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Reign in Blood is the third studio album and major label debut by American thrash metal band Slayer, released on October 7, 1986. The album was the band's first with record producer Rick Rubin, resulting in shorter, faster song structures with clearer production. The album has been hailed by critics as "the heaviest album of all time" and a breakthrough in thrash metal.
Reign in Blood's initial release was delayed due to concerns regarding graphic artwork and lyrical themes. The opening track, "Angel of Death", a reference to Josef Mengele, detailed acts committed at the Auschwitz concentration camp, provoking allegations of Nazism.[1] The band stated numerous times they do not condone Nazism, and are merely interested in the subject.[2] The album became Slayer's first to enter the Billboard 200, peaking at number 94 and attaining gold status in 1992.
Record label changes
Slayer's producer and manager Brian Slagel realized the band needed to hit the "big time" with their next album. Slagel talked to several labels, including Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons of Def Jam Records, although he was hesitant about signing with a rap label. Drummer Dave Lombardo heard about Rubin's interest in the band pursuing to contact him, while other band members were apprehensive about leaving Metal Blade Records as they were contracted. Lombardo called Columbia Records - Def Jams distributor and Rubin agreed to come to see the band play - with photographer Glen E. Friedman.[3] Friedman produced Suicidal Tendencies's self titled album where Araya has a guest appearance pushing Suicidal Tendencies's vocalist Mike Muir, around this time Rubin asked Friedman if he knew Slayer.[3]
Guitarist Jeff Hanneman was surprised by Rubin's interest in the band, and impressed by his work with Run DMC and LL Cool J.[3] When Slagel traveled to Europe for a music convention, Rubin talked to the band directly, and convinced them to sign with Def Jam. Slagel gave Rubin credit; stating Rubin was the most passionate of all the labels the band were talking to.[3] Once the band was signed, Friedman took them to Seattle for two days for publicity shots, possible record shots, and photos for a tour book - as Rubin felt no good photos of the band existed.[3]
Recording
The album was Rubin's first under the metal genre, giving the band a chronic makeover resulting in shorter, faster songs with clearer production.[4] Guitarist Kerry King stated "Rubin really cleaned up our sound on that record, which drastically changed what we sounded like and how people perceived us. It was like, “Wow—you can hear everything, and those guys aren’t just playing fast; those notes are on time."[3]
Hanneman states the band was listening to Metallica and Megadeth, getting bored of the guitar riffs quickly. "If we do a verse two or three times, we’re already bored with it. So we weren’t trying to make the songs shorter—that’s just what we were into."[3] King states that hour long records seem to be the trend; “You could lose this part; you could cut this song completely,” and make a much more intense record, which is what we’re all about.[3] On finishing the record the band met with Rubin who asked “Do you realize how short this is?” The members collectively looked at each other and said “So what?”[3]The entire album was on one side of a cassette; King stated it was "neat", as "You could listen to it, flip it over, and play it again."[3] The music is abrasive and faster than previous releases helping to push the gap between thrash metal and its predecessor hardcore punk.[4]
Reception
Although the album received virtually no radio airplay, it became the band's first to enter the Billboard 200, where it peaked at number 94.[5] The album reached a peak at number 47 in the UK Album Chart.[5] It was certified gold in the United States on November 11, 1992, along with the band's 1988 release South of Heaven.[6]
The album received mostly positive reviews; Kerrang! magazine described it as the "heaviest album of all time",[7] Metal Hammer magazine named it "the best metal album of the last 20 years",[8] and Q magazine ranked Reign in Blood among the "50 Heaviest Albums of All Time".[9] Since the band's 1994 release Divine Intervention in almost every interview the members were asked “How does it feel to keep trying to outdo Reign in Blood? How does it feel to have made the best thrash metal album of all time? King asserts the band does not to try out do it, and just want to make music.Cite error: A <ref>
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(see the help page). King asserts the reason why Reign in Blood is so popular; "the truth is, if you released 'Reign in Blood' today, noone would give a shit. It was timing; it was a change in sound. In thrash metal at that time, noone had ever heard good production on a record like that. It was just a bunch of things that came together at once."[10]
Significance
Template:Sound sample box align right Template:Multi-listen start Template:Multi-listen item Template:Multi-listen item Template:Multi-listen end Template:Sample box end The record is regarded by critics as one of the most influential and extreme thrash metal albums of all time.[4] MTV states "Their downtuned rhythms, infectious guitar licks, graphically violent lyrics and grisly artwork set the standard for dozens of emerging thrash bands, and Slayer's music was directly responsible for the rise of death metal."[11] The album ranked number 6 on IGN's "Top 25 influential Metal Albums".[12]
Former Sepultura drummer Igor Cavalera, was influenced by the album, stating "the 80s, when shit was pure,"[13] Ektomorf vocalist Zoltán Farkas also cites the album as one of his biggest influences in music.[14] The album was the first Jari of the death metal band The Scourger had listened to, exposing him to an all new genre and influencing his band's style.[15] Steven Rathbone of Lair of the Minotaur ranks the album as one of his favorites.[16]
Guitarist Jeff Hanneman cites the album as his favorite, stating it's "so short and quick and to the point."[17] Araya states that Slayer's 2006 album Christ Illusion "comes close, but, in my opinion, nothing can surpass Reign in Blood for intensity and impact. No one had heard anything like it before. In the 20 years since then, people have got more desensitized. What was over the top then might not be now.”[18]
Lombardo's departure
The band embarked on the Reign in Pain tour, with Overkill in the US, and Malice in Europe.[19] The band was added as the opening act for W.A.S.P.'s US tour in 1987. After a month of touring drummer Lombardo quit the band; "I wasn’t making any money. I think I had just gotten married, and I figured if we were gonna be doing this professionally—on a major label—I wanted my rent and utilities paid." Slayer enlisted Whiplash drummer Tony Scaglione as his replacement.[3]
Rubin called Lombardo daily persisting he return; “Dude, you gotta come back in the band.” Rubin offered Lombardo a salary, but was still hesitant about returning. At this point Lombardo had been out of the band for several months. Lombardo's wife convinced him to return in 1987, Rubin came to his house picked him up in his porsche, taking him to Slayer rehearsal.[3]
Live performances
The tracks "Angel of Death" and "Raining Blood" have become permanent additions to Slayer's live set list played at every show, these two tracks are also Hanneman's favorite to perform live.[17] The band played the album in its entirety throughout the fall of 2004 with original drummer Lombardo, under the tour banner "Still Reigning". In 2004 the band released a live DVD under the same name, with a finale featuring the band covered in fake blood while performing "Raining Blood".[20]
The band stated they enjoyed playing the album in its entirety although many dates missed out due to the short set the band had. The band was on stage for 70 minutes, which only allowed seven or eight additional songs to be played following the album's play. King stated this arrangement "alienates too many people".[21]
King reported that the idea was originally suggested by the booking agency a long time prior to the DVD, but gained little support. Eventually, the band decided that they would like to add more excitement to their live shows to avoid repetition and fulfilled the suggestions.[22] When was asked about further performances with the fake blood, King responded with "I would imagine we did it and it’s time to move on, but never say never. I know Japan never saw it, South America and Australia never saw it. So you never know."[23]
Controversy
Def Jams' distributor, Columbia Records, refused to release the album due to its controversial lyrical themes and cover art.[3] It was eventually distributed by Geffen Records on October 7, but due to the controversy did not appear on Geffen Record's release schedule.[3]
Album artwork
The artwork was designed by Larry Carroll, who at the time was creating political illustrations for The Progressive, The Village Voice, and New York Times.[3] On finishing the artwork a member was not happy with the final product, until one member showed their mother, who said it was disgusting. The band decided to keep it as they thought they were "onto something".[3] The cover art was named in the "Top ten heavy metal album covers of all time" by Blender magazine in 2006.[24]
Lyrical content
Araya stated the record marked Slayer's evolution. The band decided to ditch the satanic theme used in their previous album Hell Awaits, and focus on more of a social level.[25] The album's lyrical themes include death, insanity, and murderers. The lead track "Angel of Death" details the human experiments conducted at the Auschwitz concentration camp by Nazi doctor Josef Mengele, whom inmates dubbed "the Angel of death".[26] The song led to the band facing accusations of Nazi sympathizing throughout their career.[1]
Hanneman's inspiration to write the lyrics came from reading several books about Mengele while Slayer was on tour.[17] Hanneman states people often misinterpret the lyrics, and "nothing I put in the lyrics that says necessarily he was a bad man, because to me - well, isn't that obvious? I shouldn't have to tell you that."[17] The band used the controversy to gain publicity, later utilizing Nazi imagery by changing their logo to one similar to the eagle atop swastika and writing a song titled "SS-3" about Reinhard Heydrich, second in the Schutzstaffel organization's command.[27]
Appearances in media
Covers
In 2001 "Raining Blood" was covered by Tori Amos on her album Strange Little Girls, King states the cover was odd; "It took me a minute and a half to find a spot in the song where I knew where she was. It's so weird. If she had never told us, we would have never known. You could have played it for us and we'd have been like, "What's that?" Like a minute and a half through I heard a line and was like, "I know where she's at!"[28] The song was also covered by Malevolent Creation, Chimaira, and Erik Hinds who covered the entire album on a H'arpeggione.[29]
Other appearances
"Raining Blood" was included in the Grand Theft Auto: Vice City in-game radio station V-Rock.[30] The game also featured songs by other "Big four" thrash metal bands, such as Megadeth's "Peace Sells" and Anthrax's "Madhouse".[30]
The song was also featured in the 127th South Park episode Die Hippie, Die aired on March 16, 2005.[31] The plot centers on the town of South Park, which has been overrun by hippies. Eric Cartman proceeds to drill through a hippie concert onto the main stage and change the audio to "Raining Blood", making the hippies run away stating "Hippies can't stand death metal". King found the episode humorous and expressed his interest in the show ending the interview with "it was good to see the song being put to good use, if we can horrify some hippies we’ve done our job."[23]
Track listing
- "Angel of Death" (Hanneman) – 4:51
- "Piece by Piece" (King) – 2:02
- "Necrophobic" (Hanneman/King) – 1:40
- "Altar of Sacrifice" (Lyrics: King; Music: Hanneman) – 2:50
- "Jesus Saves" (Lyrics: King; Music: Hanneman/King) – 2:54
- "Criminally Insane" (Hanneman/King) – 2:23
- "Reborn" (Lyrics: King; Music: Hanneman) – 2:11
- "Epidemic" (Lyrics: King; Music: Hanneman/King) – 2:23
- "Postmortem" (Hanneman) – 3:27
- "Raining Blood" (Lyrics: Hanneman/King; Music: Hanneman) – 4:17
- "Aggressive Perfector" (King/Hanneman) 1998 reissue bonus track - 2:30
- "Criminally Insane (Remix)" (Hanneman/King) 1998 reissue bonus track - 3:17
"Aggressive Perfector" was shorter, with clearer production than the previous version featured on the reissue of Haunting the Chapel. The reissue also fixed a problem with early CD pressings, which set the beginning of "Raining Blood" into the blank pause in "Postmortem".[22]
References
- ^ a b Hess, Mike (2003-7-23). "Kerry King: Maniac. Guitar Legend. Botanist?". Nighttimes.com. Retrieved 2007-01-05.
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(help) - ^ Cummins , Johnson. "Slayers Tom Araya on Satanism, serial killers and his lovable kids". MontrealMirror.com. Retrieved 2006-12-02.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "An exclusive oral history of Slayer". Decibel Magazine. 2006-8. Retrieved 2007-01-03.
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(help) - ^ a b c Huey, Steve. "Reign In Blood - Slayer". Allmusicguide.com. Retrieved 2007-01-05.
- ^ a b "Slayer's 1985-1986 discography". Rockdetector.com. Retrieved 2007-01-01.
- ^ "RIAA - Artist Slayer". RIAA.com. Retrieved 2007-02-14.
- ^ "Lostprophets scoop rock honours". BBC News. 2006-08-25. Retrieved 2007-01-10.
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(help) - ^ "Golden Gods Awards Winners". Metal Hammer. 2006-06-13. Retrieved 2007-01-10.
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(help) - ^ "Q 50 Heaviest Albums of All Time". Q Magazine. 2006-7. Retrieved 2007-01-10.
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(help) - ^ "Kerrang! interview with Kerry King about God Hates Us All album". Slayersaves. Retrieved 2007-02-20.
- ^ "Why They Rule - #6 Slayer". MTV. Retrieved 2006-01-18.
- ^ D. Spense, T. Ed (2007-01-19). "IGN Top 25 Metal Albums". IGN.com. Retrieved 2007-01-26.
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(help) - ^ "Death-Rapper NECRO To Make European Live Debut In London". Blabbermouth.net. 2006-11-27. Retrieved 2006-01-18.
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(help) - ^ Yiannis, D (2006-11-12). "Interview with Zoltan Farkas of Ektomorf". Metal-Temple. Retrieved 2007-02-18.
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(help) - ^ Lahtinen, Luxi (2003-03-21). "The Finnish Speed - and Thrash Metal Special - Part 2". Metal-rules.com. Retrieved 2007-02-09.
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(help) - ^ Mike SOS. "INTERVIEW: Lair of the Minotaur - A relentless metal band whose old school influences run the gauntlet". inmusicwetrust.com. Retrieved 2007-02-09.
- ^ a b c d Steffens, Charlie (2006-05-30). "Interview with Slayer Guitarist Jeff Hanneman". Knac.com. Retrieved 2007-01-05.
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(help) Cite error: The named reference "Knac.com interview with Jeff Hanneman" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page). - ^ "It's carry on thrashing". Thesun.co.uk. Retrieved 2006-01-24.
- ^ Sharpe-Young, Garry. "Rockdetector Biography - Years 85 to 86". Rockdetector.com. Retrieved 2006-12-08.
- ^ Patrizio, Andy (2005-01-11). "Slayer: Still Reigning The landmark metal album performed in its entirety". IGN. Retrieved 2007-02-05.
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(help) - ^ Lahtinen, Luxi (2004-04-11). "Kerry King of SLAYER". Metal-Rules.com. Retrieved 2007-02-20.
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(help) - ^ a b "Kerry King of Slayer". Metal-Rules.com. 2004-11-04. Retrieved 2007-02-13. Cite error: The named reference "Slayer (US) - Reign in Blood" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ a b Atkinson, Peter (2006-04-24). "Songs about God and Satan – Part 1: An Interview with Slayer's Kerry King". KNAC.com. Retrieved 2007-02-09.
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(help) - ^ Popoff, Martin , Dunn, Sam and McFadyen, Scot (2006-6). "The Top Ten Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of All Time". Blender magazine. Retrieved 2007-01-09.
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(help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Gargano, Paul (2007-1). "Slayer - Tom Araya - January 2007". Maximum Ink Music Magazine. Retrieved 2007-01-24.
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(help) - ^ "moreorless : heroes & killers of the 20th century - Josef Mengele". Moreorless.com. 2001-4-30. Retrieved 2007-01-05.
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(help) - ^ "Master of Death - Heydrich". Auschwitz.dk. Retrieved 2007-01-26.
- ^ Barker, Samuel (2002-02-09). "A Conversation With Kerry King". Rockzone.com. Retrieved 2007-02-09.
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(help) - ^ "Reign in Blood - album reviews". Artistdirect.com. Retrieved 2006-01-25.
- ^ a b "Vice City Radio - V Rock". Vicecityradio.com. Retrieved 2007-02-09.
- ^ "Die Hippie, Die". Southparkstudios.com. Retrieved 2007-02-13.