Hell Awaits (1985) Normal Metal Rating: 7/10  EVIL Rating: 11/10
    Whoa! This is some seriously scary stuff. Nowdays this is more tame, but you can still feel the menacing vibes. It isn't like the later albums, with nice fast tunes and fun horror-film lyrics. This is harcore insanity, with a lot of nasty, not-very-fun songs. The production is quite awful, which only adds to the monotony of this hellish experience. The drums are fierce, and the solos grate on the ears. This is not a listener-friendly release.
    Historically, this is very important. There are a few innovations and 'firsts' on this album, which would contribute to the extreme metal scene as a whole. The most striking new things are the lyrics. They aren't the usual joke lyrics which you can't take seriously. These are deadly real. All through the album Tom Araya groans about hell, death and..well, that's it! As you can imagine, by the final track the listener is worn down into a state of neurosis. It makes you long for the good old days of Sabbath when there was a contrast between each songs and, most significantly, melody!
    It may appear that I dislike this album, but I don't. I thing it's a fine achievement by a band with a lot of guts. There are some of Slayer's best compositions here. The best is probably 'Necrophiliac', which has a really savage, speedy riff and a nice solo piece in the middle. 'Crypts Of Eternity' is also impressive, if way too long. Most of the songs are around 5 minutes, which is excessive for Slayer.
    I can't say I'd actually recommend this to a lot of people; you'd have to be pretty sick and twisted to vote this as your favourite album! However, it's a landmark in Thrash, and Slayer's darkest work.

Reign In Blood (1986) Normal Metal Rating: 10/10  EVIL rating: 11/10
    The title says it all! This album rules when it comes to speed, aggression and overall Thrashy-ness. Of all the releases of the eighties, this was probably the most startling, and the most surprisingly enjoyable. It's a big leap from Hell Awaits, a leap backwards if anything. All the 'mature' evil vibes have been dropped for an out-and-out noise fest with ridiculous lyrics, highly amusing vocals and chaotic guitars. Hell Awaits sounded thought out and structured; this sounds like utter madness! If the music itself hadn't been so good, this would have been a dismal failure. But along with all the new sound and attitudes comes a lot of great riffs which every Thrash Metal fan will like.
    There are a few other changes. The songs are all about 2 to 3 minutes, with the exception of the opening and closing tracks. They're also played with a lot more speed, and enthusiasm. It sounds like they're having fun which, believe it or not, is the main thing.
    The most famous track on the album is 'Angel Of Death', because of its controversal lyrics. However, court proceedings against it never got anywhere, although a warning label was placed on some copies (as though Slayer really care!). 'Angel Of Death' is not just famous because of the lyrics; it has one of the fastest, and most memorable riffs that Slayer have ever played, and opens the album with a blast of aggression probably still unmatched.
    The next few songs are not as good, but still highly enjoyable, with a lot of quality guitar work shoved in underneath the quasi-Dracula lyrics. However, of the shorter songs 'Postmortem' is the best; heavy and sinister with a blitz of speed at the end. To finish of the album is 'Raining Blood', which illustrates the main concept of the album with more fun lyrics and a mad guitar riff.
    A lot of fans of slower metal will probably think this is trash, along with all the arrogant Metallica fans. However, I enjoy it, and think it's a worthwhile album to have if you're looking for aggression, or even just easy entertainment.

South Of Heaven (1988) Normal metal rating: 7.5/10 EVIL rating: 7.5/10
    Well, they had to do something different. But it doesn't matter how much we expected to hear an album like this, it was still a little bit of a disappointment.
    Obviously, they've slowed things down. After two albums of blood and gore, they needed an album with more maturity and atmosphere. South Of Heaven was this album, and takes a long while to ajust to.
    This is interesting, because you can hear more of their influences on this album. It has a slightly more 70s feel, often reminiscent of Priest and Black Sabbath. The songs are less repetitive, with a lot more variety in pace and mood. This can be a good thing, or bad, depending on your taste. It's still a Thrash album, but not the whole way through. There are certainly no 'speedy' moments; this could probably have been made 5 years before RIB.
    Admittedly, I had a hard time when I first heard this. Heaps of album reviews in magazines were raving on about how good it was, and I felt an imposing sense of anticlimax. However, after about a month of forcing myself to tolerate it, I've grown to like a lot of the songs. The title track is impressive, with a brooding, edgy riff. 'Mandatory Suicide' is very dark, and very convincing. 'Ghost Of War' is great, although the production at the beginning is weird. Toward the end of the album is 'Dissident Aggressor', a song from Judas Priest's Sin After Sin. I like the original better, but this is still a valid affort. Finally, 'Spill The Blood', which has an excellent riff; one of Slayer's best.
    As a normal heavy metal album, this is great. As a Slayer album, this is still good. But as a follow up to Reign In Blood, this suffers from anticlimax. But still a recommended effort.

Seasons In The Abyss (1990) Rating: 7/10 (EVIL rating no longer applicable)
    Seasons In The Abyss is the first of Slayer's unoriginal albums. All the albums before had come as surprises, which had been part of their appeal. But this is basically a copy of South Of Heaven, with a tiny bit of Reign In Blood mixed in. The songs are all up to Slayer's standard, but there's nothing that strikes you as new or exciting. They just seem to be honing down their style to a formula, without taking a risk.
    This is still quite enjoyable. The guitars are still riffing away, the lyrics are still vaguely aggressive, and there's almost a hint of 'dark forces'(!) present. But I just can't help thinking that they should have come up with a few new ideas.
    The only idea that I like is 'Dead Skin Mask'. It's a really slow, cold song with a nasty guitar lead and suspensful lyrics. It goes for over five minutes without getting boring, which is a bit of a first for Slayer. Unfortunately, it's the only first. Only get this album once you've got the other three. Or, if you prefer, get God Hates Us All, which is a far more exciting effort which should pop up on Tim's Reviews Site in a little while.

God Hates Us All (Slayer) (2001) 8.5/10
One thing can be certain – God doesn’t hate Slayer, because he seems to have given them the gift of brilliant song-writing for over 15 years. What’s more, this is one of their best! God Hates Us All is an intense piece of classic Slayer thrash which beats everything they’ve done since 1988’s eerie South of Heaven. The violence and adrenalin never stops for a second – the riffs just keep on getting bigger and nastier!  Slayer fans will be especially pleased with Tom Araya’s vocals, which are still as aggressive and savage as always (check out the chorus of “Disciple”!). A must-have for Slayer fans, although Christians may want to reconsider this particular purchase…