Photo by Mark Seliger Choosing the 10 best Slayer songs is a difficult task, considering the band's prolific career. Having unleashed a brand of unforgiving thrash metal for over 30 years, Slayer are one of the most iconic and influential bands of all time. Beyond the realms of metal, Slayer have almost built an entire ecosystem around their music, which has seen great appreciation and respect from all types of music fans. As one of thrash's 'Big Four,' Slayer have pummeled fans with 11 albums, two live records, four gold-selling discs and five Grammy nominations (including two wins). Slayer are currently in the process of writing their 12th studio album, which is tentatively set for a 2013 release, but for now, we celebrate the band's phenomenal career with our picks of the 10 Best Slayer Songs. ? 10 'Chemical Warfare' From: 'Haunting the Chapel' EP (1984) ? ? After the success of Slayer's debut album, 'Show No Mercy,' Metal Blade Records founder Brian Slagel reportedly pushed the idea of Slayer releasing an EP. Slayer were already playing 'Chemical Warfare' at their live shows, so releasing the song as soon as humanly possible was an obvious move. The track unveils an incredible power through pure grit, and is a favorite of old-school Slayer fans. 'Chemical Warfare' and the rest of the 'Haunting the Chapel' EP was later included in the 1987 re-release of 'Show No Mercy.' Listen to 'Chemical Warfare' ? ? 9 'Cult' From: 'Christ Illusion' (2006) ? ? After the strong response to 'God Hates Us All,' Slayer continued their challenge against religion with their 2006 full-length, 'Christ Illusion.' Although the album features two Grammy Award-winning songs, 'Eyes of the Insane' and 'Final Six,' track number nine, 'Cult' is arguably the album's greatest creative achievement. The Kerry King-penned track questions Christianity with vivid and intense lyrics that singer Tom Araya delivers with ultimate conviction. Listen to 'Cult' ? ? 8 'Disciple' From: 'God Hates Us All' (2001) ? ? As somewhat of a return to form for Slayer, the band unleashed 'God Hates Us All' in 2001, with 'Disciple' instantly becoming a fan favorite. The unforgettable yell of 'God hates us all!' gave a new iconic phrase for Slayer fans to scream along with frontman Tom Araya. In an incredibly strange coincidence, the 'God Hates Us All' album was released on Sept. 11, 2001, giving the album an additional dark overtone. Listen to 'Disciple' ? ? 7 'Dead Skin Mask' From: 'Seasons in the Abyss' (1990) ? ? It's utterly ridiculous how Slayer were able to cram so many iconic riffs into one album, but they achieved unparalleled creative success with 'Seasons in the Abyss' and the standout track 'Dead Skin Mask.' The prime cut was inspired by infamous murderer Ed Gein, who wore the skin of his dead victims. Adding a further piece of horror to 'Dead Skin Mask,' a voice of a child can be heard in the outro, crying, “I don't want to play anymore, Mr. Gein,” and “Let me out!” Listen to 'Dead Skin Mask' ? ? 6 'Hell Awaits' From: 'Hell Awaits' (1985) ? ? As the title track to one of metal's most influential releases, 'Hell Awaits' is one of the key Slayer tracks that demonstrates the diabolic atmosphere that the band is able to conjure. Although the track is mostly instrumental, 'Hell Awaits' grabs you with a Satanic grip as is drags you down into the fiery pit. This track can only be described as purely terrifying. Listen to 'Hell Awaits' ? ? 5 'War Ensemble' From: 'Seasons in the Abyss' (1990) ? ? Opening the 'Seasons in the Abyss' album with Slayer's classic take-no-prisoners attitude, 'War Ensemble' is without a doubt one of the strongest beginnings to an album in metal history. Still a staple of their live show decades after the release of 'Seasons in the Abyss,' 'War Ensemble' never fails to incite screams of 'Sport the war! / War support!' while Tom Araya concludes the iconic chorus with, 'The final swing is not a drill / It's how many people I can kill.' Listen to 'War Ensemble' ? ? 4 'South of Heaven' From: 'South of Heaven' (1988) ? ? Honing yet another memorable lick that only Slayer could unleash with such undercurrent, 'South of Heaven' is yet another cut that delves its demonic hooks into your flesh. 'South of Heaven' floats somewhere within the many lakes of fire explored by Slayer, taking the listener to an igneous crypt completely new to metalheads at the time, but all too familiar to the devil's favorite band. Listen to 'South of Heaven' ? ? 3 'Angel of Death' From: 'Reign in Blood' (1986) ? ? Beginning with a scream that embodies the suffering felt within the walls of the Auschwitz concentration camp, 'Angel of Death' is written from the perspective of Nazi doctor Josef Mengele. The doctor has become infamous for the sadistic experimentations he performed upon Auschwitz prisoners, including children. For this, he was gifted with the title, 'Angel of Death.' Slayer explored the monstrous acts carried out by Mengele with lyrics such as “Surgery, with no anesthesia / Feel the knife pierce you intensely.” Listen to 'Angel of Death' ? ? 2 'Seasons in the Abyss' From: 'Seasons in the Abyss' (1990) ? ? As the closing chapter to the album of the same name, 'Seasons in the Abyss' shows what Slayer can achieve musically without constantly driving at full speed. Much like some of their earlier works, Slayer creates a hellish atmosphere with 'Seasons in the Abyss,' with the feel of the track complementing the title perfectly. Don't go to sleep while this song is playing, because you'll surely dream about walking through the realm of purgatory. Listen to 'Seasons in the Abyss' ? ? 1 'Raining Blood' From: 'Reign in Blood' (1986) ? ? Thunder strikes as the sound of menacing rain and electric shrieks of perdition echo across the realm of the eternally damned. As the demonic sound begins to crescendo, Slayer take hold as they unveil one of the most evil riffs in metal history. From the 'Reign in Blood' album, which many considered to be the heaviest record on history at the time, 'Raining Blood' feels like it was handed down by the devil himself. As a band who perfected the concept of atmospherically evil thrash, 'Raining Blood' is certainly one of metal's highest peaks, as well as the most immortal achievement of Slayer. Listen to 'Raining Blood' ? ? What's Your Favorite Slayer Song? It wasn't easy coming up with a list of the 10 Best Slayer Songs, as there are so many tunes to choose from. Which Slayer song is your favorite? Which songs should have made the list? Let your opinion be known in the comments section below: ?
Robert Sebree, Getty Images System of a Down singer and social activist Serj Tankian offers many opinions in a new in-depth interview. Among the topics discussed is the 2012 Presidential Election. In the fascinating interview with American Rock Scene , Tankian went into detail about America’s current political structure. “Here’s the thing, if you want more choices you have to create more choices,” begins Tankian. “We need more parties and that’s been the case for many, many years … We really need a healthy left wing party in this country like the Green Party or — I’m down to start a socialist party because President Obama is not socialist. The republicans are calling him socialist and I’m like, “come on,” the guy made legislation where you have to buy insurance from private entities. That’s not socialism, there’s no public option. Most of his policies are centrist, just to the right of center, sometimes left of center. That’s not socialism, but apparently, America has no idea what socialism is.” Tankian goes on to speak about Republican candidate Mitt Romney. “Mitt Romney’s policies are, well first of all, he’s gone back and forth between so many different policies. First he supported health care in Massachusetts and then he turned a 360 and said, ‘I don’t like it anymore I was wrong. Everything I thought, was wrong, I repudiate.’ He’s just trying to get the right wingers on his side but ultimately they are failed policies of the past. It hasn’t worked for America. It’s left us in debt, it’s left us in wars. And the fact that he actually even said that he doesn’t care about 47 percent of America. I would f—ing toss him off the ticket now. That’s offensive. His answer was that it wasn’t a classy way of explaining it, he didn’t even refute it. He admitted saying those things.” Check out the rest of Serj Tankian’s interview with American Rock Scene here . [button href=”http://loudwire.com/system-of-a-down-toxicity-top-21st-century-metal-songs/” title=”System of a Down – Top 21st Century Metal Songs” align=”center”]
Warner Bros. Records Avenged Sevenfold have kept a fairly low profile this year but they did find some time to contribute a new track for the latest edition in the ‘Call of Duty’ video game series. The new Avenged Sevenfold tune ‘Carry On’ will be featured in ‘Call of Duty: Black Ops II’ due out on Nov. 13. Fans don’t have to wait that long to hear the new song though – listen below. Avenged Sevenfold are no strangers to the ‘Call of Duty’ gaming series, crafting ‘Not Ready to Die’ in 2011 specifically for the game’s ‘Call of the Dead’ expansion pack. While nothing official has been released regarding the writing process for ‘Carry On,’ it sounds like it may have followed the same path, with the game’s story line serving as its inspiration. The speedy rocker starts off with raging guitar riffs courtesy of the dueling prowess of guitarists Synyster Gates and Zacky Vengeance before M. Shadows vocals kick off the epic tune of strength, spirit and power. ‘ Search endlessly, fight ‘til we’re free ,’ Shadows wails out over shredding guitar and pounding drums leading up to a massive guitar solo fit for a royal-as kicking. The vivid imagery that Avenged Sevenfold ceremoniously paint with their music seems to pair perfectly with modern-day video games so it’s no surprise that the ‘Call of Duty’ franchise came calling again. The song certainly provides something for fans to sink their teeth into as the band gets ready to work on a follow-up to 2010′s ‘Nightmare.’ Listen to Avenged Sevenfold’s ‘Carry On’
Spencer Kaufman, Loudwire For those wondering if Green Day had mellowed out in their older years, we present Billie Joe Armstrong ‘s f-bomb filled tirade at the Las Vegas-based iHeartRadio Music Festival. The group played a seven-song set, but the final track ‘Basket Case’ was cut short when Armstrong noticed a clock that was telling them how much time was left in their performance. Apparently, the group had their set cut short so that pop star Usher could have more time, and it didn’t sit well with the singer. In mid-lyric, Armstrong belted to the audience, “I wanna play a new song. F— this s—. Gimme a f—in’ break, one minute left. One minute f—in’ left. You’re gonna give me one minute?! Look at that f—in’ sign right there, one minute! Let me tell you something … I’ve been around since f—in’ 1988 and you’re gonna give me one f—in’ minute?! You’ve gotta be kidding me.” The singer added, “I’m not Justin f—in’ Bieber you mother—–ers! You’ve gotta be f—in’ joking. It’s a f—in’ joke. I’ve got one minute, one minute left, oh now I’ve got nothing left.” He then proceeded to show his anger at the loss of time by smashing his guitar furiously against the stage and flipping off the officials keeping time, before telling the crowd, “God f—ing love you all.” Before the ending, audiences were treated to six and a half quick songs, as Green Day played such favorites as ‘American Idiot,’ ‘Holiday,’ ‘Longview,’ and ‘St. Jimmy’ as well as the new songs ‘It’s F— Time’ and ‘Oh, Love’ before the shortened finale of ‘Basket Case.’ Watch Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong Lash Out at the iHeartRadio Festival [button href=”http://loudwire.com/green-day-jesus-of-suburbia-top-21st-century-hard-rock-songs/” title=”Next: Green Day: Top 21st Century Hard Rock Songs” align=”center”]
Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com In this week’s edition of Loudwire’s Top 20 Countdown, Three Days Grace remain steady at the top spot with their single ‘Chalk Outline’ off of their upcoming album ‘Transit of Venus.’ Halestorm move up one spot to come in at No. 2 with their single ‘I Miss the Misery’ off of their latest album ‘The Strange Case Of…’ P.O.D. drop to third place with their single ‘Lost In Forever,’ while Papa Roach stay put at the No. 4 spot with their track ‘Still Swingin.’ Green Day round out the top five in this week’s list with their latest hit ‘Oh Love’. The Black Keys make their way back on the countdown with their song ‘Little Black Submarines,’ as do Pop Evil with their new tune ‘Purple.’ Check out the Top 20 songs below and be sure to tune in to Loudwire Radio this weekend to blast these tracks at full volume. Loudwire Radio Top 20 Songs of the Week: 20. Staind, ‘Now’ 19. Pop Evil, ‘Purple’ 18. Gaslight Anthem, ‘45’ 17. The Black Keys, ‘Little Black Submarines’ 16. Aranda, ‘Satisfied’ 15. Shinedown, ‘Unity’ 14. 10 Years, ‘Backlash’ 13. Stone Sour’ In This Moment, ‘Blood’ 12. Five Finger Death Punch, ‘Coming Down’ 11. Rise Against, ‘Wait For Me’ 10. Stone Sour ‘‘Absolute Zero’ 09. Adelitas Way, ‘Criticize’ 08. Slash, ‘Standing In The Sun’ 07. Seether, ‘Here and Now’ 06. Linkin Park, ‘Lost In The Echo’ 05. Green Day, ‘Oh Love’ 04. Papa Roach, ‘Still Swingin’ 03. P.O.D, ‘Lost in Forever’ 02. Halestorm, ‘I Miss the Misery’ 01. Three Days Grace, ‘Chalk Outline’ [button href=”http://loudwire.com/loudwire-radio-station-list/” title=”See Which Stations Air Loudwire Radio” align=”center”]
Prosthetic Grace Perry is the earthshaking vocalist of Arizona death metal band Landmine Marathon . As an original member of the band since its 2004 inception, Perry has helped the group deliver four studio albums. The depth of her guttural voice and her ability to project her screams, along with a serpentine twist binding her lyrics, has helped bring Landmine Marathon to underground prosperity. Metal Injection may have put it best when they called Grace Perry ‘The Praying Mantis of Metal.’ Her sheen, yet menacing stage presence is incredibly unique, as she will ungrudgingly jump into the pit and get knocked around alongside the toughest men in the room. Landmine Marathon’s latest release is the 2011 full-length ‘Gallows.’ Perry delivers the most booming and well-rounded performance of her career on the album, and we highly recommend it for death metal fans everywhere. Check out Landmine Marathon’s video for ‘Beaten and Left Blind,’ along with a perfect showcase of Grace Perry’s perplexing stage presence in this live performance of ‘Rise With the Tide.’ [button href=”http://loudwire.com/kat-katz-brutal-female-metal-vocalists” title=”Next Female Vocalist: ‘Trauma Queen'” align=”center”] Landmine Marathon, ‘Beaten and Left Blind’ Landmine Marathon, ‘Rise With the Tide’ (Live)
Tooth & Nail Records The Wedding are gearing up to drop their new disc ‘No Direction’ on Sept. 25, and Loudwire has the exclusive premiere of the album track ‘In the End.’ After undergoing a few lineup changes since their formation in 2008, the band has begun to hit their stride with the addition of former Letter Kills singer Matt Shelton. The frontman’s raw and powerful vocals on ‘In the End’ are exactly what the song needs and the extra urgings of his bandmates midway through the song show just how much fun he’s having behind the mic. Shelton’s vocals provide the perfect marriage for what the rest of the band is laying down on the track. Drummer Matt Jameson’s rapid-fire beats push the song along, while bassist Cody Driggers and guitarists Trevor Sarver and Adam Thron keep the riffs flying at a highly accelerated level. Simply put, ‘In the End’ is a straight-up anthemic rocker. Driggers tells Loudwire, “If you’re not gonna listen to this song loud, don’t listen to it at all. I hit 120mph on my Harley in the desert and thought, ‘I’m gonna write a song that makes me feel like that.’ We like loud, we like fast. Turn it up and put the pedal to the floor.” The Wedding are currently touring in support of the ‘No Direction’ disc, with dates lined up through the end of the month. The album was produced by noted rock producer Jasen Rauch and features a guest appearance by Story of the Year’s Dan Marsala on the track ‘The Lesser Worth.’ Pre-orders for the album are being taken here ahead of the Sept. 25 release date. Listen to the Wedding’s ‘In the End’ [Exclusive Premiere]