618. Slayer / Show No Mercy. 1983. 4/5.

From humble beginnings, and playing covers of the bands that were their influence at the time - Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Venom and Mercyful Fate - came the debut album from one of the most influential thrash metal bands of all time, Show No Mercy. And while the production of the album leaves a lot to be desired, almost all of the debut albums from those now deemed as giants suffered from the same problems, through a lack of money and influence. All of that changed in time, but it gives the whole album an air of authenticity, that even the great bands start from scratch.

Inauspicious or not, all of the ingredients that create the Slayer giant are already here. The songwriting and guitaring duo of Hanneman and King show off their wares, Dave Lombardo's drums don't stop for a breath, and Tom Araya's storming bass and vocals stand at the forefront of each song. You can still hear the band's influences on this first album. The songs are not as heavy, fast or blistering as they become later on. You can pick up some similarities with Metallica's Kill'Em All and Megadeth's Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good!. Not only that, most of the album has a Judas Priest/Iron Maiden feel about it, a much more mainstream heavy metal sound than the thrash hardcore sound that was to come.

The album kicks off with the excellent "Fear Has No Boundaries", followed by the staple satanic song "The Anitchrist", which moves into the classic "Die By The Sword", still a great song in the modern age. "Fight 'Til Death" continues the blitzkrieg of the senses.
The Mercyful Fate influence really shows through on tracks like "Metal Storm / Face the Slayer" and "Black Magic". Great songs dictated by fast pounding drums and typical leads from Hanneman and King. Awesome stuff. "Tormentor" is dominated by the lead breaks of these two great guitarists, lifting an otherwise fairly average song to greater heights. Lombardo takes centre stage in "The Final Command", his drums rifling throughout the song at an incredible rate without losing their crispness, before those guitars again come to the fore with Iron Maiden-like harmonies.
"Crionics" again almost tries to be an Iron Maiden song in both structure and melody. While it is not what most Slayer fans will recognise from their catalogue, it is still quite an interesting song to listen to again. Put it on, and tell me you can't hear Maiden's "Hallowed Be Thy Name" as you listen to the guitars. Great stuff. The album is closed out by the title track "Show No Mercy", closer to a Metallica type tempo to this one.

While the style of the album may be unlike what came further up the line, it is great to hear even today. The fact that Slayer built their own sound out of their own influences is testament to their greatness. It doesn't matter what you hear when you listen to this album, the important thing is that it is a terrific Slayer album, and onc that seems to be maligned for the wrong reasons. I still think it is brilliant.