Slayer Albums Ranked

Slayer was an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California. The band was formed in 1981 by guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman, drummer Dave Lombardo, and bassist and vocalist Tom Araya. Slayer’s fast and aggressive musical style made them one of the founding “big four” bands of thrash metal, alongside Metallica, Megadeth, and Anthrax. Slayer’s final lineup comprised King, Araya, drummer Paul Bostaph and guitarist Gary Holt. Drummer Jon Dette was also a member of the band.
In the original lineup, King, Hanneman, and Araya contributed to the band’s lyrics, and all of the band’s music was written by King and Hanneman. The band’s lyrics and album art, which cover topics such as murder, serial killers, torture, genocide, human experimentation, Satanism, hate crimes, terrorism, religion, antireligion, Nazism, racism, war, and prison, have generated album bans, delays, lawsuits, and criticism from religious groups and factions of the general public. However, its music has been highly influential, often being cited by many bands as an influence musically, visually and lyrically; the band’s third album, Reign in Blood (1986), was described as one of the heaviest and most influential thrash metal albums.
Slayer released twelve studio albums, two 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. The band has received five Grammy Award nominations, winning one in 2007 for the song “Eyes of the Insane” and one in 2008 for the song “Final Six”, both of which were from the album Christ Illusion (2006). Between 1991 and 2013, the band sold five million albums in the United States. Here are all of Slyer’s albums ranked.

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8. Divine Intervention (1994)

“People hardly every seem to talk about ‘Divine Intervention’. And I guess I can sorta understand this, but this IS a very good album, and under appreciated. (Better than it’s predecessor, I think.) And when they do talk about, they tend to do so in a deceptive manner. People love to compare this to ‘Reign in Blood’ but it really doesn’t sound all that much like it. Yeah, it is more consistently fast than the previous two albums, but it’s definitely more varied than RiB, and it rarely goes as fast as RiB at it’s fastest. “

7. World Painted Blood (2009)

“The album is really impressive! If you don’t like it then your probably not playing it loud enough! It has a raw sound with classic attributes, brutal political and religious statements. Very aggressive in the lyrics blended with blazing, shredding, screaming guitars and Lord Dave blasting the perfection only he can. Don’t buy the deluxe version. The little film is annoying and doesn’t reflect the album in any way. I would’ve loved a “making of” but got this lame waste of time.”

6. God Hates Us All (2001)

“After some albums of questionable quality, Slayer returned to form on this album, and oh boy how far they came in the process! Slayer music has always been brutal and angry, but this has to be their most white-hot-rage filled album to date. Listening to Tom Araya screaming “God hates us all” on Disciple made me think that the band had finally lost it completely – this has to be some of the heaviest and above all angriest music I’ve ever heard, including Slayers’ back catalogue.”

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5. Show No Mercy (1983)

“The speediest metal band known worldwide. Tom Araya”s descriptions of hell described as a dark , demonic imagery of the coming Armaggedon , thermonuclear war , and the perverse destruction of mankind”s soul. Tom Araya”s creative lyrics is accompanied by quick guitar solos and fast drumming by Dave Lombardo. Abandon all hope you who enters here.”

4. Hell Awaits (1985)

“ell Awaits is a masterpiece of indie label thrash. Compare Reign in Blood to other bands’ major label debuts, like Metallica’s Kill `Em All, Megadeth’s Peace Sells, Anthrax’s Spreading the Disease, Testament’s The Legacy, or Overkill’s Under the Influence, and it stands out as the most cohesive and potent album in the group. Same goes for Hell Awaits when compared to Killing is My Business, Fistful of Metal, or Feel the Fire (and even though The Legacy was on a major label, I think Hell Awaits tops it). I know, quite a few other good thrash bands released stellar albums in that time period, but just comparing Slayer’s early albums to those of the top groups in the genre shows how strong their output was from the start.”

3. Seasons in the Abyss (1990)

“One of Slayer’s best, most unique and experimental sounds while sounding like a Slayer album. Combining the brutality of the first three albums (namely Reign in Blood) with the more melodic and slower tempo South of Heaven comes Seasons in the Abyss, one of their best albums and the best metal albums of the ’90s. Starting off immediately strong with War Ensemble, one of the band’s most iconic and heaviest songs and finishing with the creepy, dark and brooding title track, there really isn’t a dull moment, even with slower yet unsettling tracks such as Dead Skin Mask and Skeletons of Society. If you’re a Slayer fan, classic metal fan, or any kind of metal album, buy this album. It’s essential listening.”

2. South of Heaven (1988)

“Slayer one of the early thrash bands that have had a long successful career based on consistently producing top class records heavy riffs solid bass and crashing drums to the fore a crashendo of noise that does not relent only criticism I could make about them is perhaps some of there stuff sound’s simular but they have a successful winning formula so why as they say break something that is not broken when what they do works So if you want to experience a good band playing hugely successful popular music with gusto at breakneck speed then this is the band for you to get into if you need to Have the ultimate thrash rock experience”

1.Reign in Blood (1986)

“This is an album that truly lives up to it’s hype. Even now, after the countless extreme metal albums I have heard, this is still possibly the heaviest. There is not a single moment on this album that gives you a break from the sheer speed and intensity of it. Opening up with the unforgiving Angel of Death and closing with the pure evil combination of Postmortem and the iconic Raining Blood, every song on this bad boy is a masterpiece. Please, please, please get this album if you haven’t heard it before and want to start dabbling in the world of extreme metal, and even if you have heard it just get it anyway.”