. Occasionally excellent, often great, never terrible. 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/to-hell-with-the-devil/1440914389

The 1986 Listening Post - Slayer - Reign in Blood

Slayer - Reign in Blood

#428/2107

October 7 1986

Slayer

Reign in Blood

Genre: Thrash Metal

4.75 out of 5

Highlights:

Piece By Piece

Jesus Saves

Criminally Insane

Raining Blood

Rick Rubin really knew what he was doing, huh? If Metallica is your jam but they aren’t A. Fast enough for you or B. their songs are too long, this is the one for you. It’s a relentless brain auger that declares itself top of the pack from the first track and doesn’t let up for the 30 minutes it sticks around. 

It’s pretty insistent and I loved it. 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/reign-in-blood/1440928291

The 1985 Listening Post - Slayer - Hell Awaits

Slayer - Hell Awaits

#345/981

September 15 1985

Slayer

Hell Awaits

Genre: Thrash Metal

4 out of 5

Highlights:

Praise of Death

Crypts of Eternity

Sorry, I was away for a while. I listened to this record and joined a Satanist cult for a bit. It wasn’t that I wanted to. I was compelled. Maybe that’s not the right word. But “forced” doesn’t seem right, either. “Encouraged”, maybe.

Holy hell, I almost like this more than their debut. I know, I know…fire and demons and shit. But, the construction here is something even more compelling than Show No Mercy. That must be the professional production. 

I know it’s strange but I just like this. I don’t wanna listen to it all the time but, fuck, I really like it. I have to really want to commit to it (weirdly, it’s best for me as background music while I’m doing a menial task). To just pull it up and listen or drive to it or ride my bike…no. But, in my kill room…wait…umm….

Never mind. 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/hell-awaits/57665862

The 1983 Listening Post - Slayer - Show No Mercy

Slayer - Show No Mercy

#208
December 3 1983
Slayer
Show No Mercy
4 out of 5

Highlights:
Evil Has No Boundaries
Die By the Sword
Black Magic

I guess, the winter is the time to shred.
Somewhere between Raven & Venom and Metallica is this album. For early, 1st gen shred metal, it really gets the job done.
My ears have melted. I need to dunk my head in water.

If not for the insipid, burn in hell, stormfire, death by dragons or something lyrics, this album would rate even higher. The musicianship is stellar.
I think it rivals the best of the era. From a playing stand point, it stands toe to toe with Metallica.
Here’s the thing: On the one side of Metal you have Ozzy & Priest and Sabbath and they are all sounding more and more commercial, desperate to keep that money machine running, running on the hamster wheel that Motley Crue talked about in The Dirt.
Way on the other side are the kids who grew up with that and put the hammer down and ran. Venom. Metallica. Megadeth. Slayer. The accessible-to-almost-everyone, song-smithing of the former groups who are still playing in the VCVCBC idiom are becoming relics. Replaced by players who sound like Eddie Van Halen after 6 months of crack cocaine instead of alcohol, for whom, playing like this is catharsis.
I don’t know enough about latter day metal to know what it morphed into. But I feel like this is either unsustainable or it is the absolute future.
Regardless, I definitely want to bang my head.