Slayer – Show No Mercy
This record is in my opinion Slayer’s best work. Not that I’ve heard it all, mind you, but the punky ferocity on this lp hasn’t been matched by the band in their other works. And as you might have gathered from my previous posts on this blog, I have a certain fondness for having quite a bit of punk in my metal.
I heard this lp for the first time at my friend Ken’s house. We spent many hours obsessing over various records, and i recall Show No Mercy to be one of our absolute favorites. The thing was, that back then in 1985 you only had access to the music you – or one of your friends owned. There was radio, true, but Danish radio have always been more about gumpetung blues rock and weak pop than metal and punk. The only exception was Thursday evening’s Cementmix hosted by Katrine Ring and Alex Nyborg Madsen. I’m sure it was in a Cementmix we heard Slayer for the first time. I remember thinking they had more punch than Metallica. The music was menacing, and unlike anything else I had heard at the time. But it was still catchy and groovy, so instant win.
I had many years where I was disgusted with Slayer, but Agoraphobic Nosebleed’s cover of The Antichrist from Show No Mercy rekindled my old love. The ANb cover can be heard on their split with Halo:
http://www.discogs.com/Agoraphobic-Nosebleed-Halo-Untitled-Raping-The-Raper/master/10970
The reason for me spinning this lp today is that I’m binge watching Californacation, and the main character Hank Moody’s novels are called South Of Heaven, Seasons In The Abyss and God Hates Us All. All names of Slayer lps.
So here I am on a monday afternoon, unable to go to work due to a nasty eye infection, listening to Show No Mercy.
The version I have, is the grey vinyl Back On Black reissue. Strangely enough it is only now I own this record. I should have bought it 30 years ago…
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