The most important illustrated biography of Slayer is a page-turner. It's like watching a historical documentary! It's difficult to explain the phenomenon of the thrash band Slayer to those who didn't listen to them in the '80s and '90s. Perhaps it's because Slayer fans form a kind of cult; however, it seems that each of us has an enthusiast and expert on Slayer's work among our friends. The band is considered one of the greatest in the heavy metal genre alongside iconic names like Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, and Metallica. This book describes the entire creative journey of the band. The author references sources, meticulously examines and analyzes each album, tour, side project, and cultural context in which these albums were created, recorded, and brought to life. D.S. Ferris started writing the book before Jeff Hanneman passed away in May 2013. The author conducted hour-long interviews with Slayer musicians and numerous sources. It all begins with childhood in California, garage rehearsals, tours in a Chevrolet Camaro, and then we find ourselves in the burgeoning metal scene of the San Francisco Bay Area in the early '80s. Ferris thoroughly investigates the period when garage and club bands gradually began to fill arenas and stadiums, and Slayer were probably the best representatives of the thrash metal genre. In 1986-1987, heavy metal reached its commercial peak. Slayer, Metallica, Testament, Exodus, and Anthrax released landmark albums for the genre and seized their opportunity. In 1986, Slayer unleashed the album Reign in Blood upon an unsuspecting world, a lightning-fast onslaught of thrash that lasted only 28 minutes. It easily fit on one side of a cassette and could be played twice. Reign in Blood is considered a cult record and a benchmark of the genre. The songs became shorter, the lyrics more serious, and the musicianship reached an incredible level (it's interesting to note that Rick Rubin produced Reign in Blood in the same year as the classic Beastie Boys album License to Ill — this speaks volumes about how much music changed in 1986). After Reign in Blood, the band released the second album of the cult trilogy (recorded by the original lineup) — South Of Heaven (1988) and Season in the Abyss (1990). Despite the fact that Slayer released several more albums afterward, the band never managed to reach the level of their three classic works again. It can be said that in the mid-'90s, with the emergence of grunge, nu-metal, and electronic music, thrash metal and Slayer slumped and slowed down significantly. Years of exhausting touring and constant drummer changes wore down the iron titans. The book contains many interesting facts. For instance, in the late '90s, Jeff Hanneman suffered from arthritis, and Kerry King was doing an 'internship' at Megadeth early in his career, learning from Dave Mustaine. And Dave Lombardo was taught to play drums by the now-renowned John Hoglan, nicknamed 'Atomic Clock.' The book is of interest not only to fans of the band and the genre but also to anyone interested in music in general. The author details the reasons for Dave Lombardo's departure and, most importantly, sheds light on the premature breakup of Slayer. Considering that the band has already concluded its musical activity, the book will serve as an excellent historical reference and guide to the world of the legendary Slayer.
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