Albums of a Lifetime: Slayer “Reign in Blood”

It’s very rare that one finds “perfection” in anything; let alone “art.” And yet, there are those few beautiful moments when, for whatever cosmic reason, art and perfection meet and meld into one crystalline disaster of intent and execution. Slayer’s epic Reign in Blood is easily one of those moments. At the time of its release there was nothing as potent out there; nothing combined the elements of speed and heaviness the way Reign in Blood did. Now, in the greater scope of things, it’s difficult to imagine something with as garish a title as Reign in Blood could even be labeled as “perfection” (or “art” for that matter) but within the world of extreme music Reign in Blood stands alone. The best example I think I can give is the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. While that album revolutionized the genres of Rock, Pop and anything else you want to think of (as well as really setting the high mark for recording innovation) Reign in Blood did the same thing for Metal. Rick Rubin’s masterful hand was as knowing and sagacious as George Martin’s. And, yes; I am putting Slayer’s Reign in Blood in the same category as Sgt. Pepper…

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by: Steven DiLodovico   [Philadelphia Indie Music Examiner]