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Slayer - Show No Mercy
1983 Metal Blade Records
Slayer - Show No Mercy

Track Listing:
1.  Evil Has No Boundaries
2.  The Antichrist
3.  Die By The Sword
4.  Fight Till Death
5.  Metal Storm/Face The Slayer
6.  Black Magic
7.  Tormentor
8.  The Final Command
9.  Crionics
10. Show No Mercy

Line-Up:
Vocals:  Tom Araya
Guitars:  Jeff Hanneman, Kerry King
Bass:  Tom Araya
Drums:  Dave Lombardo

Website:  www.slayer.net

Uncle Meat's Rating:  B+
Shev's Rating:  A+
Overall Rating:  A

Also be sure to read:
Slayer - Christ Illusion by Skin Splitter & Horatio
Slayer - Decade Of Aggression by Horatio
Slayer - Diabolus In Musica by Horatio
Slayer - Divine Intervention by Horatio
Slayer - God Hates Us All by Horatio
Slayer - Reign In Blood by Horatio
Slayer - Seasons In The Abyss by Uncle Meat
Slayer - Undisputed Attitude by Horatio
Fantômas - Suspended Animation by Lamp
Grip Inc. - The Power of Inner Strength by Horatio
Straight To Hell:  A Tribute To Slayer by Shev

Uncle Meat's Review:
 Ah! The fab four of thrash. I only wish I had been there in ‘83 to hear this for the first time (on vinyl even). This album would kick off one of the great thrash groups of all time. Show No Mercy and the ones that follow, through Seasons In The Abyss, would help establish the thrash blueprint. Slayer, along with Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax, and Exodus, would be the thrash kings.

The main problem with this album, and those around this time, is production. Songs sound rushed, levels don’t sound right, drums are too loud are all problems plaguing this album in various places, but if you haven’t heard Show No Mercy yet you owe it to yourself to check it out.

Song summaries include:

  1. Evil Has No Boundaries - This song hooks the listener right away. The banshee screams lead to a nice hook which pulls into the rest of the song. B

  2. The Antichrist - My favorite song. Evil lyrics, riffs flying all over the place, insane leads. Although I have to wonder if they purposely left the rhythm guitar low in the mix. A-

  3. Die By The Sword - Becomes weaker as the song progresses. The verses riff is a little weak. The song starts to pick up towards the middle. C+

  4. Fight Till Death - The standout part of this song is the little drum rolls that Mr. Lombardo throws in the mix. The solo is also excellent in the is doesn't come of as a squeaky whammy-bar driven mess. B

  5. Metal Storm/Face the Slayer - The intro to this track is one of the best on the album. Not the outright attack as on the other songs, the song actually gives some space to the drums and guitar. B

  6. Black Magic - Similar to The Antichrist, until the middle breakdown. Even the whammy-bar drive is back. B+

  7. Tormentor - Solid song. Great hook. Not too much excitement in the drum department. B-

  8. The Final Command - So-so opening. The song picks up when the verse enters. C+

  9. Crionics - Another solid song. Comparable to a blast of anger. Short and powerful. B+

  10. Show No Mercy - Starts out with a killer drum break. The song only gets better the rest of the way through. The rhythm guitar under the solo is particularly venomous. An excellent album closer. A

Uncle Meat's Rating:  B+

Shev's Review:
 Have you ever heard an album that no matter how many times you listen to it, you can't possibly get sick of it? Well, this is that album for me. I'm convinced that if I could listen to Show No Mercy 24 hours a day...every day...for the rest of my life, I would still absolutely love it. Drawing heavy influence from Venom (not to mention the movie "Dragonslayer"), this is simply Slayer's rawest, most aggressive tribute to thrash in it's purest form. While the production comes off as a little shady, it actually compliments the primitive nature of Slayer's debut. Every song a classic, timeless in it's own right, one couldn't pick a better album as a cornerstone to Slayer's long legacy. Sharp, imaginative, and downright pummeling.
Shev's Rating:  A+

Discography (last updated 8.29.06):
Show No Mercy - 1983
Haunting The Chapel EP - 1984
Live Undead - 1984
Hell Awaits - 1985
Reign In Blood - 1986
South Of Heaven - 1988
Seasons In The Abyss - 1990
Decade Of Aggression - 1991
Divine Intervention - 1994
Live Intrusion EP - 1995
Serenity In Murder EP - 1995
split 7" with T.S.O.L. - 1996
Undisputed Attitude - 1996
Diabolus In Musica - 1998
Ubernoise:  The Interview - 1998
God Hates Us All - 2001
Soundtrack To The Apocalypse box - 2003
Christ Illusion - 2006
Cult 7" single - 2006
Eternal Pyre EP - 2006