Top 10 Best Slayer Albums

You will hate me for this but this album is perfect... for scaring someone away from metal. This is EXACTLY how metal haters who haven't listened to metal imagine what metal is like. As someone who is generally into thrash, it is passable at points to me, but if I compare it to other extreme thrash (Kreator, Sadus, Destruction, other Slayer albums), it shines how unfinished the 2-3 minute songs feel.

Take Jesus Saves for example. The first minute and the rest of the song don't fit together at all. It is common to start thrash songs with slow or even acoustic intros but there is usually a proper transition. If you don't forget that Angel of Death and Raining Blood aren't the only songs on this album, what valid claim do you have that it is better than Hell Awaits?

One of their six good albums, and the best by far. A little more variety, like that of Seasons in the Abyss would make this second only to Rust in Peace and Ride the Lightning. As it is, it is quite overrated. I suggest to Slayer that they make a sort of re-do. They should keep the four best songs from this (whatever they deem those to be) and then halfway re-do the rest by adding a solo between the verses or adding a section playing the main riff backwards a stuff like that. Also add new lyrics plus a new song or two. Call it "Blood Reigns" or something like that. It'll be a huge success. There you go, Mr. Tom Araya, there's you're next album for you.

Admittedly it took me weeks to enjoy thrash this heavy - but it is right up there with my favourite albums of all time. I believe it stands out from any album ever made, let alone in the thrash metal genre - simply because of the emotion it invokes. Pure anger brings about some head angling - and I could easily sit and stare at a wall with Reign in Blood on repeat for HOURS on end! Words don't do this album justice - metal fan, someone who can take a joke or someone who needs anger management JUST GET THIS.

If any metalhead has never listened to Reign In Blood, buy this album, whether you like Slayer or not. Raining Blood and Angel of Death are thrilling masterpieces. I like Dave Lombardo's drumming, it's brilliant, so is the guitars of Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King, and the vocal and bass lines of Tom Araya.

I am not surprised to find that this is #2 in the list, even though it should be #1. Reign in Blood was a revolutionary record and for that it deserves to be remembered, however, the songs are simply not as good as on Seasons.

Seasons showed the single biggest growth in the history of the band, the song writing improved from the already great South of Heaven and the production is perfect.

There are some stand-out tracks, Seasons in the Abyss, Skeletons Of Society, Dead Skin Mask and War Ensemble, however what makes this record so special is that there is very little quality difference between the tracks, it is a classic, all killer no filler record - Slayer at their very best...

Slayer takes the speed of Reign in Blood, plus the mid-tempo grooves of South of Heaven, and created this masterpiece.

Reign in Blood maybe their breakthrough, and their major label debut, but Seasons in the Abyss just stands out more than that album. I guess because Reign in Blood has only a few stand out tracks, like Angel of Death, Raining Blood, and Postmortem, but Seasons is consistently fantastic, from the fast speed in War Ensemble to the slow grooves of Dead Skin Mask and the title track.

South of Heaven is also a great album, but again, there aren't as many standout tracks on there compared to Seasons. Plus, it strayed away from the speed most everyone knew Slayer for. Back then, it may have thrown people off when they first heard the album because it was slower than their first 3, but after a while, they realized it was alright, just not as great as Reign in Blood or Hell Awaits, but much better than Show No Mercy considering the sound quality on their debut.

I think Seasons in the Abyss is a very consistent album and that makes it great to listen to all the way through. It is more refined than the earlier Albums, but still thrashy and gritty enough to be classic and cult. The lyrics are cool and it is obvious that there is some thought and maturity behind them. It has a decent length and the Tracks themselves also remain good through and through. Maybe Reign in Blood does have more "hits" on it, but I still think Seasons is superior in overall composition and arrangement. And that is what I rate when I rate an Album, I don't rate 3 Tracks - I rate them all in the package presented.

I'd rather have 8 good tracks and 2 excellent ones than 3 excellent ones and mediocrity in-between. Seasons is the way to roll if you like cds and lps.

I've listened only to one good Slayer album so far... "Seasons in the Abyss" is not a masterpiece, but it's pretty much enjoyable from beginning to the end (there are only three weak/bad songs), drums and guitars are great and vocals are more melodic and definitelly more rythmic than on the other Slayer albums. "Dead Skin Mask" is a really good song and title track is a really moody masterpiece.

I've tried Reign in Blood... I gave that album three chances and... no, it's simply a mess. I know that some of you might appretiate the speed, but it's a weakness for me, because they play it so fast that it looses its rhythm... I could barely distinguish the notes in the guitar riffs and vocals were terrible and mismatched. Only "Postmortem" and "Raining Blood" were good songs, mostly because guitars slowed down, allowing the rest of the band to match rythmically.

South of Heaven, Hell Awaits and Show no Mercy had their good songs, but in total they weren't good albums... they ...more

My introduction to the band. I was immediately hooked after hearing it when it was released. It has the most intense, natural yet aggressive sounding drums I ever heard (for reference I'm also a huge death metal fan). The songs are suberb. There is actually some singing rather than just screaming going on.

This is definitely the best Slayer album! No fillers, only killers.
Come on!
South Of Heaven
Silent Scream
Live Undead
Mandatory Suicide
Ghosts Of War
Behind The Crooked Cross

You don't find anywhere else so much classics!

Definitely my favorite, it took me some time to like it but this is my list
1.South of Heaven
2.Reign in Blood
3.Hell Awaits
4.Seasons in the Abyss
5.Show no Mercy but all five of the originals are pure AWESOME

The first Slayer song I heard. I found it after reading an article about original Doom music. Compare the drums at the beginning of South Of Heaven and Shan's Got The Shotgun.

For a while I thought Reign In Blood and Seasons In The Abyss were the best Slayer were ever gonna get and the best they had ever done in their whole career, because they're simply legendary thrash metal albums. But then I gave this a listen, it didn't quite get me at first, but after a few listens I was hooked.

There is something about this album... Something I can't quite put my finger on... It just has a real dark and gloomy feel to it, don't get me wrong slayer albums are pretty dark as thrash albums go, but this one just pushes it further. Something we must all admit about reign in blood, as good as it is, it is not versatile. With Hell Awaits this is not the case. All the songs are quite different, and some of them are longer than the average Slayer song. Plus I think At Dawn They Sleep is a killer song, and is hands down Slayers most underrated song.

This album noticeably suffers from poor production. Tom seems to be louder than everyone else, and the guitars ...more

This is their best album objectively in my opinion. Vocally Seven Churches introduced death growls but drumming and riff-wise this album is considered to be pioneering in death metal. Some say that Reign in Blood had an impact on death metal but it doesn't have anything style-wise that Hell Awaits didn't have.

The Mercyful Fate influences also make this album much more interesting to listen to, the songs aren't undevelopped like on Reign in Blood. Songs like Epidemic, Criminally Insane and especially Jesus Saves sound like stub ideas for multiple songs put together in one track without any coherence. Hell Awaits feels more focused.

Every gets influences by Raining blood being the Trash Master piece etc etc... yes, it is an awesome album but the songs are a lot look alike through the album. (do shoot me, I am still saying it is good) but Hell awaits had more versatility in the songs. Second is South of Heaven, a delight for all drummers...

Their best "song" is raining blood but the best album is Hell Awaits by far. This is not one of my favourite genres of music nor my favourite band but I appreciate the music and my pick goes for Hell Awaits.

This is my personal favorite because of the NWOBHM influences and the ONLY good solos of the band. The songs here and on Hell Awaits at least sound like real, structured songs, unlike Reign in Blood. I know melody is not a pro for most thrash fans but I like how much more melodic this album is than others

Black magic, antichrist, tormentor, evil has no boundaries, final command... awesome. Great guitar riffs. I love arayas voice. Show no mercy is such raw old school trash album definitely my favourite, better than reign in my blood in my opinion

Their best album along with Reign In Blood, it is so heavy and has amazing songs: Tormentor, The Antichrist, Crionics, Metal Storm/Face the Slayer or Black Magic.

While Reign in Blood has 2 or 3 songs that will stay in your mind, this album had 2 or 3 that will not!

I think the songwriting and the production are the best of all their albums. The vocals are a little louder in the mix which makes the lyrics more intelligible. Paul's drums sound amazing and his playing is as good as anything Dave ever did.

These are the heaviest and most raw albums that Slayer has to offer. These two should be higher than Reign In Blood and Hell Awaits.

I still need to listen to World Painted Blood and Repentless but next to Reign In Blood, this might be my favorite Slayer album.

Second favorite Album of Slayer. I like their attitude on that album. I know they used this theme a lot after GHUA, but at that time, it was brilliant.

Very underrated and much better than the previous GHUA. If I had one complaint it would be they could have toned down the satanism a little bit. I prefer Slayer to sing about happier subjects such as war, death, sodomy, necrophilia and general corruption.

Seriously underrated! Dave Lombardo returns to the band after a number of years... The one and only Slayer original line up, same level to their best efforts I.E. Reign in Blood, South of Heaven and Season in the Abyss

Their best since "Seasons In The Abyss"...my favorite off this album is "Supremist"...one of their greatest and most underrated Slayer albums ever! The riff near the end of the song is ' sublime. A True Godly Masterpiece.

In my opinion their best album besides Reign in Blood!
Got really amazing songs, I wonder why it doesn't get more credity, maybe because it's one of their newer albums.

Great album, good mix in terms of recording. Not as thrash orientated as Hell Awaits. However, a very heavy album, dark and doomy. Puts some of the new so called "Nu generation" to shame. Guess that's why these guys are the godfathers of thrash. RIP Jeff HANNEMAN.

Slayer is my all time favorite metal band and I love most songs an most albums. I really tried to love this album but to me it lacked feel, groove, catchyness. It seemed rushed and uninspired and the song writing was sub par for them.

This is one of the best Slayer albums.It replaces "Hell Awaits" in their top 5 albums (which is their first 5)."World Painted Blood,Snuff, Beauty Through Order,Hate Worldwide,Human Strain, Psychopathy Red, Not Of This God".Absolutely Godly Riffs!

World painted blood...
No sanctuary

Very underrated album. With songs like Killing Fields and Divine Interventions it should easily but top 5.
It's the album that got me into Slayer, so I might be a bit biased :)

A very underrated album. Very raw with a rough production. Lots of consistently good songs - no fillers. Paul Bostaph takes over Dave Lombardo's position for drumming and does an great job.

Maybe the most underrated rock album of all time. It should be right after the Reign in Blood in the list, but in tenth. Killing Fileds, Divine intervention, SS-3, Sex Murder Art...

The only album which can compete RIB at violence. As good as South Of Heaven or Seasons. "213" or "Killing fields" should be played at every live.

Chemical Warfare counts as an album!

Even though its an ep this is still one of the best, htc is #2 album, right under hell awaits and right above show no mercy

For once, Slayer learns how to write music without relying purely on speed and aggression, and the band taking their best shots at incorporating more melody and different riffing styles into their sound. The band consequently sounds incredibly invigorated, and their new approach is very refreshing.

Refreshingly heavy and slower, Slayer established a new yet short-lived sound on 'Diabolus in Musica'. Regardless, it remains one of their best albums.

This album is insulted underrated and very heavy. Slayer chose to try on two genres. Nu-Metal and Groove Metal. And it somewhat worked for them.

This is better than Divine Intervention, I think.
By the way World Painted Blood is better than God Hates Us All, and got their places swapped.

Such an underrated album. Should be #4 after hell awaits, haunting the chapel, and show no mercy, reign in blood is #5

My personal favourite. Nothing like metal legends covering punk legends.

The BEST live metal album of all time.
Brilliant and perfect like Slayer is!