Slayer : Show
No Mercy
Back in 1983, lurking in the Metal underground was a band named Slayer.
The form of hyper-speed Metal Slayer were playing was relatively unknown
at the time. Only such acts as Venom and Bathory dared
to embrace such a sound. The mission: to be the loudest and fastest band in the world!
This is Slayer at their earliest beginnings, in a scene that has not really even begun to
develop. King and Hanneman unleash a brutal assault of pure-sonic guitar bliss, while Tom
Araya incorporates some of the most evil lyrics anyone has (at this time) heard before.
There are punk overtones here and there, but the sinister and all-out thrash assault here
and on future releases will put Slayer on the map of all-time greats.
Album opener "Evil Has No Boundaries" is a non-stob slab of
pure-adrenaline that hits harder than Mike Tyson. "The Antichrist" and
"Die By the Sword" are long-time fan favorites: "The
Antichrist" features an almost punk-like rhythm structure, while "Die By the
Sword" has a grinding slow-to-fast build up that makes it an eerie and enjoyable
listen. The other top highlight "Black Magic" is unrelentless Thrash
Metal the way only Slayer can do it. Evil lyrics, evil riffs, and one hell of a song.
Show No Mercy is one of those albums that can send chills down your spine
after listening to it, even seventeen years after its release. It served as a benchmark in
the underground community for bands wanting to explore the style of Metal Slayer pinned.
Quite evil for its day, this album is still a very enjoyable listen and a history lesson
for those seeking the beginnings of the band that spawned a countless number of
similar acts.
Tracks
1. Evil Has No Boundaries
7. Black Magic
2. The Antichrist
8. Tormentor
3. Die by the Sword
9. Final Command
4. Fight till Death
10. Crionics
5. Metal Stormface the Slayer
11. Show No Mercy
6. Aggressive Perfector
Reviewed by Sam |
