Spirit in black...

Nostra Dam
Dec 18, 2023
6 min read

Slayer is an American group formed in Huntington Park in 1981 and originally composed of Kerry King, Jeff Hanneman, Dave Lombardo and Tom Araya. A group that can boast of having sold no less than 20 million records around the world to date, just that !

They began to get noticed two years later thanks to the release in 1983 of a first demo track "Aggressive perfector", a title which allowed them to sign with the Metal Blade label. Label with which they will release their first album “Show no mercy”, an album with great success, particularly in Germany.

The year 1984 saw the release of a mini-album “Haunting the chapel”, a mini-album which went a little more unnoticed than its predecessor but which still produced one of their reference titles, namely “Chemical warfare”.

New album “Hell awaits” a year later in 1985, an album which was a little better than its predecessor but without succeeding in producing hits worthy of the name.

They had to wait until 1986 and the release of the album “Reign in Blood” to achieve their first success on both sides of the Atlantic. Controversial album, in particular because of the title "Angel of death" which openly speaks of the Nazi concentration camps, it will benefit from almost no promotion but will still manage to come out with flying colors, notably thanks to the title "Criminally insane ".

The beginning of global recognition arrived in 1988 with the album "South of Heaven", an album which allowed the group to extend its fame internationally but without succeeding in producing successful Singles.

On the album side in any case everything is going well since the new album “Seasons in the abyss” which was released two years later in 1990 will experience an even higher level of success. Album which this time will succeed in producing a high caliber Single with the title which bears the name of the album, a Single which will be released the following year in 1991.

We will have to wait 4 years and the year 1994 to see the release of their new album “Divine intervention”, an album with more than certain success once again and which will finally offer them their biggest success on the Singles side with the title “Serenity in murder ".

A great adventure which will subsequently continue with the release of other albums and other singles but unfortunately with more limited success.

To discover or rediscover...

Discography (among others ...) :

80s Decade :

Aggressive perfector 1983
Black magic 1983
Chemical warfare 1984
Hell awaits 1985
Raining blood 1986
Angel of death 1986
Postmortem 1986
Necrophobic 1986
Criminaly insane 1987
South of heaven 1988
Mandatory suicide 1988

90s Decade :

War ensemble 1990
Dead skin mask 1990
Spirit in black 1990
Seasons in the abyss 1991
Dittohead 1994
Serenity in murder 1995
I hate you 1996
Stain of mind 1998
Bitter peace 1998

2000s Decade :

Bloodline 2001
Disciple 2001
God send death 2001
Cult 2006
Eyes of the insane 2006
Jihad 2006
Final six 2007
Psyhcopathy red 2009
Hate worldwide 2009

2010s Decade :

World painted blood 2010
Implode 2014
When he stillness comes 2015
Repentless 2015
You against you 2016
Pride in prejudice 2016

Tracks :

1983...a first title which immediately sets the trend : this group is going to go over-speed and beat up as a rule. We have been warned !

1983...in such a particular musical register it is clear that success - when there is any - will be limited mainly to an audience of initiates...

1984...even if the group already has a few fans in Germany, for the moment success is slow to come, to say the least...

1985...a new opus which will only find favor in the eyes of the Germans once again. A career start that is confidential to say the least...

1986...it must be said that we often border on the inaudible. A style and sound that will scare away more than one person, hence an influence that will necessarily be limited to say the least...

1986...afterwards, even if they still did not manage to rank any Singles, they still managed to make a breakthrough in the United States and England with this new opus...

1986...which still shows that there are better things to do in terms of career development. Certainly the evolution is timid but it is indeed real...

1986...but in such a particular musical field it is clear that we should not expect a miracle in terms of global recognition. At least at this stage...

1987...the first classified title. Certainly only in England but it's always better than nothing as they say and they will have to be content with it in any case...

1988...as paradoxical as it may seem, the group increases its level of global influence year after year. At least on the albums side...

1988...this new opus will sell well on all continents and show them de facto that they are starting to interest more and more people...

1990...who says new decade says evolution both in terms of style and sound ? It doesn't seem like it at first glance, far from it...

1990...and paradoxically this non-evolution will benefit them. Certainly not on the Singles side but on the albums side, the increase in sales is constant from year to year...

1990...it must be said that the 90s will be a little more favorable to their musical field, which will allow them to emerge a little more into the light...

1991...well it is clear that their music is still intended for an audience of initiates. Besides, not sure that the general public is their core target...

1994...so there we are no longer even talking about overspeed but we are talking about a tolerable limit almost exceeded in terms of tempo. We won't remake them again as they say...

1995...it is clear that we should not expect radical changes concerning them in the short term. Take it or leave it as they say...

1996...and history will prove them right in the end because it is now that success, true success, falls on them. Like what...

1998...we will therefore say that they were truly pioneers of their style in the 80s. It took them a while to prove it but it is now done !

1998...precursors or not, you really have to have a strong heart to listen to what they produce. Sensitive souls refrain...

2001...and another decade to add to the clock, one ! It just goes to show that, even with such a hermetic style for the general public, they still manage to last...

2001...as they often say, there is something for everyone. But here, it is true that we are still reaching the limits of what is bearable...

2001...a decade 2000 which will prove to be their best decade in terms of success in the Charts. At least on the albums side...

2006...we still have to remember that they started their career in 1983 which is starting to be quite a few years...

2006...who could have imagined at that time that they would still be there more than 20 years later, not many people that's for sure. And yet this is indeed the case !

2006...not to mention a style and sound which have hardly evolved since their beginnings, which further underlines the feat achieved...

2007...it is clear that there are them and there are the others. A musical universe that is truly their own and that they only share with few other groups...

2009...they will have succeeded in producing 3 albums during the 2000s and all 3 will have had a flattering run in the Charts...

2009...so even if this music may seem on the verge of the inaudible, there is indeed an audience that largely accepts it...

2010...in any case, we don't last without talent, whatever the field in which we operate. And in their very particular field they ensure, as they say...

2014...hence the fact that they are still there today. Because they have a very particular talent, but they have one, otherwise they would have disappeared a long time ago...

2015...they will still have managed to cross the 80s, then the 90s, then the 2000s and now they have arrived in the middle of this 2010s. Quite a feat once again...

2015...and it is clear that they have absolutely no intention of stopping there. The more the decades pass, the more successful they are, so they might as well go as far as possible...