Tracks Side 2:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQYYRg99OUY

'Show No Mercy', Slayer's first official full length album, released in 1983, could be one of the most important albums in metal. Obviously, this wasn't the first thrash album released, as Metallica's 'Kill 'Em All' pre-dates it by about five months and was a massive influence to metal musicians everywhere. However, this album took most of the aspects of that album, and exaggerated them to the point of sounding like a direct upgrade and progression from 'Kill 'Em All'. 'Kill 'Em All' had raw production, 'Show No Mercy''s production was rawer. 'Kill 'Em All' had fast-paced drumming, 'Show No Mercy''s drumming was faster. 'Kill 'Em All' had relentless guitar playing, 'Show No Mercy''s guitar playing was even more relentless. 'Kill 'Em All' was fairly melodic, 'Show No Mercy' was more melodic.

The last comparison may have seemed slightly questionable, as bringing up the topic of Slayer would bring up tracks like 'Angel Of Death' and 'War Ensemble', which are anything but melodic. At least not melodic in the “beautiful” sense. These riffs in these songs are evil, and are deeply rooted in the chromatic scale carnage that Slayer love so much now.

But really, moments like 'Tormentor' and the second half of 'Crionics' highlight the fact that Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King don't just mangle the low E string, slow down, then zip to the high E to do a trademark Slayer solo, which involves playing random notes and abusing the whammy bar, resulting in a dissonant whirlwind of noise. No. Instead, they could show, in these songs, that they were capable of composing guitar lines that would appeal to the average Iron Maiden fanatic. In fact, the second half of 'Crionics' sounds very much like 'Genghis Khan', though not close enough to be considered a rip-off. Even still, the signature Slayer sound comes along through the very first seconds of 'Evil Has No Boundaries', with a second of silence, a blazing guitar riff which then plays, then they're off into a thrashing frenzy!

On a less positive note, Tom Araya is the one who always seems to be noticed last in a Slayer song, which is probably due to the fact that his bass playing seems to either follow the guitar riffs, or play the root note. I think Slayer fans would agree that Tom Araya, in his bassist role, is the least talented member of Slayer. However, his vocals are a different matter entirely, as Araya spits out the lyrics with rage and conviction, and frequently reaches a ridiculously high falsetto then slides down to a quick, menacing growl. From this, it's easy to see why his bass playing isn't all that impressive, as he simply puts more effort into his vocals.

Now, you can't have a Slayer review without Dave Lombardo, can you? His drumming is expectedly of immense power and presence, and adds a punch to the recording that was unheard of at the time (probably due to how high it was in the mix). On the other hand, he isn't on the level that he would be at a few years later, and could probably be imitated by any decent thrash drummer (although the intro of the title track is mind-blowing).

In conclusion, Show No Mercy is a brilliant debut by Slayer which, while it may be a bit flawed, is a perfect representation of where they were going sound-wise, and also exposes some unexpected influences. Plus, the songs on the album are great! 'Die By The Sword' and 'Black Magic' do not leave a thrasher's head, just like later songs such as 'Raining Blood'. Also, 'Evil Has No Boundaries' has an awesome chorus!

“Evil, My words defy! Evil, Has no disguise! Evil, Will take your soul! Evil, My wrath unfolds!”(electricfuneral9719/metal-archives.com)

Tom Araya - Bass, Vocals
Jeff Hanneman - Guitar
Kerry King - Guitar
Dave Lombardo - Drums