((gRim blisS ((gRim blisS ..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..*..*..*..*..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+ (ARTIST :+ Slayer (ALBUM :+ Reign In Blood (LABEL :+ DefJam (YEAR :+ 2000 ..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..*..*..*..*..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+ ..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..*..*..*..*..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+ (GENRE :+ Thrash Metal (RLS DATE :+ 00/00/1986 (RIP DATE :+ 12/10/2001 (SIZE :+ 47MB (RIPPER :+ Forsaken ..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..*..*..*..*..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+ ..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..*..*..*..*..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+ -(tRACK LISTING)- track title 01 Angel Of Death 4:51 02 Piece By Piece 2:02 03 Necrophobic 1:40 04 Altar Of Sacrifice 2:50 05 Jesus Saves 2:54 06 Criminally Insane 2:23 07 Reborn 2:11 08 Epidemic 2:23 09 Postmortem 3:27 10 Raining Blood 4:16 11 Aggressive Perfector 2:30 12 Criminally Insane (Remix) 3:20 total length: 34:47 ..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..*..*..*..*..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+..+ ||| release notes ----||| Psychotic proto-death metal, this is the benchmark for all death/speed/thrash metal albums. When it came out in 1986, there wasn't much in the way of "brutality". Celtic Frost, Bathory, Death, Morbid Angel, etc. - bands that would help define metal in their prime - were in the incipient stages of their existence and recognition. Metallica, Megadeth, Exodus, Anthrax, etc. were busy doing traditional thrash riffs and typical metal pentatonics, albeit extremely creatively at least in the case of Metallica and Megadeth. Bands were largely emblazoned for inserting quasi-melodic riffage and considerable speed into NWOBHM structures, but there wasn't anything precisely "over the top" at the time. Along came Reign in Blood to challenge the "status quo" (established unexpectedly in an already deviant sub-culture). It was single-handedly responsible for making "classic metal" a largely evanescent affair in the post-1986 metal period and making nihilism and atonality the main instruments of attack. There is nothing remotely hinting at beauty or extended melodic nuance here: it's a mass of low-E rape and raucous dissonance - especially with respect to the solos. Slayer never gave a crap about music theory, or tried to fit a solo to a "scale"; actually, I'm sure I've read in interviews that they didn't even know much in the way of theory at all. But that's the best thing about them: blatant errancy works well if there's enough development in the framework of this errancy and enough talent is present to carry it through. The solos are wails, squeals, wild chromatics that would make classical musicians cringe and scream "wrong!" every other note. But who cares? It rules. The rhythm section is an arduous excercise in steady and rabid wrist-flicking, though they do use crunchy power chords and spooky whammy-effects to vary the pace and style. The lyrics are graphic and often-repulsive descriptions of concentration camps, serial-killing methods and miscellaneous ghastly topics...quite compatible with the music, of course. Besides, Tom Araya's great vocals are often so fast that in spite of clarity (due to the casual pitch in which he delivers them, and not the gutteral vomit of today's death metal frontmen) they are quite difficult to make out. Drumming is exceptional, and the fills are some of the earliest chaotic outbursts in death metal drumming that have now been studied, imitated, perfected. Double bass drumming is rampant, continuous and fast syncopation occupies the rest of the space. "Angel of Death" is the absolute best track here; it is also the longest and the most varied. The riff spanning the interlude goes very well with the mid-paced narrative vocals and some distinctly audible bass, and then they go back to the initial ripping theme. "Necrophobic" is an impatient and morbid ditty, less than two minutes long and hurried almost to the point of incoherence. Extremely enjoyable, though. "Jesus Saves" and "Altar of Sacrifice" mark the central peak in songwriting, "Postmortem" is a crazy little shocker and the finale, "Raining Blood", is absolutely the heaviest, fastest track Slayer ever put out. Insane drumming, headlong rhythm and whammy tricks coalesce into a mass of noise: I'm not sure exactly which instrument fails to keep up with the others, or which oneGoes tOo fast, bUt thewhole thingjust brEaks|down|and|ends|abruptly. ... contact us channel #gB on efnet. join us.