By The Riff Report Blog â Thrashinâ through the decades
12. Diabolus in Musica (1998)
âNu-Slayerâ â the sound of a band experimenting mid-identity crisis.
𪌠This oneâs got riffs, sure, but itâs like Tom Araya woke up in a Korn video. It was the late ’90s, and even the thrash gods flirted with downtuned guitars and groove metal. Itâs heavy, dark, and angry â but not very Slayer. More âdiabolus in meh-sica.â
Riff Report Verdict: âSlayer goes nĂź? I was tamping, mun.â đ¤
11. Repentless (2015)
The final blowout⌠but missing the old fire?
đ Released after Jeff Hannemanâs death and featuring Exodus axe legend Gary Holt, this was Slayer trying to prove they were still the kings. It’s ferocious at times, but the songwriting doesnât quite summon the same demons. The title track slaps though.
Riff Report Verdict: Itâs relentless, not repentless â but we still moshed.
10. Undisputed Attitude (1996)
A punk-fuelled sledgehammer to the face.
đ¤ Covers of Minor Threat, Verbal Abuse, and TSOL â plus one Tom Araya original. Slayer pay tribute to their hardcore roots with mixed results. Pure aggression, but not essential listening unless you love the punk that birthed them.
Riff Report Verdict: Speedy, snotty, and shouty â like a drunk brawl outside Fuel Rock Club in Cardiff.
9. Christ Illusion (2006)
The controversial comeback â and a fiery return for Lombardo.
⪠Slayer reunited with Dave Lombardo and got biblical. Thereâs some cracking moments here (hello, “Cult” and “Eyes of the Insane”), but the productionâs murky and the energy feels like itâs stuck between eras.
Riff Report Verdict: Better than church on a Sunday, but still not divine Slayer.
8. God Hates Us All (2001)
Happy 9/11? Slayer accidentally soundtracked the apocalypse.
đĽ Dropped on September 11th, 2001 (yep), this record is pure hate-fuel. Itâs one of their angriest efforts, and although not very âthrashyâ in the old-school sense, it punches like a steel boot to the chest. “Disciple” still blows up pits today.
Riff Report Verdict: âGod Hates Us Allâ â but we love this riff-blasted chaos.
7. Divine Intervention (1994)
The Paul Bostaph debut that proved Slayer were still lethal.
â°ď¸ A dark, punishing beast that doesnât get enough love. Sure, itâs not as iconic, but â213â and âKilling Fieldsâ hit harder than a hangover on a festival Monday. Underrated and unrelenting.
Riff Report Verdict: Proper job, Paul. Hannemanâs riffs slice like razors.
6. Hell Awaits (1985)
The sound of Satan sharpening his knives.
đš Technical, sinister, and soaked in sulphur. Their second album is more complex than Show No Mercy, and tracks like âAt Dawn They Sleepâ are black-hearted classics. The productionâs raw, but the fury is real.
Riff Report Verdict: Hell definitely awaited â and we ran in laughing.
5. World Painted Blood (2009)
A late-career burst of bloody brilliance.
𩸠Often overlooked, this is the best Slayer album post-2000. It sounds classic without being a throwback. âPsychopathy Redâ and the title track rip, and there’s a dark, eerie vibe throughout thatâs so Hanneman.
Riff Report Verdict: A world painted red â by riffs, not regrets. Lush.
4. Show No Mercy (1983)
The baby demon takes its first steps â and itâs already biting heads off.
đŚ Slayerâs debut is part NWOBHM, part raw punk fury, and pure unfiltered evil. âThe Antichristâ and âDie by the Swordâ are thrash blueprints. The production is scrappy, but the intensity is off the charts.
Riff Report Verdict: The birth of a beast. Tidy beginnings of terror. đ
3. Seasons in the Abyss (1990)
The bridge between brutality and songwriting perfection.
âď¸ Equal parts atmospheric and aggressive. âWar Ensembleâ is thrash warfare, and âDead Skin Maskâ is straight-up nightmare fuel. It balances melody with madness, and it works. An album that matured without mellowing.
Riff Report Verdict: Slayerâs most complete record? Possibly. We were obsessed, butt.
2. South of Heaven (1988)
Slower⌠darker⌠and utterly sinister.
đŻď¸ Slayer dared to slow down, and it paid off. Tracks like âMandatory Suicideâ and âSilent Screamâ show just how terrifying they can be at half-speed. This album oozes dread, and Arayaâs vocals are pure villainy.
Riff Report Verdict: If Hell had an elevator playlist, this would be it.
1. Reign in Blood (1986)
The GOAT. The standard. The apocalypse set to music.
â°ď¸ 28 minutes of speed, savagery, and Satan. “Angel of Death” and “Raining Blood” alone could end careers. This album invented extreme metal as we know it. Still sounds dangerous nearly 40 years later. Hanneman and Lombardo at their untouchable peak.
Riff Report Verdict: The Bible has Genesis. Metal has Reign in Blood.
đ¤ Final Thoughts from the AbyssâŚ
Slayer never made a âbadâ album â only albums that werenât Reign in Blood. Whether youâre worshipping at the altar of thrash or just here to break your neck in the pit, thereâs something on every record to love (or be terrified of).
Now crank it to 11, grab a goat skull, and SCREAM FOR SLAYERRRRRR! đŠ¸đĽ
Michael is the founder, editor, and chief riff wrangler behind The Riff Report, an independent Welsh rock and metal publication built by fans, for fans. With a lifelong passion for loud guitars, unforgettable live shows, and the incredible community that surrounds rock and metal, he created The Riff Report to celebrate everything that makes the scene specialâfrom legendary headline acts and grassroots venues to rising bands that deserve to be heard.
A familiar face at festivals across the UK, Michael spends much of the year covering events including Download Festival, Bloodstock Open Air, Steelhouse Festival, Firevolt, Plumpton Revival, and many more. Whether heâs battling the Welsh weather on a mountainside, surviving a weekend in a muddy campsite, or squeezed against the front barrier with thousands of fellow fans, heâs always searching for the next great story to share.
As editor of The Riff Report, Michael writes festival guides, breaking news, album reviews, gig reviews, interviews, opinion pieces, nostalgia features, and behind-the-scenes stories from across the rock and metal world. His writing combines honest opinions, humour, and a genuine love for live music, bringing readers closer to the bands, festivals, venues, and people that keep the scene alive.
Michael is particularly passionate about supporting independent artists, local venues, charities, and the wider UK rock and metal community. He believes every band deserves a chance to be discovered and every festival has a story worth telling. Through The Riff Report, he aims to shine a spotlight on both the biggest names in rock and the future stars waiting to break through.
When heâs not writing or interviewing artists, youâll probably find him exploring festival campsites, photographing live shows, chatting with fellow fans over a pint, or planning the next road trip in search of more riffs, bigger crowds, and unforgettable moments.
Above all, Michael believes rock and metal are about more than musicâtheyâre about community, friendship, and creating memories that last a lifetime. Thatâs exactly what The Riff Report exists to celebrate.
Proudly Welsh. Proudly Loud. Always chasing the next great riff. đ¤
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