Slayer - Show No Mercy review
Band: | Slayer |
Album: | Show No Mercy |
Style: | Thrash metal |
Release date: | December 1983 |
01. Evil Has No Boundaries
02. The Antichrist
03. Die By The Sword
04. Fight Till Death
05. Metal Storm/Face The Slayer
06. Black Magic
07. Tormentor
08. The Final Command
09. Crionics
10. Show No Mercy
11. Haunting The Chapel [1987 re-issue bonus]
12. Captor Of Sin [1987 re-issue bonus]
13. Chemical Warfare [1987 re-issue bonus]
14. Aggressive Perfector [1994 re-release bonus]
15. Chemical Warfare [1994 re-release bonus]
16. Aggressive Perfector [vinyl & 1983 cassette bonus]
"Blasting our way through the boundaries of hell, no one can stop us tonight..."
Slayer, the now legendary Thrash act that needs no introduction, has been putting out fairly consistent music for over 25 years. However, the old farts we know as kings of thrash these days, started somewhere in time, and that's where this album comes into play.
'Show No Mercy' is a balls-to-the-wall, relentless debut that is oozing with evil. While their Bay Area counterparts were more heavily influenced by the NWOBHM and took that more melodic road, Slayer slammed down some of the most relentless music known at the time, and even today. They pushed the boundaries of extreme music, and never looked back.
Technically, the album isn't flashy. None of the musicians are at the top of their game as they would be later in their career. It's understandable because this is a debut album from young men who, at the time, just wanted to kick ass. However, none of this detracts from either the Metal factor or the fun factor.
You'll find our guys doing what we know they can: Araya's menacing bass lines and hell-screams are ever present. King and Hanneman manage to pack the album full of simple, yet memorable riffing and the wild solos they're now known for, while sharing lyric duty and churning out some over the top, yet classic lyrics that make your insert booklet a legit satanic grimoire. And of course Dave is behind the kit, doing what he does best, and quite efficiently too.
While this album may often be overlooked for their later classics, Slayer managed to create not only devastating music, but songs that are still live staples for them today. Songs like "Die by the Sword" and "The Antichrist" can still be heard at any Slayer show today, while definitely being on par with anything post-1983.
Rating breakdown
Performance: | 8 |
Songwriting: | 8 |
Originality: | 9 |
Production: | 7 |
Written by Clintagräm | 29.03.2008
Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
Rating:
7.5
7.5
Rating: 7.5 |
San Francisco and Los Angeles must have been an exciting places to live in the early 80's. Thrash Metal was in its formative years and the scene was absolutely massive in the Bay Area and LA. Great bands were coming out of every dark corner and none more so than LA based ex-Deep Purple cover band Slayer. The main difference between Slayer and the other bands in the scene was that from the very beginning they were covered in satanic imagery and mysticism which made them stand out from the crowd but also alienated them from ever achieving superstar status. Controversial from the start, Slayer released their debut "Show No Mercy" in 1983 on new label, Metal Blade Records, who had already helped get Metallica noticed on a compilation released the previous year. Read more ›› |
Rating:
9.3
9.3
Rating: 9.3 |
Slayer have become one of the most respected bands in the metal scene by the fans and their peers. They've just released their eleventh studio album, World Painted Blood, and show no sign of stopping. This relentless career started back in 1983 with an album titled Show No Mercy, and it did exactly what it said on the cover. Read more ›› |
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