Slayer - Reign in Blood (1986), 6/10

Slayer’s Reign in Blood represents the best of thrash. So what if you don't particularly love thrash...what makes Reign in Blood different? For starters, Slayer's rendition has one of the best openers of the genre and undoubtedly the best closing track of metal in general. Beyond this record itself, the majority of thrash is crippled by simple percussion and a reliance on repeating riffs to carry lesser songwriting, while Reign in Blood hosts varied percussion (for much of the album and its strong points), genuinely evil-infused riffs, and its own identity beyond the tropes of thrash or even death metal. There are some moments in which the novelty lags in quality like “Altar of Sacrifice”, but much of the album sounds fresh and genuinely brutal. “Angel of Death” is the perfect opener for such an aggressive album and sets the stage for its tone, both in theme and sound. There is not a major standout track again until the closer, however, but when “Raining Blood” begins, it is clear why it has such a strong reputation even outside of metal circles. It is genuinely ominous and simultaneously thrilling, even if it makes you wish there were more metal exploring its sound and atmosphere building. Tom Araya is at the peak of his powers, clearly, and while he may be inconsistent and even makes some wholly questionable thematic choices, here he is focused enough to be quite powerful and affective. Most importantly, the majority of this music sounds genuinely vicious and even vile; it achieved its aim successfully. The guitar work needs no more praise, but suffice to say Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman's solos are a major component of what makes the album worthwhile as a project. The record starts and ends quickly enough to maintain your attention with almost no interruption, all the while drawing some unique enough imagery, especially for its release in the mid-eighties. It could in fact achieve more if the band took the time to flesh out its middle portion rather than essentially presenting basic hardcore thrash with a mandatory guitar solo rounding out every single, but its iconic songs together with a solid thematic showing (overall) make it one of the best thrash has to offer.