Slayer - Hell Awaits (2026 Reissue)

"It's the record where SLAYER became SLAYER". That's what Kerry King says about 'Hell Awaits'. And he knows of what he speaks. As the band's guitarist, co-songwriter, and co-lyricist, he was in the trenches with vocalist/bassist Tom Araya, guitarist Jeff Hanneman (R.I.P.), and drummer Dave Lombardo, creating what has become one of heavy metal's greatest albums.

A significant departure from SLAYER's 1983 debut, 'Show No Mercy' – and every SLAYER album that came after it – 'Hell Awaits' is both an outlier and a solidification of form. 'Show No Mercy' was the mission statement, but 'Hell Awaits' is a more developed and intricate execution of SLAYER's speed, chops, and aggression.