Jeff Hanneman and the sound of Slayer

Today metal fans across the globe were shocked at the sudden news of Jeff Hanneman's death. Ever since he seemingly disappeared from the public's eye during his bout with necrotizing fasciitis, we still hoped that eventually everything would be back to normal, and we'd have our Slayer back.

New album. New tour. Original members.

After all, Slayer…f*cking SLAYER…is something that is set in stone. Never ending and forever. A pioneering band that not only helped spawn thrash, but created riffs that would in turn create hundreds of bands looking to recreate that sound.

That SOUND. Holy sh*t. You know it when you hear it. The Slayer sound. The four ingredients to that sonic brutality were Araya, Hanneman, King, and Lombardo, all key factors in establishing a solid foundation of metal in its purest form. Bold, scary, and completely kick-ass.

Reign In Blood came out a full year before I gained my thrash wings. I had broke ground as a Slayer fan with South of Heaven, but before I bought the now classic album, I remember being vaguely afraid of Slayer. Afraid? Scared? Okay, that sounds a bit melodramatic, but I definitely saw them as an ominous group of musicians…the kind from which I should probably stay far away.

At least that was my perception at the time. At 15 years-old, I was deep into Metallica, living and breathing Master of Puppets, and had just picked up Suicidal Tendencies' How Will I Laugh Tomorrow…? album. D.R.I.'s 4 of a Kind had hit, and there was no turning back for me. I wanted faster and heavier!

South of Heaven had been released, and I still remained a curious arm-length's distance away. It wasn't until a TV commercial aired, containing a snippet of Slayer playing the album's title track, that made me turn my head and say, "I want that!"

I want that…the Slayer SOUND. Stemming from Show No Mercy and Hell Awaits, perfected with Reign In Blood, and grew to unstoppable proportions with South of Heaven and Seasons in the Abyss.

Four ingredients. One sound.

The sound that influenced multitudes of thrash and death metal bands. Would early Sepultura sound the same without Slayer? Would the breakdown in Dead Embryonic Cells exist without the blueprint from Raining Blood?

Sorry. Retreading the impact Slayer has on metal would be reiterating the obvious, but it's still hard not to go down that path. However, it's impressive that Slayer remains a viable and thriving influence after 30-plus years. Especially for a type of music that was never intended to achieve more than underground status.

But this type of music did bust out of the underground. After all, we have the Big Four. Some folks look at the "Big Four" concept as a bit cheesy, but I sure as hell don't. The four biggest selling thrash bands from back in the heyday of metal are monuments of what was a f*cking awesome time to be a metal head.

Slayer was one of those four bands. Hanneman, as one of the four members of Slayer, was important to the sound and legacy of thrash metal as we know it today. He will be missed, but the sound he helped create lives stronger than ever today in the many, many bands influenced by Slayer.

Slayer. Set in stone. Never ending and forever.

Thanks for the music, Jeff.

The new EVILE track "Underworld" is streaming now!

Decibel Magazine is streaming a new track from new wave of thrash big hitters EVILE.

The song, titled Underworld, is a more than promising peek at the band's upcoming album "Skull", to be released on May 27th.

Man, I really dig this cut. Underworld is a full-on thrasher, not meant to stray into tedious roads of contrived prog or heady musical statements. No, this one grabs by the arm, rips it out, and dines on it.

If you want to check it out, and by all means you really should, head over to Decibel Magazine for a taste of Skull!

Come on May 27th!!

Happy Condition Critical Day!

Within an enigmatically reasoned Facebook post, last year I dubbed this day (April 23rd) Condition Critical Day. Why? I don't remember. I must of been sickly excited about something the New Jersey thrash band did, and probably made the holiday declaration as a well-intended joke. Yet that declaration stuck in my head, and here we are a year later.

So, you know…Happy Condition Critical Day!

Now although the NWOTM Blog was hoping the band's new album Operational Hazard would be out right now to help commemorate this special made-up holiday, you can still celebrate by downloading their "Bred to Kill" demo and promo song "Random Acts of Killing" for free from their Facebook page.

While you're there, wish the band a Happy Condition Critical Day as well. I don't think they know anything about this, and it might be fun to confuse the hell out of 'em.

Thrash and be merry!

Video for DEATHRAISER's Terminal Disease

Finally, Brazil's own maniacal thrash band DEATHRAISER has released its very first music video!

The video is for the song Terminal Disease, from the band's 2011 album Violent Aggression (re-released in 2012 via Xtreem Music), and it CRUSHES!

If you haven't slammed to Deathraiser yet, you're missing out. These guys write music akin to driving in railroad spikes with your face. The speed and insanity they inject into their metal is both maddening and perfect.

Check out the vid below (and beware of vocalist Thiago's crazed eyes!!), and then hit them up on either Facebook or MySpace.

New song from ESSENCE - Fractured Dimension!!

Danish thrash masters ESSENCE released a new lyric video for their new tune Fractured Dimension.

I am a huge fan of Essence's album Lost in Violence, and I'm positive their upcoming release Last Night of Solace will not suck.

Fractured Dimension is a promising peek, layered with all kinds of thrashing goodies - driving riffs, spot-on guitar work, and Lasse Skov's unmistakable vocals.

The ONLY thing that took me out of the song was how similar the opening verse riff brings to mind the verse riff to Tantara's Negligible Souls. I seriously doubt this was a "rip-off" of sorts, and that's where the similarities end. It still kicks magnitudes of ass.

Check out the tune below, hit them up on Facebook here, and pre-order the album on iTunes!

I'm looking forward to March 29th to get my order in for Last Night of Solace! ESSENCE!!!

Mantic Ritual awakens. Stay AWAKE!!

Good ol' "Japan" Nick Perkel brought a bit of news to the forefront with this article. All I have to say is MANTIC RITUAL is BACK, baby!

Okay…okay, I need to take it down a notch. I'm just excited. So far, they are reforming to play this year's Thrasho De Mayo in Los Angeles. That's all, it seems. Sorry. So sorry.

Baby steps. Baby steps.

You see, Mantic Ritual should afford the possibility of this little get-together to become a full-fledged reunion. Why? Because back in 2009, they released the stellar thrash album Executioner, and then let that Perkel jerk see them live on three different occasions before slowly falling apart.

What I'm trying to say, other than being jealous of anyone fortunate enough to see them on tour, is that their first album was a solid and slamming stepping stone to something earth-shattering - and I wanna HEAR it.

So enough of this not-yet realized fabled modern thrash classic which dances around in my dreams like a treasure of shining brilliance I cannot embrace! Album #2 needs to happen, dammit!

Striking Beast ROCKS!

YES!!!

I love finding gems like this while roaming the thrash channels of the internet.

Here we have STRIKING BEAST, a new thrash band out of Poland who just released their 4-song EP titled Nuclear Genocide.

Striking Beast fished amongst the rivers of thrash metal clichés, reeling in song titles such as Toxic Injection and Alcoholic Assault, which admittedly had me check them out in the first place. Clichés don't bother me. Crappy music does. Thankfully, Striking Beast wraps those "Pizza Thrash" titles around some kick-ass, crushing thrash f'n METAL!

The music is tight and in your face, offering up sharp riffs that are not only interesting and well-executed, but they end up serving their intended purpose: thrash your freakin' NECK.

Yes, their songs rock, and you have no excuse to NOT check 'em out since Striking Beast is offering Nuclear Genocide up as a FREE download. Oh, and also because I am posting all of the EP's song below.

So listen below, download the EP here, and then go tell the band "THANKS, GUYS" on their Facebook page.

If any band has hit the ground running, it's Striking Beast. Bad-ASS!!