Nicole Ann Lim

World Musics

November 15, 2015

Music Review of Slayers Hell Awaits

Metal fan or not, Slayer should be a recognizable, household name. Their album

Hell Awaits has been praised by countless music critics for inspiring a subgenre of metal

thrash metaland setting the standards for successors in a scene that was just

beginning to evolve.

At first listen, I cant help but notice the riotous tremolo riffs from the guitar,

hyperactive drum beats, and most significantly, the indecipherable, screeching vocals.

As I continue to listen, which becomes increasingly forced and painful, I become lost in

grasping the basis of the albums seemingly wide-spread acclaim amongst members of

the genre. To me and nearly everyone I know, the world of metal is a small, distant

planet with an alien language only a select few speak. What critical piece(s) of

information am I missing that detracts me from enjoying what I, for the most part,

consider noise? Since metal is just another form of music, why is it so difficult to

comprehend it in the same manner I do for other musical genres? Instead of the

satisfactory dopamine rush characteristic of listening to music, my initial reaction has

never been anything other than fear. Maybe this is yet another validation of the clich

that people fear the unknown.

The first track in the album (also the name of the album), Hell Awaits,

exemplifies what is to come in the rest of the album: dark themes of Satanism and
physical torture. It begins with a crescendo of demonic chantingjoin us in reverse

followed by an upbeat, gritty guitar pattern that is repeated. The tempo then increases

with complex riffs and various guitar distortions that showcase the guitarists amazing

virtuosity. This is one of the most evident aspects of the music to appreciate. With a

disengaged ear, the frantic clash of instrumentation, sampling, and vocals is

overwhelming, but a deeper level of listening, involving separating each part, reveals a

complexity usually mistaken for aggression by novice listeners. The matter of fact is that

musicians of this genre, Slayers band members not being an exception, possess

admirable musicianship and have usually had comprehensive training in music theory.

Most amazingly, the musicians mental endurance and precision demonstrated in this

domain are unmatched. This issue is homologous to the way some people without

training in classical music reach the conclusion that classical music is boring. If they

had been previously taught how to play the violin, for instance, a greater insight into the

intricacy and technicality of the music will more likely than not leave them with an

increased appreciation and liking for the genre of music. As Bourdieu describes, this is

the phenomenon of our habitusour engrained habitstaking control. Our habitus is

molded by our experiences and sets the boundaries in which we are able to think,

comprehend, and therefore appreciate (Wilson 68).

Relenting rush of rotten flesh, To trash the tomb she liesHeathen whore of

Satans wrath, I spit at your demise are lyrics from the fifth track of the album,

Necrophiliac, which provokes images of death and hell. The subject matter of the lyrics

compounded with the screeching vocals in which theyre relayed are offensive and hard

to shake, prompting me to question the sanity of fans of the genre. Are metal heads the
splitting image of violent, angry misfits engrained in the mass heads? Because great

effort, either consciously or unconsciously, is put forth to assimilate with society, our

fears of sticking out like a sore thumb are exponentially heightened. In this light, the

average non-metal fan would not want to participate in a culture of outcasts perpetuated

by the widespread negative stereotypes of this group. This anti-metal hostility relates

back to Wilsons notion that taste is a means of distinguishing ourselves from others

(Wilson 67-69). The reason why subcultures exist in the first place are because our

guts tell us certain kinds of music are for certain kinds of people (Wilson 18). This train

of thought is toxic because it leads us to identify with certain personas, while

simultaneouslyand usually erroneouslyassigning certain identities to other

individuals. We use music as a means for this behavior. For example, popular belief

leads us to picture metal heads as dumb, white drunkards who are perpetually angry at

the world. As a result, cultural capital is taken away from individuals who become

involved with the metal culture because it opposes the Western elitist values of

sophistication and a calm demeanor.

Hell Awaits is to music as Saw is to movies. With this notion, I must probe the

question of whether or not we consider an author to be evil for the type of books he

has written (Stephen King) or an actor as demonic for the roles hes played

(Christopher Lee). Bringing the discussion back to the lyrics, metal heads argue that the

lyrics are not supposed to be taken literally; rather, the music is an exploration of the

extremes of human emotion. My point is that metal heads consider the dark themes in

their music as a story, a work of fiction. If indeed this is the true method of digesting
metal music, Slayer has successfully achieved sophistication in its art through

examining obscure human sentiments.

Much like Wilson in analyzing his distaste for Celine Dions music, I find thrash

metal to be indistinct: I do not yet have, and probably never will, complete mastery of

listening to and processing this genre of music. Yes, I would consider metal music what

music critics call filler because there is no recognizable melody to my untrained ears

(Wilson 102-103). Even with the almost universal praise of Slayers Hell Awaits and

knowing its significant impact in the metal scene back in the bands prime, I would not

listen to more than one song for the sole reason of sonic pleasure. After several minutes

of Slayer, the volume and tempo the performers have painstakingly crafted induces a,

probably imaginative, feeling of blood in my ears. Nevertheless, from researching this

style of music and writing this review, I have learned to listen to metal with a forward-

thinking, more appreciative ear. I can point out facets of metal music I do like, most

markedly the incredible skill of the instrumentalists and the overall compositional

complexity. For me, this is a triumph because liking even one aspect is enough for me

to overcome the hate I used to have for this type of music.