Reign In Blood, the first of three Slayer assaults closing down the '80s, produces near impossible
levels of mania, as Slayer discovers the seething energy of the power groove, mixing their very best
fast stuff with tortuously beatific mid pace mindmelts. Even Araya's vocals reach new extremes, rising
to the challenge of the flesh-frying conflagration at hand. Many a deranged punter considers this
record Slayer's masterpiece, caught writhing in pain on the cusp of the band's most apocalyptic thrash
and their most bone-crunching gut punches, both exposed and bleeding on Angel Of Death, Criminally
Insane, the record's climactic Jekyl and Hyde epic Raining Blood. And the point is well taken, Reign In
Blood arguably being the band's most infectious and excitable project, even if its follow-up packs
greater gravity. No question, the grinding passages of this record capture the essence of
preposterously heavy metal with merciless perfection, but it's the thrash stuff that seems the most
improved, becoming full rants, Araya just belting out his poison, solos approaching Greg Ginn-like
anti-musicality; a truly OTT hatred of all things timid. And it would all probably implode, had Rick Rubin
not given the band his most volcanic of production jobs, turning Lombardo into the powerhouse from
hell we all knew he was. When the smoke clears, Slayer walks tall from the rubble, breaking its own
record, remaining the heaviest band on earth.

            Rating 9