LABEL: Metal Blade
VINYL RELEASE DATE: 2021
ORIGINAL RELEASE DATE: 1983
VARIANT: Black Vinyl LP

In 1983, a quartet of Cali kids obsessed with Venom, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and Mercyful Fate pooled their money Tom Arayas savings from working as a respiratory therapist, and cash borrowed from Kerry King’s father to self-finance their debut album. Little did they know that they would be making history. With its satanic cover art and blasphemous live staples like The Antichrist, Show No Mercy is a proto-black-metal classic that launched the darkest, most evil-sounding thrash band of all time.

Formed in 1981, Slayer assaulted the world with a new hybrid of metal and punk heavier, faster and darker than the rest and set a new standard, defining not only a genre, but an attitude. Throughout Slayers history, the band never faltered in unleashing their extreme and focused aural assault, and repudiating temptations, Slayer always chose to remain crushing and brutal, steadfastly refusing to cater to the mainstream.

Show No Mercy is the debut studio album by these American thrash metal masters.