Published on: May 6, 2023, 9:40 AM
by Michael Berdan
This past Tuesday marked ten years without Jeff Hanneman. Although his absence created a void that can never be filled, Slayer left a body of work that will be revered until the end of time.
It’s hard to quantify a discography as dense and nearly perfect as Slayer, but we tried. These are their records, organized from worst to best:
12. Diabolus In Musica (1998)
Even heroes have bad days. Looking to scale a new sonic mountain, Jeff Hanneman set about trying to outdo himself by basing an album around “the devil’s tritone,” a musical interval so ominous that it was banned in medieval times. It’s cool in theory, and it’s been used to great effect before (see Black Sabbath’s eponymous track), but applied to Slayer the trick just sounds weird. With a healthy dose of nü-metal bounce and awkward verbal acrobatics, Slayer did achieve their goal of doing something impossible for the band up to that point: making a record that sucked.
11. Undisputed Attitude (1996)
Punks at heart, Undisputed Attitude was Slayer’s attempt to show the world just where they came from. With just one new Slayer song, the album is composed mostly of covers by bands like Verbal Abuse, D.R.I., and The Stooges. This record also gave Hanneman and Dave Lombardo a chance to introduce the work of their ‘80s hardcore side project, Pap Smear, to a wider audience. The concept sounds cool enough, but the record feels rushed and phoned in. Tom Araya’s little tongue-in-cheek lyrical faux pas at the end of their cover of Minor Threat’s “Guilty Of Being White” doesn’t help.
10. God Hates Us All (2001)
The second half of the 1990s was a rough time for Slayer. Having alienated a contingent of their fanbase with the lackluster Undisputed Attitude and wacky flop Diabolus In Musica, headbangers were cautiously optimistic that Slayer wouldn’t continue to go down the same fruitless roads that their peers continued to travel. God Hates Us All was just the breath of sulfuric hellfire-tinged air that metalheads needed. It isn’t without the occasional dud (seriously, that “Threshold” track can go toe-to-toe in a garbage fight with most of Diabolus), but God Hates Us All showed us that Slayer still had gas in the tank. Too bad it came out on September 11th, 2001. Owch.
9. Divine Intervention (1994)
Although they will begrudgingly flirt with nü-metal in a few years, Slayer dug in their heels against the tidal wave of grunge at the beginning of the 1990s. Straying away from hyperbolic satanism and diving off the lyrical deep end of serial killers and war crimes, Divine Intervention is the band at its most terrifying. Throw in the gut-churning act of self-mutilation that the inner sleeve/jewel case is adorned by and you’ve got the most notorious band in the world at the height of their cynicism.
8. Christ Illusion (2006)
Paul Bostaph is a fantastic drummer who can hold his own with the best. Keeping up is one thing, but to sit where Dave Lombardo had been is an unenviable task for anyone. When fans rejoiced at Lombardo’s return to Slayer it didn’t diminish Bostaph’s contributions so much as highlight the dark alchemy that occurs when the original four members played together. An unrepentant thrash onslaught with moments that rank up there with the thrash titans at their best. If you were to jokingly refer to this record as How Slayer Got Their Groove Back, I’d only cringe a little.
7. Repentless (2015)
A necessary testament of pure vitriol, Repentless earned the Biblical allusion that the name implies. Fears that the tragic death of Jeff Hanneman might kneecap Slayer’s songwriting prowess were instantly put to rest by some of Kerry King’s most furious riffage. The axe work of legendary thrash juggernaut Gary Holt weaves seamlessly with King’s acrobatics, making for a fitting tribute to a fallen hero.
6. Show No Mercy (1983)
Metallica might have reinvented the wheel when Metallica‘s Kill ‘em All came out, but Slayer created the atomic bomb of heavy metal with Show No Mercy. Although they were really just kids, the vicious talents of Hanneman and King as songwriters was already on full display. Up until this point, this brand of fury only existed in hardcore punk. By applying that brand of speed and aggression to metal, Slayer carved a pentagram into an unsuspecting world. Nothing has been the same since.
5. World Painted Blood (2009)
After the missteps of the 1990s, Slayer spent the first decade of the new millennium regaining their footing. By the time 2009 came around, Dave Lombardo had eased back into his drum throne and the rest of the band were back at their confident best. Slayer weaves an atmospheric tapestry of relentless speed, musicality, and melody that sits with the best of their canon. Would have been a perfect follow-up to Seasons In The Abyss, but alas…
4. Hell Awaits (1985)
As bile-soaked and terrifying as Show No Mercy is, Slayer’s second record showed that it was a mere stepping stone on the path to damnation. With two more years to hone their evil craft, the band took an immense stride in terms of technical and aesthetic refinement. With maturity came confidence and freedom for the band to push every lyrical button at barely comprehensible speeds. A colossal record that set the stage for the perfect realization of Slayer to come.
3. South Of Heaven (1988)
When a band puts out a genre defining record, it creates a paradox. Sure, it must be great to create the benchmark by which everything else in your craft will forever be held to, but how the fuck are you supposed to follow it up? After Slayer broke the mold with Reign In Blood, the band opted to do the unthinkable rather than retread the same scorched earth – they slowed down! Although it seemed like heresy at the time and was met by scores of broken hearted metalheads crying tears of betrayal, the about-face in speed created room for Hanneman and King’s songwriting skills to shine. South Of Heaven is now regarded among the band’s finest albums.
2. Seasons In The Abyss (1990)
For a band that comes from the underground, nothing is worse than being called a sellout. If slowing down on South Of Heaven enraged a few heshers, making a video for Seasons In The Abyss had them screaming for blood. However, much like this album’s predecessor, time has proven the naysayers wrong. Bookended by two monumental examples of the band at their fast and slow best, Seasons In The Abyss is the synthesis of everything great about Slayer.
1. Reign In Blood (1986)
To call it the greatest thrash metal album of all time might seem like a hyperbolic copout, but put the needle to the groove and try to hang on for dear life. From the opening riff of “Angel Of Death” to the thunderclap capping off “Rain In Blood,” Slayer’s masterpiece grabs you by the throat and never lets go. Not a wasted breath. Not a wasted note. A journey through earthly and theological hell, Reign In Blood is a perfect killing machine.
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FAQs
What is the heaviest Slayer album? ›
»Repentless« gather excellent songs and can be considered as the heaviest album from SLAYER since »Seasons In The Abyss«. "We try to never look back, to never repeat ourselves, but to look forward. In the end, we took six years to complete this album and my goal was to write songs that fans could call hymns.
What is the underrated Slayer album? ›Diabolus in musica (1998)
Slayer's most underrated album, without a doubt.
Slayer released twelve studio albums, three live albums, a box set, six music videos, two extended plays and a cover album. Four of the band's studio albums have received gold certification in the United States.
How old is Slayer 77? ›Slayer77 is a 14 year old rapper from Philadelphia, PA.
What is the loudest album of all time? ›However, in doing so, the highs and lows of the dynamic range by making it louder often lose some of the nuances and depth of the sound. In Shepherd's piece, Metallica's Death Magnetic was deemed the loudest album, but also had the smallest dynamic range of the discs included in the research.
What is the fastest Slayer song? ›Mention fast and most people will immediately think of Slayer. Their 1986 album Reign in Blood album has some seriously up tempo offerings throughout, including Angel of Death at 212 BPM. But even faster is the closing track, Raining Blood.
What is the least selling album? ›According to Nielsen Music, the company tasked with providing data to Billboard to compile the weekly charts, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie's first leader only managed to actually sell 749 copies this past week. That now stands as the record for the least number of copies sold by a No.
Who is the richest member of Slayer? ›Net worth: $8 million
Slayer guitarist Kerry King is one of the founding members of Slayer. Along with that of Slayer bassist and singer Tom Araya, Kerry King has remained the only consistent active member in Slayer.
While Slayer never announced a specific reason for the breakup, it is believed that singer-bassist Tom Araya didn't want to continue performing, previously citing physical limitations due to various health conditions. Slayer performed their last show on November 30th, 2019, in Los Angeles.
Did Slayer ever go platinum? ›Slayer is considered one of the "big four" of thrash metal along with Anthrax, Metallica and Megadeth and has earned six gold certifications and one multi-platinum plaque from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Is Slayer heavier than Metallica? ›
If you disagree that they are heavy, just listen to Angel of Death or Raining Blood loud through good sound equipment, and feel the music crushing you. Slayer may be "heavier" band than Metallica, but they all represent the same time era of being created.
Who is the best guitarist in Slayer? ›Jeffrey John Hanneman (January 31, 1964 – May 2, 2013) was an American musician, best known as a founding member and guitarist of the thrash metal band Slayer.
Why is Slayer popular? ›They helped invent extreme metal
Slayer made extreme metal truly extreme, fusing violent, occult, politically incorrect themes and imagery with a blitzkrieg of tetanus-inducing speed riffing and hair-raising doomy atmospherics that terrified, captivated and/or inspired anyone who heard it.
However, general consensus is that the slayers are often chosen for being young and will die before reaching adulthood. Chronologically, Buffy was the first to be called of the three. She's most likely the oldest.
How old do demon slayers live? ›Demon Slayers who have awakened their Mark are said to, without exception, die before reaching the age of 25.
How old is the demon slayer Corps? ›The Demon Slayer Corps was founded by the Ubuyashiki family almost one thousand years ago. They led the battle against Demons and their greatest enemy, Muzan Kibutsuji. Each family member would eventually pass on the role of leadership to their descendants due to their bloodline being cursed.
What is the strongest sound ever recorded? ›The loudest sound in recorded history came from the volcanic eruption on the Indonesian island Krakatoa at 10.02 a.m. on August 27, 1883. The explosion caused two thirds of the island to collapse and formed tsunami waves as high as 46 m (151 ft) rocking ships as far away as South Africa.
Who has the loudest concert ever? ›1972. Deep Purple was recognised by The Guinness Book of World Records as the "globe's loudest band" for a concert at the London Rainbow Theatre, during which the sound reached 117 dB and three members of the audience fell unconscious.
Who is the loudest band ever? ›To achieve their loud sound, Deep Purple bought a 10,000-watt Marshall PA system. One show was so loud that three people standing near speakers were knocked unconscious. In 1972, The Guinness Book Of Records crowned Deep Purple the world's loudest band after 117 decibels were registered at London's Rainbow Theatre.
What is Slayer's heaviest song? ›- Richard Hung Himself (1996)
- Sex. ...
- Hallowed Point (1990) ...
- War Ensemble (1990) ...
- Silent Scream (1988) ...
- Necrophobic (1986) ...
- Angel Of Death (1986) ...
- Necrophiliac (1985) ...
Who is the easiest Slayer master? ›
Turael is the easiest Slayer Master, found north of Burthorpe bank. He has no minimum combat or Slayer level requirements before players may receive assignments. His daughter, Spria, succeeds him after the events of While Guthix Sleeps.
Who is the hardest Slayer master? ›Duradel is the hardest Slayer Master. To be assigned tasks from Duradel, players must have a Slayer level of at least 50, and a combat level of at least 100.
What was the first Slayer song? ›Evil Has No Boundaries (Show No Mercy, 1983)
It was on the Metal Blade compilation album Metal Massacre III, released in 1983, that Slayer made their vinyl debut with the song Aggressive Perfector.
Guinness World Records recognized “Godzilla” for having the “Fastest Rap in a No. 1 Single”, a distinction that the track still holds today.
How many beats per minute is Slayer? ›| Artist | Title | BPM |
|---|---|---|
| Slayer | Postmortem | 240 |
| Slayer | Raining Blood | 247 |
| Slayer | Seasons In The Abyss | 300 |
| Slayer | The Anti-christ | 240 |
- As a musician, Paul McCartney has the most No. 1 albums, with 27. This includes 19 albums from his work with The Beatles, three solo albums and five albums as a part of his 1970s group Wings. ...
- Barbra Streisand is the only artist to have No. 1 albums in six different decades.
| Current | Previous | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 1. (1) | 1 | One Thing At A Time Morgan Wallen peak position: 1 – total weeks: 10 |
| 2. (new) | new | - Highest Debut Ed Sheeran peak position: 2 – total weeks: 1 |
| 3. (3) | 3 | Midnights Taylor Swift peak position: 1 – total weeks: 29 |
| 4. (4) | 4 | Sos SZA peak position: 1 – total weeks: 22 |
The only band to have four number one albums in the same year is The Monkees.
Have Slayer split up? ›Goodbyes are never easy and “premature” goodbyes even more so, as former Slayer guitarist Kerry King can probably attest to. Speaking in a new interview with Metal Hammer, the musician said that he felt “Anger… what else?” when asked about the band's decision to split back in 2019. “It was premature,” King said.
Who sold more albums Megadeth or Slayer? ›And while many fans might expect Megadeth to take the #2 slot in Big Four lore due to their legacy, according to our data it's actually Slayer who nab the honors. Could that be a result of increased interest of late due to their retirement?
Who owns Slayer? ›
MEET THE FOUNDER, JASON PREFONTAINE
In 2007 Slayer Espresso was birthed with one mission, Make Coffee Better. That mission is ongoing and unwavering.
The group understandably went into their metal influences, including Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Judas Priest, but also showed their diversity. "I got everything," says frontman Tom Araya.
Who has passed away from Slayer? ›Jeff Hanneman, a guitarist for the thrash metal band Slayer, died Thursday of liver failure, the band announced in a statement on its website. "Slayer is devastated to inform that their bandmate and brother, Jeff Hanneman, passed away at about 11AM this morning near his Southern California home," the statement said.
Is Slayer done for good? ›"Do I miss playing? Yeah, absolutely." Thrash metal icons Slayer broke hearts around the globe when they announced their disbandment in early 2018 after gigging hard for 37 years and releasing 12 studio albums.
What record went 17 times platinum? ›The breakout hit “Sunflower” by Post Malone and Swae Lee has moved into the RIAA record books, becoming the first single in history to go 17X platinum.
Did Slayer influence death metal? ›Slayer are often cited as the band that directly influenced the rise of death metal. Formed in 1981, they rose to fame as one of the "Big Four" thrash bands and became known for their pure aggression — graphic and violent lyrical content and down-tuned guitars.
Did Slayer start black metal? ›In a recent interview, producer Rick Rubin hails Slayer as "one of the inventors of black metal." In many ways, Slayer were the godfathers of all extreme metal.
What is the heaviest riff metal? ›Tony Iommi at his heaviest – think Into The Void, the breakdown in Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, the eponymous Black Sabbath intro riff, Lord Of This World – remains unimpeachable. In 2020, Metal Hammer polled pro guitarists and Iommi's Symptom Of The Universe riff came out top.
Who is metal heaviest? ›Osmium is the most dense metal! Many people are familiar with lead (11.3 kg/L), but osmium is twice as dense (22.6 kg/L)!
Who is the most technically skilled guitarist ever? ›Alan Holdsworth
Perhaps the most technically proficient guitar player ever. Alan Holdsworth had an advanced understanding of music, theory, chords, and scales.
Who is the loudest guitarist? ›
1. Pete Townshend. The Who's May 31, 1976 show in London was confirmed by the Guinness Book of Records as the loudest show of all time, with 126 dB measured 32 meters (105 feet) from the stage. Additionally, loud music is believed to be one of the key contributing factors to Pete Townshend deafness.
What bands did Slayer influence? ›Slayer also had a more direct influence on the groovier cats and kittens of the metal world. Lamb Of God frontman Randy Blythe – who came up in the punk scene – has said Reign In Blood was the first metal album he liked, but for guitarist Mark Morton the big one was the follow-up.
Have Slayer retired? ›Slayer played their final show back in 2019, and the band officially retired from the heavy metal world. But, not everyone in the band was super happy about the decision. Guitarist Kerry King now says he was angry about the decision to pull the plug on Slayer.
Is Slayer popular in Japan? ›A true phenomenon of the new manga/animated generation, Demon Slayer is a staple of Japanese pop culture. First published in 2015, Demon Slayer, or Kimetsu no Yaiba in Japanese, quickly made a name for itself on the Japanese scene before conquering the international scene.
Who founded Slayer? ›Slayer is an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California. Formed in 1981, the group was founded by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and Anthrax.
What is the heaviest rock album ever recorded? ›SLAYER – REIGN IN BLOOD
Our No 1, the heaviest album ever made. Why? Because when the LA thrashers released it in 1986 it was faster, harder and louder than everything that came before it, and nothing since has ever come along to truly trump it.
- 8. " Pinball Wizard"
- 7. " Summertime Blues" (live)
- 6. " The Real Me"
- 5. " Won't Get Fooled Again"
- 4. " Bargain"
- 3. " Boris the Spider"
- 2. " Young Man Blues" (live)
- 1. " My Generation"
But if you wanna know EXACTLY how strong he is, he can punch as hard as 400 to 500 pounds of pressure, enough to destroy a whole human body without a trace except for blood and guts and can pull at almost 500 to 700 pounds of pressure, enough to rip off the icon of sins head off if he wanted to.
What is the longest #1 rock song? ›“Thick as a Brick” is the longest popular rock song ever recorded.
What is the heaviest record ever? ›Jon Brower Minnoch (September 29, 1941 – September 10, 1983) was an American man who, at his peak weight, was the heaviest human ever recorded, weighing 1,400 lb (635 kilograms; 100 stone).
What is the biggest song ever written? ›
According to Guinness World Records, Irving Berlin's "White Christmas" (1942) as performed by Bing Crosby is the best-selling single worldwide, with estimated sales of over 50 million copies.
What was the first metal song in history? ›And that was Blue Cheer who, in 1968, released a cover of “Summertime Blues”, a cover which Lefevre calls “deep, dark, and loud” noting that “to this day many people consider [the track] as the first real heavy metal song.” He then goes on to note that one of the standout traits of the track is “how deep it is, sitting ...
Why is heavy music so good? ›For example, "extreme" music genres, like heavy metal, appears to be great for reducing negative emotions and regulating anger and depression. Staving off these negative emotions will pay dividends for your brain's ability to function at peak performance.
What singer is the king of rock? ›Introduction. Elvis Presley is, quite simply, the King of Rock & Roll.
Who holds the record for most lyrics in a song? ›Answer: Eminem. Detroit-native, Eminem, set the Guinness world record with the song "Rap God" clocking in 1,560 words in six minutes. Eminem rapped an average of 4.28 words per second in the track.