Slayer
Hell Awaits

THE REVIEW

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The gates of hell open...Hell Awaits begins, one of the best CDs in Slayer's discography and in thrash metal. To make up for my poor review of “Stained Class” I want to review one of my favorite CDs. Hell Awaits is Slayer's third work (if you count the EP Haunting The Chapel), and it's the revelation album: the sound of the four assassins becomes even harder than that of the first two CDs, and the legendary Dave Lombardo's drums become much more prominent, thanks also to the presence of the double bass pedal, which was missing in Show No Mercy and Haunting The Chapel. The songwriters are the two legendary guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman, who, after the CD's release, received much criticism due to an alleged backward message on the title track that supposedly encourages unsuspecting listeners to convert more and more to Satanism (but could this story be true?). On vocals and bass, we find a truly fit Tom Araya, who impresses with his singing talents, especially in the title track. Anyway, the CD starts with the legendary Hell Awaits; terrible background voices slowly grow in vocality and lead the unsuspecting listener into hell. Hell Awaits is one of the undisputed masterpieces of Slayer's discography. After the splendid title track, the album continues to impress the listener with an atmosphere that is nothing short of infernal; other notable masterpieces on this CD are Kill Again, At Dawn They Sleep, and Necrophilliac. Ladies and gentlemen, this CD will make you understand the real difference between real metal (pure art) and Nu-Metal (pure trash)...

“ Nel Mezzo del cammin di nostra vita
mi ritrovaì per una selva oscura,
che la diritta via era smarrita

Ahi quanto a dir quel era è cosa dura
esta selva selvaggia ed aspra e forte
che nel pensier rinnova la paura!”
(Dante Alighieri, Inferno)