{{Infobox album | name = Hell Awaits | type = studio | artist = [[Slayer]] | cover = SlayerHellAwaits.jpg | alt = | released = {{Start date|1985|04|08}}<ref>{{cite magazine | title = FMBQ - March 29, 1985 | magazine = FMBQ | url = https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/FMQB-Album/1985/FMQB-1985-03-29.pdf | access-date = March 24, 2024}}</ref> | recorded = | studio = [[Eldorado Recording Studios|Eldorado Recording]] ([[Los Angeles]])<ref name="Kerry King letter Slipped Disc Records">{{cite web | title = Kerry King letter Slipped Disc Records | publisher = Slipped Disc Records | url = http://www.slippeddiscrecords.com/KerryKingLetter.htm | access-date = May 5, 2013}}</ref> | genre = [[Thrash metal]] | length = 37:11 | label = [[Metal Blade Records|Metal Blade]] | producer = {{Plainlist| * Slayer * [[Brian Slagel]] }} | prev_title = [[Live Undead]] | prev_year = 1984 | next_title = [[Reign in Blood]] | next_year = 1986 }}
'''''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".<ref name="Slayer - Tom Araya - January 2007">{{cite web | title = Slayer – Tom Araya – January 2007 | author = Gargano, Paul | publisher = Maximum Ink Music Magazine | url = http://www.maximumink.com/articles.php?articleId=1084 | access-date = January 24, 2007 | archive-date = September 27, 2007 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070927014329/http://www.maximumink.com/articles.php?articleId=1084 | url-status = dead }}</ref> 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.<ref name="Metal Hammer">{{cite web | title = Kerry King interviewed by Metal Hammer | date = June 15, 2010 | publisher = YouTube | url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiLGIw2KXm0&list=FLOb0w15YR6aG-n_TxKIZg9Q&index=88&feature=plpp_video | access-date = February 6, 2012}}</ref> 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]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Schafer |first=Joseph |title=Slayer's 'Reign in Blood' Turns 30 |url=https://www.invisibleoranges.com/slayers-reign-in-blood-turns-30/ |access-date = March 26, 2025 |website=Invisible Oranges - The Metal Blog |language=en-US}}</ref>
''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]].
==Recording== Slayer's previous album, ''[[Show No Mercy]]'', became [[Metal Blade Records]]' highest selling release, selling 40,000 copies worldwide; the success led producer Brian Slagel to want to record another album with them.<ref name="INTERVIEW WITH BRIAN SLAGEL">{{cite web | title = Interview with Brian Slagel | author = German, Eric | publisher = Metalupdate.com | url = http://www.metalupdate.com/interviewmetalblade.html | access-date = December 4, 2006}}</ref> Slagel hired producer [[Ron Fair]], who worked for [[Chrysalis Records]], and had seen the band perform live and enjoyed their performance. On seeing Slayer in the studio, Fair stated, "Wow, these guys are really angry," as he was inexperienced working with heavy metal musicians.<ref name="An exclusive oral history of Slayer"/> Slagel financed the album, in stark contrast to ''Show No Mercy'', which was financed by singer [[Tom Araya]], who used his earnings as a [[respiratory therapist]], and a loan from guitarist [[Kerry King]]'s father.<ref name="An exclusive oral history of Slayer"/> {{Listen |filename=Hell Awaits clip.ogg |title="Hell Awaits" (1985) |description=30 second sample from the intro of "Hell Awaits", with the backwards demonic voice. |format=[[Ogg]]}}
The budget organized by Slagel allowed for professional assistance. Bernie Grundman provided [[audio mastering]], Eddy Schreyer worked on [[remaster]]ing, and Bill Metoyer, who worked on the band's earlier release ''[[Haunting the Chapel]]'', acted as [[sound engineer]].<ref name="Hell Awaits credits">{{cite web |title=Hell Awaits credits |website=[[AllMusic]] |url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=hell-awaits-mw0000097943|tab=credits|pure_url=yes}} |access-date=April 4, 2007}}</ref> The recording featured audio effects such as the intro to "Hell Awaits", a reversed recording of a demonic-sounding voice repeating "Join us", ending with "Welcome back".<ref name="Why They Rule - #6 Slayer">{{cite web|title=Why They Rule – #6 Slayer |publisher=[[MTV]] |url=http://www.mtv.com/bands/m/metal/greatest_metal_bands/071406/index7.jhtml |access-date=January 18, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060718224746/http://www.mtv.com/bands/m/metal/greatest_metal_bands/071406/index7.jhtml |archive-date=July 18, 2006 }}</ref> Still, Araya later stated the album had poor production quality: "Nowadays, production-wise, it's so under par. But for what it was at the time, those are amazing records to me. I guess we could go in and redo it. But why ruin it?"<ref name="Slay Ride">{{cite web|title=Slay Ride|author=La Briola, John|publisher=Westword.com|date=July 22, 2004|url=http://www.westword.com/2004-07-22/music/slay-ride/|access-date=April 4, 2007|archive-date=June 10, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130610175233/http://www.westword.com/2004-07-22/music/slay-ride/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Drummer [[Dave Lombardo]], on the other hand, asserts the album was professionally done compared to ''Show No Mercy'': "I didn't have to overdub the [[cymbal]]s, and we had a really good engineer."<ref name="An exclusive oral history of Slayer"/> Lombardo's favorite song is "At Dawn They Sleep", "because it was kind of slow and grungy, but then it had that [[double bass drum|double-bass]] part at the end."<ref name="An exclusive oral history of Slayer"/> While recording the track, neither guitarists King, nor [[Jeff Hanneman]] who wrote the lyrics, were in the studio—only Araya and Slagel. On reading the lyrics, which featured a misspelled word, Araya sang it as it was spelled, although it is not a real word.<ref name="An exclusive oral history of Slayer"/> The song "Hardening of the Arteries" on the album ends with a very similar section that makes up the beginning of the song "Hell Awaits" and is also one of the only Slayer songs to fade out on a continuous riff.
The album's cover art was done by Albert Cuellar. Araya told [[The Quietus]] that the art was put together "overnight", with the scene of "skeletal demon beasts" fighting in [[hell]] directly resembling a scene of a 1977 issue of the comic ''[[Heavy Metal (magazine)|Heavy Metal]]''. It went unnoticed until 2011 when a blog post uploaded [[PDF]]s of the story "Approaching Centauri" drawn by [[Jean Giraud]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chantler |first=Chris |date=2016-06-06 |title=The stories behind every Slayer album cover |url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-stories-behind-every-slayer-album-cover |access-date=2025-02-22 |website=[[Metal Hammer]] |language=en}}</ref>
==Touring== To promote ''Hell Awaits'', Slayer embarked on the Combat Tour with [[Venom (band)|Venom]] and [[Exodus (band)|Exodus]]. Exodus guitarist [[Gary Holt (musician)|Gary Holt]] commented, "We immediately bonded with the Slayer guys. It was two bands of friends playing with one band of heroes, you know? We were just star-struck."<ref name="An exclusive oral history of Slayer"/>
Inside Venom's tour bus (the first time Slayer had been in one) the band members got [[drunk]] with Venom, while listening to ''Hell Awaits''.<ref name="An exclusive oral history of Slayer">{{cite web|title=An exclusive oral history of Slayer|publisher=Decibel Magazine|url=http://www.decibelmagazine.com/features_detail.aspx?id=4566|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060813155123/http://www.decibelmagazine.com/features_detail.aspx?id=4566|archive-date=August 13, 2006|access-date=December 3, 2006}}</ref> Araya entered the bus "hammered out of his mind", according to Lombardo, saying "I gotta take a piss! Where's the bathroom in this thing?"<ref name="An exclusive oral history of Slayer"/> Venom singer [[Conrad Lant|Conrad "Cronos" Lant]] responded, saying "Right here—right here in my mouth!" Araya took it almost literally and urinated on his hair. Cronos got up and punched him in the face, the two blamed each other all night, and Araya continued the tour with a [[black eye]].<ref name="An exclusive oral history of Slayer"/> Araya will not discuss the incident other than saying that he was drunk and it was a very disrespectful thing to do.<ref name="A Folk Devil Talking: Slayer's Tom Araya Interviewed">{{cite magazine|title=A Folk Devil Talking: Slayer's Tom Araya Interviewed|magazine=The Quietus|url=http://thequietus.com/articles/07993-slayer-tom-araya-interview|access-date=June 12, 2012}}</ref>
==Reception== {{Music ratings | rev1 = [[AllMusic]] | rev1score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="Hell Awaits"/> | rev2 = ''[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide]]'' | rev2score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite book | last = Brackett | first = Nathan |author2=Hoard, Christian | title = The Rolling Stone Album Guide | publisher = Simon and Schuster | year = 2004 | location = New York City, New York | pages = 741–742 | isbn = 0-7432-0169-8 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=t9eocwUfoSoC&q=rolling+stone+slayer+album+guide&pg=PA741}}</ref> | rev3 = ''[[Rock Hard (magazine)|Rock Hard]]'' | rev3score = 9/10<ref>{{cite web |last=Kühnemund |first=Götz |title=Rock Hard |url=http://www.rockhard.de/megazine/reviewarchiv/review-anzeigen.html?tx_rxsearch_pi1%5Breview%5D=7633 |work=Issue 11 |access-date=May 20, 2013}}</ref> }} Although it did not enter any charts, ''Hell Awaits'' was hailed upon its release as Slayer's most progressive recording, featuring a much darker thrash-oriented style, with unusual arrangements such as varying tempos, and dissonant nuances that "paved the way to a wholly distinctive sound all their own", according to [[AllMusic]] reviewer Eduardo Rivadavia.<ref name="Hell Awaits"/> Rivadavia awarded the album four out of five stars, saying that it was "incredibly ahead of its time" and referred to it as "a mandatory item in the band's remarkable discography". It has sold over 1,000,000 records worldwide according to Brian Slagel.<ref name="Hell Awaits">{{cite web |title=Hell Awaits |author=Rivadavia, Eduardo |work=[[AllMusic]] |publisher=[[Macrovision]] |url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=hell-awaits-mw0000097943|pure_url=yes}} |access-date=March 25, 2007}}</ref>
In the book ''Legends of Rock Guitar'', ''Hell Awaits'' was defined as "a [[Psychosis|psychotic]] exploration into the depths of [[Satanism]] and physical torture".<ref name="Lengends of Rock Guitar">{{cite book|last=Prown|first=Pete|author-link=Pete Prown|author2=Newquist, HP|title=Legends of Rock Guitar|publisher=[[Hal Leonard Corporation|Hal Leonard]]|year=1997|pages=228–229|chapter=Thrash: The Dark Side of the Force|isbn=0-7935-4042-9}}</ref> The book, a chronology of the great guitarists of [[Rock music|rock]] which includes both [[Kerry King]] and [[Jeff Hanneman]], observed the band's evolution in comparison with their previous album, ''[[Show No Mercy (Slayer album)|Show No Mercy]]'', saying, "The musicianship is improved, as is lead singer [[Tom Araya]]'s voice, making the band sound less like hacks and more like metal fiends. The sludgy riffs, which were pure [Black] [[Black Sabbath|Sabbath]], are offset by some of King's and Hanneman's faster solos, giving Slayer entrée into the [[speed metal]] realm."<ref name="Lengends of Rock Guitar"/>
==Influence== Musicians such as singer [[Phil Anselmo]] and drummer [[Gene Hoglan]] cite ''Hell Awaits'' as an influence.<ref name="DX Ferris"/> Anselmo—known for his work with [[Pantera]], [[Down (band)|Down]], and [[Superjoint Ritual]]—explained in an interview with D. X. Ferris, author of the book about the album ''Reign in Blood'', that "''Hell Awaits'' just holds the entire thing. Every bit of everything to do with heavy music. [Slayer] are gods, the best band from California, for sure."<ref name="DX Ferris">{{cite book|last=Ferris|first=D. X.|title=Reign in Blood|publisher=Continuum International Publishing Group|year=2008|page=12|isbn=978-0-8264-2909-4}}</ref> Norwegian musician Frode Sivertsen (also known as "E. N. Death"), former member of the [[black metal]] band [[Gehenna (band)|Gehenna]], says the song "Hell Awaits" and Slayer's music in general has influenced him as a musician, ranking the album in his top five.<ref name="The Deviant">{{cite web|title=Interview with The Deviant |author=Anders |publisher=Nocturnal Horde |date=March 8, 2006 |url=http://www.nocturnalhorde.com/interview141.html |access-date=April 4, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927043739/http://www.nocturnalhorde.com/interview141.html |archive-date=September 27, 2007 }}</ref> [[Dimebag Darrell]] of Pantera and [[Damageplan]] picked "At Dawn They Sleep" among his 12 Favorite Tunes in the March 1993 issue of ''[[Guitar World]]'', stating that Slayer taught him "how to play with guts and aggression".<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Prime Cuts: Dimebag Darrell Chooses His 12 Favorite Tunes in 1993 Guitar World Feature |author=Jeff Kitts |magazine=[[Guitar World]]|publication-date=March 1993 |date=November 14, 2013|url=http://www.guitarworld.com/prime-cuts-dimebag-darrell-chooses-his-12-favorite-tunes-1993-guitar-world-feature?page=0,9 |access-date=October 2, 2018}}</ref>
[[Trey Azagthoth]], guitar player and main composer of [[death metal]] legends [[Morbid Angel]], said that when ''Hell Awaits'' "came out I was very much into". That record "gave me a lot of inspiration."<ref name="sdom1">{{cite magazine|last=Stix|first=John|title=Trey Azagthoth: Morbid Angel|journal=[[Guitar for the Practicing Musician]]|volume=5|issue=Speed Demons of Metal|location=Port Chester, NY|date=1993|issn=1061-4400|page=30}}</ref> He gets into further detail:
{{Blockquote|quote=When the ''Hell Awaits'' album came out it was something that everyone was looking forward to and it came out and gave everybody what they wanted. It gave me what I wanted. It was furious, exciting, and it was still new. It was memorable. I think it was a milestone; almost but not quite a good foundational album for death metal.<ref name="sdom2">{{cite magazine|last=Stix|first=John|title=Trey Azagthoth: Morbid Angel|journal=[[Guitar for the Practicing Musician]]|volume=5|issue=Speed Demons of Metal|location=Port Chester, NY|date=1993|issn=1061-4400|page=31}}</ref>}}
Defined as "influential to future extreme metal acts",<ref name="Hell Awaits"/> the most popular songs from ''Hell Awaits'' were re-recorded by various underground metal bands,<ref name="Post Mortem">{{cite web |url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=post-mortem-the-tribute-to-slayer-mw0000660611|pure_url=yes}} |title=Post Mortem: The Tribute to Slayer – Review |last=Birchmeier |first=Jason |work=AllMusic |publisher=Macrovision |access-date=June 7, 2009}}</ref> and have appeared in several [[tribute album]]s, such as ''Slatanic Slaughter II'' and ''Gateway to Hell 1 & 2''. The song "Hell Awaits" has been covered by [[Cradle of Filth]], [[Incantation (American band)|Incantation]], [[Earth Crisis]], and [[Mr. Bungle|Mr Bungle]], "Kill Again" by [[Angelcorpse]], "Praise of Death" by [[Sinister (band)|Sinister]], "At Dawn They Sleep" by [[Six Feet Under (band)|Six Feet Under]], and "Necrophiliac" by [[Sadistic Intent]], [[Sinister (band)|Sinister]], [[Benediction (band)|Benediction]] and [[Fleshcrawl]].<ref>{{cite web|url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=slatanic-slaughter-vol-2-mw0000772928|pure_url=yes}}|title=Slatanic Slaughter, Vol. 2|work=AllMusic|publisher=Macrovision|access-date=June 7, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=gateway-to-hell-vol-2-a-tribute-to-slayer-mw0000085810|pure_url=yes}}|title=Gateway to Hell, Vol. 2: A Tribute to Slayer|work=AllMusic|publisher=Macrovision|access-date=June 7, 2009}}</ref>
==Track listing== {{Track listing | headline = Side one | title1 = Hell Awaits | lyrics1 = [[Kerry King]] | music1 = {{hlist|[[Jeff Hanneman]]|King}} | length1 = 6:16 | title2 = Kill Again | lyrics2 = King | music2 = {{hlist|Hanneman|King}} | length2 = 4:56 | title3 = At Dawn They Sleep | lyrics3 = {{hlist|[[Tom Araya]]|Hanneman|King}} | music3 = Hanneman | length3 = 6:17 }} {{track listing | headline = Side two | title4 = Praise of Death | lyrics4 = Hanneman | music4 = King | length4 = 5:21 | title5 = Necrophiliac | lyrics5 = {{hlist|Hanneman|King}} | music5 = Hanneman | length5 = 3:46 | title6 = Crypts of Eternity | lyrics6 = {{hlist|Araya|Hanneman|King}} | music6 = {{hlist|Hanneman|King}} | length6 = 6:40 | title7 = Hardening of the Arteries | lyrics7 = Hanneman | music7 = Hanneman | length7 = 3:55 | total_length = 37:11 }}
{{Track listing | headline = Bonus tracks{{ref label|album number|†|}} | title8 = Haunting the Chapel | writer8 = {{hlist|Hanneman|King}} | length8 = 4:00 | title9 = Captor of Sin | writer9 = {{hlist|Hanneman|King}} | length9 = 3:31 | total_length = 44:42 }}
<small>{{note|album number}}† The Metal Classics version features two additional songs taken from ''[[Haunting the Chapel]]''. The version of ''[[Show No Mercy (Slayer album)|Show No Mercy]]'' from the same series (CD ZORRO 7) includes the remaining two tracks from the EP.</small>
==Personnel== ;Slayer * [[Tom Araya]] – bass, vocals * [[Kerry King]] – guitars * [[Jeff Hanneman]] – guitars * [[Dave Lombardo]] – drums
;Production *[[Brian Slagel]] – production *Slayer – production *Carolyn Collins – assistant engineering *[[Ron Fair]] – engineering *[[Bernie Grundman]] – mastering *Albert Cuellar – artwork *Brian James – layout design *[[Bill Metoyer]] – engineering *Lowell Katz – photography
==Charts== {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |+ Chart performance for ''Hell Awaits'' ! scope="col"| Chart (2021–2026) ! scope="col"| Peak<br />position |- {{album chart|Austria|36|artist=Slayer|album=Hell Awaits|rowheader=true|access-date=May 24, 2026}} |- {{album chart|Flanders|62|artist=Slayer|album=Hell Awaits|rowheader=true|access-date=May 24, 2026}} |- {{album chart|Wallonia|137|artist=Slayer|album=Hell Awaits|rowheader=true|access-date=May 24, 2026}} |- {{album chart|Germany|8|id=39572|artist=Slayer|album=Hell Awaits|rowheader=true|access-date=May 24, 2026}} |- ! scope="row"| German Rock & Metal Albums ([[Offizielle Top 100]])<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts/metal/for-date-1779443841000|title=Offizielle Deutsche Charts Top 20 Rock/Metal-Charts – 22 Mai 2026|publisher=[[GfK Entertainment charts]]|access-date=May 26, 2026|language=de}}</ref> | 2 |- {{album chart|Switzerland|31|artist=Slayer|album=Hell Awaits|rowheader=true|access-date=May 25, 2026}} |- ! scope="row"| Scottish Albums ([[Scottish Singles and Albums Charts]])<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/scottish-albums-chart/20260522/40/ |title=Official Scottish Albums Chart on 22/5/2026 |access-date=2026-05-31}}</ref> | 65 |- ! scope="row"| Swedish Physical Albums ([[Sverigetopplistan]])<ref>https://sverigetopplistan.se/chart/234/?dspy=2026&dspp=21</ref> | 5 |- {{album chart|UKRock|24|date=20211112|rowheader=true|access-date=November 8, 2023}} |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Slayer}}
{{Good article}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:1985 albums]] [[Category:Slayer albums]] [[Category:Metal Blade Records albums]]