It is always thrilling for me, as I continue rummaging around my Metal Music collection, especially when I find an item that isn’t an album or CD and it grabs hold of my Metal attention and brings back memories. F’n Slayer rules. I reintroduced myself to the Slayer Reign In Blood tour program from 1987. I did not buy this Slayer tour program when I saw them on the Reign In Blood tour, rather I bought it from an independent record shop that same year. I am withholding the name of the record shop for the owner was, simply put, a backstabbing, cheapskate creep. (I never bought tour programs at concerts as a rule, they would either get destroyed or lost from a night of Metal debauchery). If my Metal memory serves me correct, I paid $10 U.S. for this Slayer gem. The condition of my Slayer Reign In Blood tour program is essentially… mint. I tend to keep my Metal memorabilia protected with archival supplies when necessary, this Slayer tour program is inside a plastic sleeve while being stored away. Hey, I give a crap about the stuff I own, especially Metal Music stuff. It’s not like I can just replace items like this at the drop of a Metal dime.
The memories of seeing and listening to my favorite bands over the decades will never diminish. Having a Slayer tour program to look through from 1987, only enhances those Metal memories. Seeing Slayer live back in 1987 was an unreal Metal experience. This Slayer tour program measures 9″ x 12″ and has 20 pages, all in full color. The Reign In Blood album flyer/mini poster is stapled into the center spread of the program. This flyer/mini poster is in red and black ink only, showing the famous Slayer group photo that is on the Reign In Blood album backside cover. The headline on this flyer/mini poster reads: This Album Speeds Through Your Brain. Man, that headline isn’t farting around about that… Reign In Blood is the damnedest, most heaviest Metal album I have ever listened to in my Metal life. F’n Slayer history to be enjoyed here, with this tour program.
There are one and a half pages of written material, briefly covering the first four years of Slayer history. The albums Show No Mercy, Hell Awaits and the EP Haunting The Chapel are mentioned, along with the historic signing of Slayer to Def Jam Recordings by Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons. This signing to Def Jam Recordings, through Geffen Records, took place in 1987 with Reign In Blood… the rest is Slatanic history. Each member of Slayer has two pages of photos, while the remaining pages are chock full of Slayer concert photos, (with the exception of the inside front cover page which is dedicated to text. The back cover photo is a full color concert photo of Slayer, Jeff Hanneman and Tom Araya are fully shown, with a glimpse of Kerry King and only a portion of Dave Lombardo’s drum kit. A sensational Slayer back cover photo, nonetheless.
I was foolish, many years ago, to have let go of some incredible tour programs of great and legendary bands. This Slayer tour program I am keeping… to look at and hold any damn time I feel like it. I feel fortunate that this Slayer tour program stayed in my collection for the last 22 years.
What a blast from the Slayer Thrash Metal past, is this front cover photo of the band on this Reign In Blood tour program, (see below). Check it out… Kerry King really did have hair back then. From left to right: Tom Araya (lead vocals & bass), Jeff Hanneman (guitar), Dave Lombardo (drums) and Kerry King (guitar). F’n Slayer Rules.
I’m always looking for good deals on my Heavy Metal Music purchases, from albums, CD’s to memorabilia and books. Upon one of my recent stops into a local thrift store, I happened upon quite the Heavy Metal find indeed, for the ripe price of fifty cents. Yes, fifty cents. The find you ask? Well, none other than The Rough Guide To Heavy Metal – and it is quite the book for me. (This book is a 1st printing, printed in 2005 by Rough Guides). While perusing the book aisle at this thrift store, the image of none other than Ozzy Osbourne caught my eye. What is this? I could not believe what I had found! Knowing immediately too, that any book in this thrift store is only fifty cents… I was Metal stoked. As a bonus, this book stared right at me in gem mint condition as well. As I picked it up and browsed through it’s Heavy Metal filled pages, it was obvious to me that the previous owner of this book never bothered to read it. As crisp of a new book you will find. Life is a sweet journey sometimes, especially when you can stumble on a 410 page book, when you least expect it, that is dedicated to your favorite music genre… Heavy Metal.
I, being a devoted Slayer fan, bought their new CD – World Painted Blood this week. An unreal great album and I will be raving about it on a future post – that’s a Metal guarantee. What makes me laugh, however, is the lame Parental Advisory/Explicit Content sticker that stares at you on the front cover wrapping of this CD. This silly little sticker also reads: strong language, sexual + violent content. If this sticker with it’s various warnings is mandated to be on the new Slayer CD, why then, is there not the same warning, for the following:
Metal Odyssey’s Metal Album Recommendation For Your Halloween Listening Enjoyment: OBITUARY – DARKEST DAY – These Death Metal Legends are not fooling around with their June 30th, 2009 release. Darkest Day is without Metal hesitation, one of my top three albums of 2009… spanning all the Metal genres.
Plus, the Grim Reaper wants to warn you all… the brand new SLAYER album World Painted Blood gets released on Tuesday, November 3rd. I am counting down the minutes in my Metal mind to this great moment in Slayer history.
Slayer. Thrash Metal Legends without any doubt in my Metal mind. I caught onto Slayer from the very beginning. I ordered Slayer’s first album, Show No Mercy, through mail order – direct from Metal Blade Records, back in 1984. Since then, Slayer has been a band that I uphold as one of the greatest Thrash Metal Bands ever, (if not the greatest).I have seen Slayer live in a small club setting back in the late 1980’s, a fortunate Metal experience that I will never forget. Yes, Slayer is a core favorite of mine and that will never change.
The Book Of Slayer covers the band from it’s infancy in 1981 to present day. Anecdotes, interviews, tons of photos and details abound and it is 100% Slayer. Plus there are four feature articles included about Slayer, from past issues of Revolver. Revolver documents Slayer throughout their entire career in excellent Metal fashion. Kerry King, Tom Araya, Jeff Hanneman, Dave Lombardo and Paul Bostaph are all included in the story telling and interviews. This is one Slayer collectible worth picking up – the content within it’s pages and Slayer knowledge you will gain is well worth the $5.99 cover price. New fans can catch up on some great Slayer history and veteran fans should find it hard to put down. I know I will be taking it with me just about everywhere.
Slayer. Thrash Metal legends. The Webster Dictionary gives the definition of Slayer, it goes like this: to kill violently, wantonly, or in great numbers; to strike down – Suffice to say, in my Metal opinion, Slayer has struck down many a professionally paid Rock Music critic with their multiple Grammy Awards, album sales, relentless years of touring and a catalog of Thrash Metal albums that has never bent over for commercial appeal. 
Slayer has never written a ballad. Nope, Slayer never created a messed up song like, uh, One. Slayer has never put themselves into a predicament where they are telling their fans… just wait, our next album will be heavy again… we promise… just like we made our 1980’s albums. Slayer never covered a Bob Seger Rock Classic and ruined it. Slayer has always kept the Thrash Metal constant, they never needed to Load or Re-Load. Since December of 1983, when Show No Mercy was unleashed onto the world of Heavy Metal, there is no other Thrash Metal Band that I can think of, (with the exception of Over Kill), that has maintained the level of integrity and consistency such as Slayer. Slayer never revisited any damn garage days.
Slayer does not need a Guitar Hero game named after them. Slayer has never been jealous of Jethro Tull for winning a Grammy Award. (Or at least Slayer has never bad mouthed this legendary Classic Rock band in the press like another band constantly does to this day). Hint: the current Thrash Metal Band that has a Jethro Tull phobia, just recently had a Guitar Hero game named after them… plus they are in the Rock and Roll Hall of Shame. Jethro Tull never hurt no one… I defend them every Metal step of the way. Slayer does not whine or make excuses – they just make straight up Thrash Metal for themselves and their fans. Uncompromising to the Thrash Metal genre… Slayer.
I am Metal psyched about another great Metal album coming out in this month of September of 2009, Children of Bodom – Skeletons In The Closet
I cannot wait to get my hands on this new album and crank it up extremely loud, on September 23, 2009, I will. I am just very curious as to how the Britney Spears cover of Oooops! I Did It Again… is going to sound like. What about the Kenny Rogers song? Man, that should be a Metal hoot. Knowing the way Children of Bodom play their Metal, I am confident they will rage these songs into Extreme Metal bliss. Still, I cannot believe I am writing about Britney Spears, Kenny Rogers and Children of Bodom in the same post. One thing is for sure here, Children of Bodom can never be accused of not being diversified. The cover songs represent a darn cool list of bands here… Slayer, W.A.S.P., Iron Maiden, Alice Cooper, Scorpions, Ramones – these are legendary bands without question. Thank you, Finland, for the fine Metal export they call Children of Bodom.
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