I love Slayer. The older I get and further down various underground metal rabbit holes I go, I never tire of the occasional spin of Reign in Blood, Seasons in the Abyss, Show No Mercy, and Hell Awaits. Those records for me have aged much better than their counterparts in Metallica, Megadeth, Testament, Anthrax, Exodus, etc (with a few exceptions, like The New Order and Rust in Peace) – there’s a vicious, punky edge to Reign in Blood that captures more of a timeless rage than some of those other bands ever achieved on record.
Of course, what set Slayer apart from myriad copycat thrash bands in their time was their riffs. Although Jeff Hanneman wrote many of their classic parts, including many demonstrated below, Kerry King was an integral part of Slayer’s attitude, aesthetic, and sound. So you’re obviously going to want to check out this little guitar lesson from him, in which he shows off some of Slayer’s most iconic parts.
Check it out below, courtesy Guitare Xtreme:
