Hell Awaits
| Slayer
Hell Awaits
Hell Awaits is the second studio album by American thrash metal band Slayer, released in March 1985 by Metal Blade Records. The band's 1983 debut Show No Mercy became Metal Blade Records' highest-selling release, and as a result, producer Brian Slagel desired to release a second Slayer album. To that end, Slagel financed a recording budget (Show No Mercy was paid for by band members) and recruited several experienced producers to help in the studio. -Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
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The Metal Archives
Hell Awaits is a stunning, one-of-a-kind display of brilliance that sounds exactly the way it should and has stood the test of time as perhaps the crown jewel of Slayer’s decade-spanning career.
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Sputnik Music
This may not be better than Reign In Blood, the consensus magnum opus from Slayer, but it is the band's ultimate sound.
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Metal Storm
It is a depressive body of music leaving the listener with little hope except to act against whatever stands in front of you. They had yet to fully grow into themselves musically and refine their song writing skills but the album tells the story of the underground metal scene at the time and puts many of the sub-genres which only took off later in the decade into perspective.
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Head of Metal
It’s Slayer’s scariest-sounding record for sure, filthy and evil, close to the hearts of thrash metallers and extreme metallers alike.
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Metal Mofos
All in all this a masterpiece of heavy metal. Slayer would never be this epic again. Never would they reach the balance they exemplified on this album again in regards to its epic feel in the lyrics, music, and overall emotional depth. This is my favorite Slayer album, and it has withstood the test of time.
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Cryptic Rock
The lyrics on Hell Awaits are truly masterful, eventually shaping the subgenre of modern Extreme Metal.
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All Music
Hell Awaits' uniquely daunting compositions arguably proved just as influential to future extreme metal acts.
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Invisible Oranges
In any case, celebrate Hell Awaits and weep. You only wish your band could write a second full-length like this.
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The Metal Crypt
Hell Awaits is the last truly underground Slayer recording, but for all that it is not that great.
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Kerrang!
There are great songs — the opening track, At Dawn They Sleep…it’s a hell of a record.
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No Clean Singing
It SOUNDS like a band at the peak of their drive, and is definitely one of my all-time personal favorites.
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Prindle Record Reviews
Holy cow. This is some intense thrash here. Sounding like they've aged about ten years since Show No Mercy, the band here conjures up seven of the most threatening, intense and epic metal songs in their entire discography.
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Amino
Hell Awaits is one of my favorite albums, and ranks as one of the top four when it comes to Slayer.
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Angel Fire
Hell Awaits shows a band at a transitional stage and during its darkest period. Hell Awaits also shows a more focused and mature Slayer.
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Spirit of Metal
Without a doubt, one of the greatest metal records of all time, regardless of subgenre.
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Death Metal Underground
Fast and terrifying violent music fused from the alienated self-contrast of thrash and the accelerating rhythms of extreme speed and black metal, Slayer came hybrized but full of vigor.
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The Obelisk
Hell yeah, I knew this was gonna be good. Once the music kicked in, it was exactly what I had hoped for. Seven long songs that were totally heavy, totally fast, totally Satanic, drowning in reverb. It sounded like they had snuck into a cathedral and recorded it there under a full moon.
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