Customer Reviews

Show No Mercy

5 star:		(91)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

In 1981, a band out of Southern California known as "Dragonslayer" was formed by singer/bassist Tom Araya and guitarist Kerry King. A drummer, Dave Lombardo, was quickly found, and Jeff Hanneman was brought in as a second guitarist later into 1981. Most of their music at this time was influenced by the New Wave of British Heavy Metal that was sweeping through the world during the early 1980s, but after attending a Metallica concert in 1982, they were hell bent on playing harder and faster than said band and shortened their name to Slayer. By 1983, they were already signed to Metal Blade Records and released their debut album, Show No Mercy. How did it turn out? Read on for my review.

Well, this album is very different than all of the Slayer albums that succeeded it, because Slayer was still in transition between their NWOBHM roots and the extreme thrash powerhouse they would eventually become. Many of the tempos are modest compared to their later releases and Tom Araya shows off a very wide vocal style (all the way from low-pitch growls to Halford-like schreeches). However, look away from some of the things the band were still growing out of during this timeframe, and you'll find one of Slayer's best releases.

Many of the songs on this album remain classic live staples to this day (Antichrist, Die by the Sword, Black Magic), while others sound like they came straight from a Judas Priest record (Cryonics, Tormentor). I love all the variety on this album, from the progressive monster that is Metal Storm/Face The Slayer (my fave off the album) to the adrenaline-fueled tital track.

Overall, if you are a NWOBHM fan and a thrash metal fan, or a Slayer fan looking to round out your collection, you need to buy this album! It's still one of their best albums!

As of 1983 (when this album came out) Slayer were still an underground band, and their type of music was still relatively unheard of. Only Metallica and (Slayer's influences) Venom and Motorhead dared to venture into music this speedy. But since this disc was released, an almost countless number of imitators have cropped up.

Every basic ingredient is here for a classic album: evil lyrics, insane guitar work (including blindingly fast riffs, great leads and scorching solos), pounding drums, high pitched vocals, and even an occasionally audible bass guitar! In fact, virtually the whole album flies by like a black tornado. Track one, "Evil Has No Boundaries," begins the album with a bang, and shoots out of the gate with a blistering main riff and a skin crawling shriek from (vocalist) Tom (Araya). "The Antichrist" is the first of three classic songs on here (alongside "Die By The Sword" and "Black Magic"). "The Antichrist" has a couple guitar solos and the aforementioned audible, beeping bass line! Next, "Die By The Sword" has fast, churning riffs, and a nice, extended solo, "Black Magic" has more blindingly fast riffs, "Tormentor" has probably the best solo on the album, and I enjoy how "Crionics" builds and gains density (with the help of a few guitar solos). Finally, the title track has great, catchy drumming, as well as even more riffs which shoot by like white noise.

So, "Show No Mercy," Slayer's debut, is as brutal as it is relentless and merciless. It isn't a classic like, say, "Reign In Blood," but it's still a good album and it foreshadowed the greatness to come from future Slayer releases. Thus, this is a great history lesson for those who are new to thrash or interested in its beginnings, and it is essential listening for diehards of this genre and this band.

this is and probably always will be my favorite thrash album. in my opinion thrash needs to be a little campy, it's what makes it fun. this album was chock full of over the top satanic lyrics, fun as hell riffs, fully air guitar worthy solo action, and enough leather and spikes to outfit some weird german porno. as far as i'm concerned this was the absolute best slayer album. don't get me wrong, the other ones are good, but tom and crew kinda started taking themselves too seriously forgeting that thrash is about fun, not macho posturing. in my opion this album and whiplash 'Power and Pain' are the best, buy them, bask in their ever so 80's glory, and just rock the chuck out... hailz

1983 saw the release of "Kill 'em All", Megadeath's "Killing is My Business", and of course, "Show No Mercy". And the speed metal genre was born. Many will say that "Reign in Blood" is Slayer's best, but I disagree. It's good, but Show No Mercy offers more musical diversity. It's intense, fast, and the lyrics are not for the faint-hearted. Dark, demented, and devilsh, "Die By the Sword", "The Anti-Christ", and "Tormentor" are not only three of Slayer's best songs, but may be three of the top all-time speed metal songs. Any music fan who thinks posers like Napalm Death and Morbid Angel are true thrash/death metal, haven't heard "Black Magic" or "Die By the Sword". This album is a must for any speed metal fan.

The big four.
Slayer,Metallica,Megadeth, and Anthrax. Scratch Anthrax, I never liked them anyway. Replace them with Testament.
Slayer has consistently released quality album after album starting with this one.
A masterpeice that has withstood the test of time.
From start to finish.
Brutal,evil,scary, everything metal should be.
Slayer has only, after 25 years started to be recognized for their contributions.
And it's about time.
If your new to Slayer, this is a great place to start.

This is the first release of the kings of speed metal - slayer.

This is more melodic and easier to listen to than other albums

such as diabolus in musica, or divine intervention, and yet

still maintaining the intensity of evillness - it's very

sadist.

The solos by hanneman and king are the best in this album, and

araya's vocals sounds like satan is speaking through him! Only

let down by shoddy production, otherwize would be as good as

reign in blood. The best song is tormentor, in which creepy

sadist lyrics combined with dark vocals and guitaring and bass

make the best slayer song on probably the second best slayer

album.

Anyone who likes kreator, megadeath, morbid angel, pantera,

early metallica, or anthrax would adore this album, and should

already have it!

Slayer's debut album "Show No Mercy" came out in 1983 the same year as Metallica's "Kill Em All". Although I personally like Metallica's debut better than this this is still an awesome album.
To begin this review as well I'm going to tell a dark tale of metal in the early 80s: It was the 80s and a piece of sh i t was invented called MTV. It promoted selling out and was liked by brainless as sholes. People thought that metal was safe from this channel...WRONG!!! New bands like Twisted Sister, Quiet Riot, and Poison were making a new genre called hair metal which was an MTV friendly version of metal. It grossed old-school metal fans out with its spandex and glam. But in 1983 along came a band that hated MTV and wanted to make fast, heavy, and evil metal like its suppossed to. Girlie girls and moms feared them. MTV hated them. But a group of old-school metal fans embraced them. This band is called...SLAYER!!!

Okay enough of history and let's get to the album. This album didn't exactly start thrash metal but it made it extremely heavy and fast. I liked Metallica(old) better than Slayer than a pinch but Slayer did make faster, heavier, and most of all eviler songs than Metallica ever did. Songs like "The Antichrist" are very Satanic but remember that this is only music. These lyrics don't reflect on the bands beliefs unlike whimps like Melissa and her Panic! At the Disco bullsh i t. Not everything is perfect though. I'm not a big fan of Tom Araya's voice on this album. But still this is a great debut and should be picked up!

Slayer's importance to extreme metal in general can never be underestimated. When metal was at its most groundbreaking and exciting peak, these U.S. youngsters were the driving force (along with another young American band you may have heard of called Metallica), releasing several hugely influential albums along the way. "Show No Mercy" is merely the beginning of this journey, but filled with significance for more than this reason alone. If one looks at where metal was at the time of its release (1983), it's no wonder Slayer caused such a stir. The obvious influences are Venom, Iron Maiden and Metallica. In fact, it was the latter of these three bands that influenced Slayer to play faster and more aggressive after the youths witnessed a Metallica concert in 1982. But while Venom's albums were tongue in cheek Satanic, Slayer's music, image and lyrics were as evil as music got. Tracks such as "Evil Has No Boundaries" and "Black Magic" dripped with malevolence and metal has never looked back since.

Looking at the album today after 23 years, it's surprisingly still a great listen. The band had already found their sound. It's dirtier and less produced than anything that would follow, but the trademark Slayer riffs and solos, as well as the mid paced powerful drumming is already in place. Tom Araya's vocals contained more high-pitched screaming than usual as was the trend of the day, but considering the range of his voice, it was never a bad thing. Quite a few of these tracks would be played live for many years to come including "Die by the Sword" and "The Antichrist" and I certainly see "Show No Mercy" as not simply a fine piece of nostalgia, but a bloody impressive slab of thrash metal, filled with youthful exuberance and talent. The fact that the band still today contains the same four members is proof enough of just how well these guys function together and that their vision has always been singular.

All in all, a great and entertaining debut release from a band that would very soon enter the realms of metal immortality.

I bought this album in an old record store about a year ago, for about £3 which is about $5, so i was so pleased to find out how good it was. Tormentor is the classic British Metal riff, and Evil Has No Boundaries is also awesome. Put this on, so fookin loud, and you might be able to even hear the death tom araya screams about on such tracks. Slayer is amazing for getting something outta your system, so buy this to see how this awesome band developed into one of the greatest heavy bands of all time.

Also reccommended, buy Agent Orange by SODOM, who are basically early Slayer without Tom Araya's amazing howl.

if you where buying metal albums back in the early 80's as i was,this album got your attention.this was much heavier than Metallica,much better musicianship than Venom-their really werent any contenders(Bathory was at least another year or two away).
slayer took the dual guitar attack of Judas Priest,coupled it with the-then emerging thrash scene and a monster was born.i always prefered Slayer to other thrash bands because they where HEAVY.speed was secondary to the almighty riff.
Today,this album has aged REASONABLY well.the cover and it's lyrical attempts at evil are just plain ridiculous.it is really funny to me that concerned parents REALLY bought that this stuff was to be taken seriously!
anyway,the lyrics and some of the musical arrangements on this album firmly place it in the early 1980's.for that reason,the three stars.true classics should be timeless.this one is not.