In stark contrast to their debut, Slayer's second album was professionally produced, this being possible as their label paid to finance it. In many ways I guess it could be said that this was their first real album, though of course many of their fans retain an admiration and love for the first salvo Slayer sent across the bows of the music world, announcing the arrival of a new power and a seachange in the world of Heavy Metal, especially in the USA.
Hell awaits --- Slayer --- 1985 (Metal Blade)
Again, it's a short album, with only seven tracks --- nine on the special edition, but as they're two of the tracks off “Haunting the chapel” I don't feel that adds anything --- and it kicks off with the title track, another powerful guitar attack as King stamps his authority on the album, Araya's voice kind of more on a par with Brian Johnson or Biff Byford this time, a sort of higher-pitched tone to it. Another fast track following in the steps trodden by “Haunting the chapel”, it's nevertheless not on the same blistering pace as the likes of “Chemical warfare” or “Haunting the chapel” itself, though King fires off some impressive solos. At least, I assume it's him. This is always the problem with bands containing two guitarists: how do you know who's playing the solo? It's a constant conundrum for me when reviewing Iron Maiden albums --- is that Dave or Adrian, or indeed Janick? In the long run I guess it doesn't matter too much, but as he's seen as the main guitarist here I'm just gonna assume all the solos are by Kerry King. “Kill again” is even slower, in relation to the other tracks, or at least starts that way, with an extended guitar intro and some fine power drumming, and when the vocal comes in it's more almost spoken by Araya this time, dark and bleak. This, I feel, comes a little closer to punk rock, in the execution of the riffs and the almost manic drumming. I don't like this very much I must admit: it feels like it's just been thrown together.
You can definitely see the difference in the production though all through the album, especially on “At dawn they sleep”, one of the more progressively-leaning tracks on the album. It betrays to me a certain sense of Purple around the “In Rock” era, or maybe “Machine head”, a sort of blues feel to it. It's much more restrained than “Kill again”, even if King does prove there's (probably) nobody who shreds as well as him. This seems to be the first Slayer song on which Tom Araya has a songwriting input, and the difference shows. A long song --- over six minutes --- it goes through tempo changes and moods, building up an atmosphere and showing that Slayer can --- or could --- construct really quite well-written songs. Slayer as a prog metal band may seem highly unlikely at best --- and probably is --- but this song definitely displays many of the trademarks of that subgenre, while of course not losing the basic thrash and aggression and speed that this band built their fanbase upon.
“Praise of death” is back to the basic thrash, a ravening monster hurtling along at twice the speed of light, Araya snarling the vocal again and to hell (hah!) with time signature changes or any of that pansy nonsense! This is Metal: pure, brutal, fast as hell and loud enough to make your brain leak out of your ears. To underline the fact, King looses off another perfectly-timed solo, the kind of guitar work that starts revolutions and plants in young minds the sudden desire to buy a Fender and put a band together. No doubt a title that caused many a sleepless night among those who safeguard our morals and led to the almost coveted “Parental Advisory” label being hastily slapped on the cover of this album, “Necrophiliac” begins on a growly, stop-start guitar then takes off at speed, Tom at his darkest and revelling in the lyric, knowing how much it will bother certain people.
Of course, one thing about Slayer is that often the way Tom sings you don't need to worry about the lyrics, as you may not be able to make them out, but this is worth listening to, if for no other reason, to catch the superb solos from Kerry King and the tight-knit rhythm section blasting the song along. Sounding more like it belongs on a progressive rock album, at least from the title, “Crypts of eternity” seems to concern the Pyramids, possibly grabbing elements of “Powerslave” --- or maybe not. It's hard to say, but if something could be termed a crypt of eternity I think it would be the famous Egyptian monuments. It's a good song, and rocks along well without screaming off the rails, with some dark guitar work from Hanneman and King, kind of reminiscent of Lep at their rockin' best, and of course Maiden.
Yeah, reading through the lyric it's nothing to do with the Pyramids. Good song though and as usual superb solos, taking us into the closer, “Hardening of the arteries”, which brings the curtain down in powerful style, thundering along like an out-of-control freight train. Why not an out-of-control passenger train, you ask? Don't ask me: I don't coin these phrases, I just rob 'em. It's a short track in comparison to the previous, less than four minutes and it rockets along, taking us to the end of the album in a breathless dash for the finish, leaving us exhausted and drained again.
TRACKLISTING
1. Hell awaits
2. Kill again
3. At dawn they sleep
4. Praise of death
5. Necrophiliac
6. Crypts of eternity
7. Hardening of the arteries
There are, as I alluded to, two bonus tracks on certain versions but they're just the title track from the EP as well as “Captor of sin” from the same EP, and we've heard them already. For a second album this is definitely good, but it doesn't, to my mind, foreshadow the behemoth that was lurking on the horizon and that would take Slayer from the underground right into the glare of the spotlight, making of them bona fide superstars and gods of Metal. What a difference one year can make!