Hell Awaits

"It's the record where Slayer became Slayer". That's what Kerry King says about 'Hell Awaits'. And he knows of what he speaks. As the band's guitarist, co-songwriter, and co-lyricist, he was in the trenches with vocalist/bassist Tom Araya, guitarist Jeff Hanneman (R.I.P.), and drummer Dave Lombardo, creating what has become one of heavy metal's greatest albums.

A significant departure from Slayer's 1983 debut, Show No Mercy – and every Slayer album that came after it – Hell Awaits is both an outlier and a solidification of form. Show No Mercy was the mission statement, but 'Hell Awaits' is a more developed and intricate execution of Slayer's speed, chops, and aggression