Description
Slayer – Hell Awaits – Limited Edition of 1000 Red Marble Vinyl Record
Released on March 16, 1985, Hell Awaits is the second studio album by Slayer, a band that would become one of the “Big Four” of thrash metal alongside Metallica, Megadeth, and Anthrax. This album marked a major evolution from their debut, Show No Mercy (1983), pushing their sound towards darker, more complex, and more aggressive territory.
With Hell Awaits, Slayer fully embraced a sinister, demonic aesthetic, laying the groundwork for the extreme metal that would follow. The album’s lengthier song structures, intricate guitar riffs, and chaotic solos distinguished it from their earlier material and helped solidify Slayer’s reputation as one of the most extreme bands of the time. While it wasn’t a mainstream success upon release, it became highly influential in both thrash metal and death metal, shaping the future of heavy music.
After the success of Show No Mercy, Slayer gained a strong underground following. However, rather than sticking to their early speed metal influences, they decided to push the boundaries of their aggression and songwriting complexity.
The band signed a new deal with Metal Blade Records, allowing them a larger budget for recording. They brought back Brian Slagel (founder of Metal Blade) as producer but aimed for a darker, heavier sound. Inspired by Venom, Mercyful Fate, and Judas Priest, Slayer sought to expand their song structures while increasing the evil and ominous atmosphere in their music.
The result was Hell Awaits, a thrash metal masterpiece that pushed the genre into new, more extreme territories. Compared to Show No Mercy, Hell Awaits is more complex → Songs are longer, with intricate arrangements. More aggressive → The riffs are sharper, faster, and more intense. More evil → Lyrically, the album delves fully into themes of Satanism, Hell, and the occult, embracing a demonic persona that would become a Slayer trademark.
Key Musical Characteristics dual guitar attack from Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman, filled with discordant, chaotic solos. Lightning-fast drumming from Dave Lombardo, foreshadowing the intensity that would define Slayer’s later work. Tom Araya’s vocals, which sound more sinister and commanding than on their debut. Reverse-played Satanic chants, heard in the intro to the title track, creating a haunting atmosphere.
Lyrically, Hell Awaits fully embraces themes of damnation and Hell, influenced by horror films and anti-religious imagery. Songs describe torment, possession, and eternal suffering, making this one of the most overtly evil-sounding albums of the era.
Notable Tracks & Highlights
“Hell Awaits” – The title track opens with backward-masked demonic chanting (“Join Us”), building tension before exploding into one of Slayer’s most legendary thrash assaults. The shifting tempos and intricate guitar work make it a thrash metal epic.
“Kill Again” – A faster, more brutal track, featuring some of Slayer’s most relentless riffing and frenzied solos. The lyrics focus on a sadistic murderer, showing the band’s continued fascination with violence.
“At Dawn They Sleep” – A slower, more atmospheric song, showing Slayer’s ability to build tension before unleashing a sonic assault. The lyrics describe a race of undead creatures, adding a horror element to the album.
“Praise of Death” – A furious track that foreshadows the blistering speed of Reign in Blood (1986). The tempo shifts and unrelenting aggression make it a standout.
“Necrophiliac” – One of Slayer’s most infamous early songs, combining grotesque lyrical themes with face-melting speed and precision.
“Crypts of Eternity” – A longer, more progressive song, featuring multiple tempo changes and intricate solos. This track showcases the influence of Mercyful Fate on Slayer’s early work.
“Hardening of the Arteries” – A shorter, intense closer, reinforcing the album’s sense of unrelenting brutality.
The fade-out riff from this song returns at the end, leading directly into Reign in Blood, connecting the two albums thematically and musically.
The production on Hell Awaits is raw and murky, a step up from Show No Mercy but still retaining a gritty underground feel. The guitar tones are sharper, the bass is more present, and Dave Lombardo’s drumming sounds even more punishing.
Compared to Reign in Blood, this album has a darker, more atmospheric quality, focusing more on progressive song structures rather than sheer speed.
Though Hell Awaits wasn’t an immediate mainstream success, it became one of the most influential albums in metal history. Influence on bands like Sepultura, Kreator, and Testament took inspiration from Hell Awaits’s complex structures and darker themes. The album’s aggressive riffing and sinister atmosphere laid the foundation for early death metal, influencing bands like Death, Morbid Angel, and Deicide. Foreshadowing Reign in Blood, while not as relentlessly fast, Hell Awaits set the stage for the shorter, more brutal songwriting approach of Slayer’s next album.
Today, Hell Awaits is considered a classic of extreme metal and a crucial album in the evolution of thrash and death metal.
Hell Awaits represents Slayer’s transition from underground thrash to extreme metal pioneers. With its longer, more complex structures and darker atmosphere, it stands as one of the most sinister thrash albums ever recorded.
While Reign in Blood would take Slayer’s intensity to the next level, Hell Awaits remains a fan favorite for its haunting atmosphere, relentless riffing, and pure evil energy.
Velvet Red Marbled Vinyl
Limited to 1000 copies worldwide
Original artwork with lyric/photo insert and large poster
Brand new, never played and still sealed in the factory plastic
Track Listing
Hell Awaits
Kill Again
At Dawn They Sleep
Praise Of Death
Necrophiliac
Crypts Of Eternity
Hardening Of The Arteries
