Slayer Hell Awaits (40th Anniversary Edition) Box-Ser

Slayer's second studio album, Hell Awaits, will be released this spring as a 40th Anniversary Edition via Metal Blade Records. Formed in 1981, the band defined not only a genre with their extreme mix of metal and punk, but also an uncompromising attitude. According to guitarist Kerry King, Hell Awaits is the album "that made Slayer become Slayer." Compared to their debut, Show No Mercy, the band appears significantly more mature here: more complex, progressive, and aggressive. Released in 1985, Hell Awaits was a highlight of a thrash metal year full of important debuts (including Megadeth, Exodus, and Kreator). Heavily influenced by Mercyful Fate, SLAYER experimented with longer, more sophisticated song structures - a unique creative approach for them. Press release: SLAYER's iconic second studio album, Hell Awaits, will be reissued next spring by Metal Blade Records as a 40th-anniversary edition! Formed in 1981, SLAYER invaded the world with a new blend of metal and punk - heavier, faster, and darker than anything else - setting a new standard that defined not just a genre, but also an attitude. Throughout their history, the band never hesitated to unleash their extreme, focused sonic assault. Despite temptations, SLAYER always chose to remain uncompromisingly brutal and to refuse to conform to the mainstream. "It's the record that made SLAYER SLAYER SLAYER," is how Kerry King describes Hell Awaits. And he knows what he's talking about. As guitarist, co-songwriter, and co-lyricist, he collaborated with singer/bassist Tom Araya, guitarist Jeff Hanneman (R.I.P.), and drummer Dave Lombardo in the creative process, crafting one of the greatest metal albums of all time. A marked departure from Slayer's 1983 debut, Show No Mercy--and indeed from all subsequent Slayer albums--Hell Awaits is both an outlier and a consolidation of the band's form. Show No Mercy was the mission statement, but Hell Awaits is a more evolved, complex expression of Slayer's speed, skill, and aggression. Released in April 1985 by Metal Blade Records, Hell Awaits was the culmination of an action-packed year for thrash metal, featuring debuts from bands such as Megadeth, Exodus, Kreator, Possessed, Destruction, Hirax, and Overkill. Heavily influenced by Mercyful Fate, the longer, more progressive arrangements on Hell Awaits marked a new era for Slayer. While most of the songs on Show No Mercy clocked in at under four minutes, three of the seven tracks on Hell Awaits exceed the six-minute mark. "Jeff and I were still figuring out who we were as musicians back then, and we were totally fascinated by Mercyful Fate's Melissa album during the writing process," says King. "That's why there are so few songs, and most of them are pretty long. It was the only time we've ever done anything like that." Tom Araya's performance is equally impressive. The vocalist spewed out the lyrics on songs like "Kill Again" and "Praise of Death" at a breathtaking pace. "I don't remember the songs being difficult to sing," he says. "Singing fast and clearly has always been something I've strived for." Product info: 3 CDs - the 7-track Hell Awaits album + 18 live bonus tracks (Live From Bochum 1985): Hell Awaits album (1xCD), mastered and restored from the original 1985 production tapes by Patrick W. Engel at the Temple Of Disharmony in February 2025. Live From Bochum 1985 (2xCD) - 18 live tracks never before released physically or digitally. 60-page book in 11" format. Poster