Of the thrash metal albums released in the '80s, very few have reached such fame as Slayer's 1986 record Reign in Blood.While Metallica's first four albums both breached the mainstream and helped define the genre, Slayer never achieved any commercial success. Despite this, Reign in Blood is widely considered one of the very best thrash albums of all time. I agree. [1]
The musicianship on Reign in Blood is very good, but still, it doesn't present itself as anything special. Dave Lombardo's drumming is amazing, but that aside, all of the other instruments don't do much technical stuff. Still, they all manage to play fast riffs in a manner that sounds good. Some of the riffs are godly, whereas others are a bit bland. As far as guitar playing goes, the riffing is well written and memorable, but the solos are a slight drag to the music- they are shrill, high pitched, and not very melodic at all. [2]
This album is a brutal assault on the ears, driven by the band's impressive technical capabilities and lack of musical knowledge. Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman thunder away on complex syncopated rhythms on songs like ''Altar of Sacrifice'' and ''Epidemic,'' while slowing down a little on songs like ''Criminally Insane'' and the intro to ''Jesus Saves.'' Dave Lombardo smashes his drums to bits throughout the album, a highlight being the drum break near the end of ''Angel of Death.'' Lombardo is considered the greatest metal drummer, and this song is a perfect example of why. [1]
The lyrics have progressed greatly since Hell Awaits. The uneducated "Satanic" drivel has been toned down quite a bit, making room for more varied topics. The lyrics run the whole gamut of evil- Satanism, torture, serial killers, death, and pretty much any other morbid topic conceivable. Also, the writing style behind the lyrics has improved. More descriptive terms are used, and this makes it much more interesting and enables it to evoke a deeper atmosphere. [2]
Tracks
- Angel of Death
- Piece by Piece
- Necrophobic
- Altar of Sacrifice
- Jesus Saves
- Criminally Insane
- Reborn
- Epidemic
- Postmortem
- Raining Blood
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