Album Review- Slayer: Hell Awaits

Hell Awaits is the 2nd full length album from Thrash Metal band Slayer and was released in 1985. To me this Slayer at their best. Sure most argue that their crowning achievement is Reign In Blood and while it is a more solid album i just feel this one has more complexity. But why do i freakin love this album so much? Lets find out.

Track Rundown

1.Hell Awaits- The "Join Us" backwards in the beginning is just so evil sounding and shows that Slayer are and always will be the most evil band alive. The intro is just so pounding with all the instruments and really lets the band make their presence known. Tom Arayas lead vocals are the most extreme sounding here and almost make this song sound like something a black metal band might conjure up. Amazing opener possibly my favorite Slayer song.

2.Kill Again- just a killer thrash song it is full of awesome thrash riffs. the bass is probably more audible here than any other album in their catalog  which gives off a more raw sound. All the reverb in all the instruments and the voice during the chorus parts just make for a really ripping song as well almost sounds like a song off Scream Bloody Gore by Death if it had more death metal vocals.

3.At Dawn They Sleep: This song definitely encompasses more progressive elements and is really catchy and honestly the lyrical content is awesome singing about Vampires. I really like the solos by King and Hanneman (may god rest his soul) on this album it really shows how much they have improved since Show No Mercy. the vocals with the evil sounding backrounds in the middle is so awesome and when it starts to gradually get faster with Araya repeating Kill Kill KILL!!!! it just makes you want to mosh your room to pieces and Lombardos drums are as tight as ever here too. a real highlight on this surprisingly short album.

4.Praise Of Death-  Another brutal fast song staying within the traditional Slayer sound not as many twists and turns as the previous track but still awesome nonetheless.

5.Necrophiliac- A real dirty thrasher and another big highlight at least for me on this album fusing the brutal fast parts with the slower rhythmic sections really shines through and the echo of the word Hell from Araya just sends shivers down my spine everytime i listen to it. The riffs you can really catch onto here as well.

6.Crypts Of Eternity-  This track sounds alittle quiet at first but then explodes with the solo in the beginning and then rips into pure thrash about a minute in its a good build up it sounds like it couldve been on Show No Mercy or any Venom record honestly the chorus is very reminiscent of them. I also love the blood curdling scream Araya sprays out here as well. Not the best track but not a bad one by any means and even has more of that progressive feel i like.

7.Hardening Of The Arteries- Sounds like a Death Metal band name, song name, or album title either way its pretty badass just to see that name and think "that track must rip" and it does it is really mosh friendly the drums are really fast here to even might be the fastest on the record. It then closes out with a reprise of the instumental beginning of the title track and closes out what is possibly the most vicious Slayer album bordering on death metal and black metal.

Overall, This album gets a 9 out of 10. If the album was on Def Jam Records, it would be perfect with the higher production but this to me is still the heaviest and most evil piece in Slayers discography.