Slayer - Hell Awaits CD (Jewel Case, 2012, Metal Blade)

Hell Awaits is the second studio album by American thrash metal legends Slayer, originally released in 1985 and widely regarded as one of the most influential extreme metal albums of all time. This 2012 Metal Blade Records CD edition features a digitally remastered version of the album, delivering enhanced clarity and crushing power while preserving the raw, sinister atmosphere that defined Slayer’s early sound.

Released during the band’s formative years on Metal Blade Records, Hell Awaits pushed thrash metal into darker, faster, and more aggressive territory, laying crucial groundwork for death metal, black metal, and the wider extreme metal movement. With its occult-laden themes, unrelenting speed, and complex song structures, the album marked a major step forward from Slayer’s debut and cemented their reputation as one of the most dangerous bands in metal.

Tracks such as “Hell Awaits,” “Kill Again,” “At Dawn They Sleep,” and “Necrophiliac” showcase the band’s early mastery of atmosphere, brutality, and technical precision. The album’s infamous backward-masked intro and nightmarish lyrical imagery remain iconic, helping to establish Slayer’s unmistakable identity and influence a generation of extreme metal bands.

This remastered edition is part of Metal Blade’s definitive reissue campaign of Slayer’s first four landmark releases, representing the era before the band’s later move to Rick Rubin’s Def Jam label. Decades on, Hell Awaits still stands as a cornerstone of thrash metal history and a mandatory listen for any serious metal fan.

An essential addition to any thrash or extreme metal collection, Hell Awaits captures Slayer at their most primal, sinister, and uncompromising.

Recommended if you like: Testament, Exodus, Megadeth, Overkill, Kreator, Anthrax, Dark Angel, Death Angel, Sepultura, Municipal Waste

Artist: Slayer
Release Title: Hell Awaits
Label: Metal Blade
Cat #: 398415787CD
UPC: 039841578720
Year: 1985 / 2021
Format: CD
Duration: Album
Packaging Type: Jewel Case
Special Attributes: Remastered
Condition: New & Factory Sealed

Track Listing:
1. Hell Awaits
2. Kill Again
3. At Dawn They Sleep
4. Praise Of Death
5. Necrophiliac
6. Crypts Of Eternity
7. Hardening Of The Arteries