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"Rather coldly welcomed at the time, "Hell Awaits" is today hailed as an essential of Slayer and Thrash in general, as well as its successors."
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4/5
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1985. "Show No Mercy" sold over 40,000 copies, becoming the biggest hit of the young Metal Blade label. The boss, Brian Slagel, sensing the good shot, decides to finance the recording of a second album of the Huntington Park quartet. Slayer takes its first steps into the world of professional music. Produced by the band and recorded by Ron Fair and Bill Metoyer at Eldorado Studios in Hollywood, "Hell Awaits" is a violent transition from the Californians' first album.
The shock occurs from the very first track with its 6 minutes, half of which is for the absolutely huge introduction, its production that has nothing to do with the garage sound of "Show No Mercy" and its rhythm that is, to say the least, sustained. Each track surpasses the previous one in terms of aggressiveness and power, Araya abandoning his falsetto to adopt this screaming style that will make his reputation. Lombardo hits with a precision that will also become legendary, and what can we say about Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman? Already the only masters on board, they compose without limits complex pieces, with incessant changes of rhythm (progressive extreme metal before its time?) and with bewildering, chaotic and wild solos.
Rather coldly welcomed at the time, "Hell Awaits" is today hailed as an essential of the genre, just like its successors, and tracks like 'Hell Awaits' or 'Necrophiliac' are since then classics of Slayer's repertoire, still very regularly played on stage. This longevity is not only to be credited to the band's stage performances, but also and above all to an incredible writing quality for those who were then only a bunch of punks, late teenagers who became adults here... The maturity is not yet reached, but we approach it with great steps. - Official website
Did you know?
 The intro to the title track is a reverse recording of a demonic voice repeating "Join us" and ending with "Welcome back" before the song begins.
"Hell Awaits" was voted best album of 1985, and Dave Lombardo best drummer in the readers' poll of British magazine Metal Forces.
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TRACK LISTING:
01. Hell Awaits - 06:12
02. Kill Again - 04:53
03. At Dawn They Sleep - 06:16
04. Praise Of Death - 05:17
05. Necrophiliac - 03:43
06. Crypts Of Eternity - 06:37
07. Hardening Of The Arteries - 03:57
LINEUP:
Dave Lombardo: Batterie
Jeff Hanneman: Guitares
Kerry King: Guitares
Tom Araya: Chant / Basse
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(0) MIND(S) FROM OUR READERS
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Top of the page
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(0) COMMENT(S)
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READERS
4/5 (2 view(s))
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STAFF:
4/5 (3 view(s))
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IN RELATION WITH SLAYER
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