Album Review: Slayer - Reign in Blood

On October 7th, 1986, thrash metal titans Slayer released their third full-length album, Reign in Blood. Widely considered to be one of - if not the greatest thrash metal albums of all time, Reign in Blood is a landmark in the genre, and it helped to push thrash metal into the mainstream.

Reign in Blood was produced by Rick Rubin, and it features ten tracks and and a short 28 minute runtime which showcases Slayer’s signature aggression and technicality. The album opens with the classic "Angel of Death", which sets the tone for the rest of the album. The guitar work of Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman is particularly noteworthy, as they provide some of the most iconic riffs and blazing solos in thrash guitar history.

After the monster album opener, Slayer burns through the rest of the album with speed, precision and a bit of horror...all the way to closer "Raining Blood", in its own right, one of the most memorable metal anthems of all time.

The album is widely considered to be both a critical and commercial success. It was praised by critics for its technicality and aggression, and it was a commercial success, reaching number 94 on the Billboard 200. It has since been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. Reign in Blood has gone on to influence countless bands within the thrash metal genre. It has been cited as an influence by bands such as Metallica, Sepultura, and Anthrax, and it has been covered by bands such as Machine Head, Trivium, and Killswitch Engage.

It is also widely considered to be one of the greatest metal albums of all time, in the same discussion as Metallica's "Master of Puppets" and Megadeth's "Rust in Peace".

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Tracks

1. "Angel of Death"

2. "Piece by Piece"

3. "Necrophobic"

4. "Altar of Sacrifice"

5. "Jesus Saves"

6. "Criminally Insane"

7. "Reborn"

8. "Epidemic"

9. "Postmortem"

10. "Raining Blood"

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