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Sometimes I wonder what it’s like to be Brian Slagel. Does he go to bed each night with a smile, thinking, “Damn, I introduced Metallica and Slayer to the world”? Or does he lie awake in a cold sweat wondering, “Why I did I sign Goo Goo Dolls and I Killed the Prom Queen?” Slagel generally has sharp A&R; instincts, though, and Slayer was his plum signing. To see enough potential in them as a cover band to coax originals from them – what a master stroke.
I wish I had heard Show No Mercy when it came out 25 years ago today. It must have blown minds at the time. Even now, it’s electric. Slayer didn’t sound like Slayer yet – Venom and NWOBHM influences were still explicit – but they were already deadly. Dave Lombardo’s kicks were already thundering, and the guitars were fluently precise. Reportedly this album took anywhere from eight hours to a week to record. Whatever the case, it wasn’t long. Since studio magic was not in its budget, the band worked the old-fashioned way, with songs and performances. “The Antichrist,” “Die By the Sword,” and “Black Magic” hung around on setlists for a while. I’m partial to the galloping NWOBHM-isms of “Crionics,” which was sadly mothballed after 1984. Maybe south of heaven, Slayer will roll it out again.
Buy:
Metal Blade (CD, MP3)
Metal Blade (Japanese sleeve edition)
My introduction to Slayer was Haunting the Chapel/Live Undead in 1984, which was combined into one release by Canada’s Banzai Records. It took a while for a song like “Chemical Warfare” to settle in, and when I told a friend that song seemed a little too fast for my 14 year old ears, he gave me his copy of Show No Mercy. That was the stuff I wanted to hear, I tell you. Fast, but not quite total speed, a little more restrained. It was a revelation. To this day I still think this album obliterates Hell Awaits.
The devotion to Venom and Judas Priest is shameless at times, but the energy is incredible. The intro to “Black Magic” is perfect.
I have a much easier time enjoying early Slayer than Reign In Blood and forward. Evenso, Hell Awaits really works better for me than Show No Mercy.
I can see why Reign In Blood is the popular choice as it’s a pretty intent record without frills, but for me it’ll always be the thrash metal record that got people who don’t like HM on the whole into the scene. At least the earlier material was more playful, more ambiguous, had a bit of fantasy to it. There’s something to be said about the concentrated assault of Reign In Blood but there’s also something about letting a few different things happen on your record, you know?
I remember back in school I had friends who looked at me like I had bugs crawling out of my ears when I told them how much I loved Show No Mercy.
Back then it was all about Reign In Blood, other stuff was ok, but Reign In Blood was the ultimate Slayer album. I loved Reign In Blood but Show No Mercy hooked into me so much more.
And since you mention Crionics, that was another hated song amongst my school friends but I loved it as well.
I was 15 years old when this came out. My friends and I all thought that this was the most evil thing possible, at least since “Black Metal” from a year earlier or so.
You’re spot on regarding your writings on Slayer and Sabbath. Bloody brilliant releases.
Show No Mercy is great, all the 80’s albums are great. Being a production guy, the thing that really irks me a bit is the snare sound….it definetely sounds like that year. When Andy Wallace started mixing the Slayer albums, production wise and sonically, they don’t sound dated. He’s always had an incredible knack for just getting instruments and musicians to sound like they do live, albeit with a slight studio shine, really crisp, really audiophile quality.
Slayer evolved on later albums obviously, but I think that it’s the speed at breakneck pace and Andy’s mixes that honed it into the streamlined killing machine that it became.
An epic album in all ways. I too am partial to Crionics.
I remember reading in Decibel that they had to re-record all of the cymbals during the recording of this…
(long time no see Cosmo)
Yes, that cymbals story is crazy. What a nightmare that must have been. And, glad to see you again ’round here, DanO!
I can give my insight into hearing ‘Show No Mercy’ upon its release:
Slagel sent me an advance tape of the album several months before its release. Our first reaction was “Holy shit!! It’s faster than Metallica!” That was basically most people’s initial reaction.
However, when Slayer played their first show in the S.F. Bay Area after the album’s release they were wearing eyeliner… so Metallica still owned them until they stopped wearing the makeup.. which was soon after that.
P.S. The days before Slayer:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/umlaut555/282838263/
Hails to the mighty Umlaut for the insight, and for the amazing Enigma flyer. I love the descriptions of Armored Saint and Warlock. And the rest of the photos – goddamn.