Slayer
Show No Mercy


4.0
excellent

Review

by SgtPepper EMERITUS
April 25th, 2012 | 850 replies


Release Date: 1983 | Tracklist

Review Summary: "Blasting our way through the boundaries of hell, no one can stop us tonight..."

Show No Mercy introduces a sound birthed by the same animosity that possessed Venom's 1981, Welcome to Hell. In the early 1980's, the Heavy Metal scene was being invaded by a new sound, one characterized by a higher level of energy and aggression. It was a style of music that preferred fast-paced drumming and shredding-stylized guitar riffs. Though Venom is one of the earlier acts that defined the style, bands likes the "Big Four"; Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax, and Slayer, are often credited with popularizing the genre of Thrash Metal.

Unlike the other three acts, Slayer embraced Venom's influence much more intimately, sharing a similar interest in Satanic aesthetics and misanthropic ideology. Immediately as the opening track begins, we are bombarded with the explosive sounds of roaring guitars and hard hitting drums. "Evil Has No Boundaries" perfectly acquaints the listener with what they're in for in this album- An aggressive sound with lyrics declaring malevolent intent. This album is fast, heavy, and mean, inducing an inescapable atmosphere of utter atrocity. "The Antichrist" and "Black Magic" are perhaps the main highlights in this album as they exhibit the essence of everything Slayer has aspired to accomplish within their music; a delivery of frantic-paced extremity within the instrumental elements, decorated with Tom Araya's passionate screams expressing deranged fantasies of watching humanity burn in the fiery pits of eternal torment.

Show No Mercy displays a very distinct aesthetic within its content, one that easily separates it from the subsequent efforts like; Reign In Blood and Hell Awaits. One of the factors that makes Slayer's music so distinguishable is the frantic-paced guitar work of Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman, a style that delivers a sensation of intensity. The music in this particular album projects a much slower pace than in those latter albums, but I suppose what makes this album so apparent is really the way the music sounds. It has a Lo-fi production quality that gives it a very "classic" aesthetic kind of feel to it. This is a truly enjoyable effort, and an introduction to a band that would later be renowned for their "breakneck speed and instrumental prowess". It's a listening experience drenched in brutality that delivers exactly what it promises, no mercy.



Recent reviews by this author
Deerhunter Fading FrontierJulia Holter Have You In My Wilderness
Knxwledge Hud DreemsTrioscapes Digital Dream Sequence
Broken Bells After The DiscoSound and Fury (FI) Pulsacion
user ratings (2144)
3.9
excellent


Comments:Add a Comment 
SgtPepper
Emeritus
April 25th 2012


4510 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

This one of the albums I got on vinyl at a yard sale a few weeks ago, I decided to spin this and do a quick review of it. I hope you guys like.

Venpts16
April 25th 2012


283 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

I always wanted to listen to listen this one; the only song I know from it is Black Magic and it is pretty metal.



Awesome review, pos'd.

SgtPepper
Emeritus
April 25th 2012


4510 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

@Venpts

That's my favorite of the album. check out "The antichrist" and "Show No Mercy", this is a really good album and probably my favorite form Slayer.

rockandmetaljunkie
April 25th 2012


9660 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Good review man i pos'd it.



I always thought Slayer's debut as a classic old school Thrash Metal record with some apparent flaws. The production is quite poor, and that's understandable since the band didn't had the cash for a good studio, (i think Kerry King's father supported it financially), some songs sound immature or like some unfinished jamming material etc. All in all, Slayer became quite a better band within the next years.

SgtPepper
Emeritus
April 25th 2012


4510 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

@rockandmetaljunkie

You hit the nail on the head, mate. yeah it was pretty lo-fi and you're right kerry king's dad gave them the money and tom also

paid for it. he was a apparently a Respiratory therapy (i cant even picture that). Kerry King described it as very "dungeons and

dragons", but i think its definitely one of their best efforts.



@Captain

Thanks, Captain.

rockandmetaljunkie
April 25th 2012


9660 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

"tom was a apparently a Respiratory therapy"



hahahaha really?

I didn't know that.

17WordHaiku
April 25th 2012


263 Comments


Nice review Paper, I was never into thrash but maybe I should give it another chance.

ThroneOfAgony
April 25th 2012


3485 Comments


Great review. I need this

south_of_heaven 11
April 25th 2012


5614 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

fuck yeah

bloc
April 25th 2012


70694 Comments


Just listened to this for the first time today. Strange how different they sound now.

MMX
April 25th 2012


5021 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Have a pos

TheNotrap
Staff Reviewer
April 25th 2012


19076 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound Off

One of the most influential metal albums ever released.

At the moment my favourite Slayer.



4 is too damn low.

ZedO
April 25th 2012


1096 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Good job, Paper!



One of the most influential metal albums ever released.

At the moment my favourite Slayer.




Agreed! However the rating is a 4 or above.......

ValeriusTheAlbino
April 25th 2012


158 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

album never gets old

Wolfhorde
April 25th 2012


15387 Comments


Reported.

BlackLlama
April 25th 2012


2178 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

At the moment my favourite Slayer.



I hear you on that one. Been playing everything pre South of Heaven lately.

Cowlick035
March 29th 2013


32 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

The only only Slayer album I ever really loved. The rest are much too inconsistent IMO.

CaptainHadouken
March 29th 2013


1963 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Man i wouldn't mind picking this up on vinyl.

InbredJed
March 29th 2013


6619 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Ditto

ThrashTillDeath94
September 2nd 2013


814 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

It's probably odd that this is my first formal introduction to Slayer. I mean I heard some of their

more popular songs here and there, but this is the first album I have listened to from start to

finish. Pretty good stuff too. Production leaves much to be desired but once you get past that, this

album is a great listen. Songs like Antichrist, Fight Till Death, Black Magic and Chemical Warefare

kick major ass.





You have to be logged in to post a comment. Login | Create a Profile





STAFF & CONTRIBUTORS // CONTACT US

Bands: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


Site Copyright 2005-2023 Sputnikmusic.com
All Album Reviews Displayed With Permission of Authors | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy