Classic Album Review : Slayer - Show No Mercy (1983)
Although Metallica is the most popular of thee Big Four thrash metal bands, Slayer is the most influential on metal at large itself. They were harder and more uncompromising than their contemporaries and, most important, they were most interested in exploring sonic and conceptual extremes than writing killer guitar solos. Although Slayer didn't officially "become Slayer" until their third full length release Reign in Blood, their difference from their contemporaries was already palpable on their debut Show No Mercy.
Two years removed from Venom's Welcome to Hell, Slayer embraced the darker and more transgressive side of metal on Show No Mercy with an unparalleled vision and bravado. Remember, these were the Sunset Strip years where Mötley Crüe were considered the most badass unit out there. On the opener Evil Has No Boundaries, you can already hear chainsaw guitar tones and primitive guttural vocals that would become common ground in metal not even ten years later. It has become a minor classic.
Slayer were also going full boogeymen, which band had done quite to their extent before. I mean, the follow-up song is called The Antichrist. It's a more conventional speed metal song that features a more melodic riff and a more high-flying guitar solo that what they would eventually settle for. Die By The Sword features yet another vocal style by Tom Araya (his more spoken word form of storytelling heavily featured on Hell Awaits) and powerful marching riffs by Jeff Hanneman. It's another beloved Slayer classic.
Fight Till Death is a fast-paced battle anthem for a rebels and outsiders that used the dual guitars of Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman as two extra otherworldly voices supporting Tom Araya's war commands. I love the emotional peaks he hits at the end of the song Metal Storm/Face the Slayer is technically two songs, although it's really one song with long intro like Priest's The Hellion/Electric Eye. It's one of Araya's strongest storytelling performance, but overall it plays in stereotypes of the era a lot.
Then comes Black Magic. Arguably still one of Slayer's best songs today, it's also the most "classic Slayer" song on Show No Mercy. Jeff Hanneman's riff rips right through your skull like a large Gatorade when you're hungover. Tom Araya goes into boogeyman overdrive and hits a range between his classic vocals and monster guttural doesn't ever really hits again in Slayer's career after. It oozes that angry energy that makes this band so special, but it goes even further. That song makes you wanna be the villain.
One of my ten or twelve favourite Slayer songs ever.
Perhaps it's just that it comes right on the heels of Black Magic, but Tormentor is a little light on the crunch and the atmosphere that makes Slayer songs so great. It feels like an Accept ripoff with chorus harmonies and whatnot. Strong performance by Tom, but that’s it. The Final Command is one of the Slayer songs where they seem to be trying to go as fast as humanly possible. It's absolutely breathless, but it doesn't really play into Tom's strengths as a performer. It doesn't have a proper atmosphere.
Say what you want, but Slayer are at their best when they cultivate their atmospheric edge. Crionics is another speed metal bangers where the guitar riffs and Dave Lombardo's expert command of tempo dictate the experience. It doesn't feel like it's quite theirs again, but the energy and musical storytelling are top of the line. Show No Mercy ends with the title song, which is the third memorable banger on the record. The dirtier guitar tones and Tom's storytelling makes that song feel raw and dangerous.
*
There you have it. Show No Mercy is a raw and unequal record, but the boldness and aggression of Slayer is undeniable. They show a willingness to explore the darker and dirtier sides of the human experience in an era where it was a lot more taboo than it is today. It's not my favourite Slayer record by any means, but I still included Evil Has No Boundaries and Black Magic in most playlists. They're empowering songs. Show No Mercy is an important record nonetheless. A paradigm shifter of the highest order.
