Hell Awaits

Hell Awaits is the second studio album by American thrash metal band Slayer, released on April 8, 1985, by Metal Blade Records. After the band's 1983 debut Show No Mercy became the label's highest-selling release, producer Brian Slagel decided to record and release a second Slayer album. Unlike the previous album, which was paid for by band members, Slagel co-financed the recording budget with the band and recruited Ron Fair despite his lack of experience working with heavy metal musicians. As with their debut, the lyrical themes on Hell Awaits include hell and Satan, while the intro of the title track played backwards reveals the repeated phrase "join us". Musically, the album features the band's most diverse work compared to their previous releases. According to Kerry King, he and Jeff Hanneman were very into Mercyful Fate at the time, which led to the longer and more progressive songs. The sound on the album has been described as "sludgy and amorphous" in comparison to the "sharp and clear" production of its succeeding album, Reign in Blood. Hell Awaits received critical acclaim upon release, with many deeming it an improvement over the previous album due to its higher production quality and darker sound. As a result of the album's success, it was the last Slayer record to be released by Metal Blade and the only one to be produced by Slagel. Defined as "influential to future extreme metal acts", the best known songs from the album were re-recorded by various heavy metal bands and have appeared on several tribute albums.