Slayer are rolling out 40th anniversary reissues of their seminal album Hell Awaits.
A box set, 2-LP blood-filled vinyl pressing, and CD will ship May 15th via Metal Blade Records, which released the original album in the US back in April 1985. A digital version will also be available.
“It’s the record where Slayer became Slayer,” stated guitarist Kerry King in a press release.
The most eye-catching of the physical editions is the blood-filled pressing. Limited to 666 copies, this 2-LP edition features audio mastered and restored from original 1985 production tapes by Patrick W. Engel at Temple of Disharmony in February 2025. While it’s sure to be a future collectible for its limited run, a copy will set you back a whopping $189.
The box set is actually cheaper at $124.99 and includes a single-LP Fire Splatter colored pressing of Hell Awaits using Engel’s restored master, along with the 2-LP previously unreleased “Live from Bochum 1985” recording — an 18-song live set. The box also houses a 60-page LP-size book and myriad ephemera: a replica ticket from the Bochum show; replica “Hell Awaits Tour” laminate; “Hell Awaits Tour” poster (German dates); slipmat; posters; replica merch flyer; replica Satanic Wehrmacht newsletter; and two flyers.
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Those who just want the audio at a cheaper price can opt for the CD Earbook edition at $84.99. This includes all the audio from the vinyl box set, plus a 60-page 11-inch book and poster.
Released among the thrash metal boom of the mid-’80s as Slayer’s sophomore full-length (following the Haunting the Chapel EP in 1984), Hell Awaits stands out in the band’s discography for its lengthy songs and winding arrangements. Most tracks on the debut Show No Mercy ran less than four minutes, whereas three of Hell Awaits’ seven tracks reach beyond the six-minute mark. The album’s sinister atmosphere is considered influential to black metal and occult/Satanic extreme metal in general.
“Jeff [Hanneman] and I were still trying to figure out who we were as musicians, and we were both infatuated with Mercyful Fate’s Melissa album during the writing process for Hell Awaits,” King said. “That’s why there’s so few songs and most of ‘em are pretty long. That’s the only time anything like that ever happened with us.”
Pre-orders for the blood-filled vinyl edition are ongoing via Slayer’s website. You can pre-order the box set editions via Metal Blade Records’ merch store.
Check out the digital/CD tracklist below.
Hell Awaits 40th Anniversary Edition Tracklist:
01. Hell Awaits
02. Kill Again
03. At Dawn They Sleep
04. Praise Of Death
05. Necrophiliac
06. Crypts Of Eternity
07. Hardening Of The Arteries
08. Hell Awaits (Live From Bochum 1985)
09. Aggressive Perfector (Live From Bochum 1985)
10. Captor Of Sin (Live From Bochum 1985)
11. The Final Command (Live From Bochum 1985)
12. Kill Again (Live From Bochum 1985)
13. Crypts Of Eternity (Live From Bochum 1985)
14. Fight Till Death (Live From Bochum 1985)
15. Necrophiliac (Live From Bochum 1985)
16. Haunting The Chapel (Live From Bochum 1985)
17. Hardening Of The Arteries (Live From Bochum 1985)
18. Black Magic (Live From Bochum 1985)
19. Die By The Sword (Live From Bochum 1985)
20. The Antichrist (Live From Bochum 1985)
21. At Dawn They Sleep (Live From Bochum 1985)
22. Show No Mercy (Live From Bochum 1985)
23. Evil Has No Boundaries (Live From Bochum 1985)
24. Chemical Warfare (Live From Bochum 1985)
25. Praise Of Death (Live From Bochum 1985)
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