Slayer’s iconic second studio album, Hell Awaits, is set to receive a 40th anniversary edition reissue via Metal Blade Records next Spring.
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 Slayer‘s 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.
“It’s the record where Slayer became Slayer.” That’s what Kerry King says about Hell Awaits. And he knows of what he speaks. As the band’s guitarist, co-songwriter, and co-lyricist, he was in the trenches with vocalist/bassist Tom Araya, guitarist Jeff Hanneman (R.I.P.), and drummer Dave Lombardo, creating what has become one of heavy metal’s greatest albums.
A significant departure from Slayer’s 1983 debut, Show No Mercy, and every Slayer album that came after it, Hell Awaits is both an outlier and a solidification of form. Show No Mercy was the mission statement, but Hell Awaits is a more developed and intricate execution of Slayer’s speed, chops, and aggression.
Released in April of 1985 by Metal Blade Records, Hell Awaits was the pinnacle of an action-packed thrash year that saw debut albums from the likes of Megadeth, Exodus, Kreator, Possessed, Destruction, Hirax, and Overkill. Heavily influenced by Mercyful Fate, the longer, more progressive arrangements on Hell Awaits marked a new era for Slayer.
Whereas most of the songs on Show No Mercy were less than four minutes long, three of Hell Awaits’ seven tracks go beyond the six-minute mark. “Jeff 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 says. “That’s why there are so few songs and most of ‘em are pretty long. That’s the only time anything like that ever happened with us.”
Tom Araya’s performance is similarly impressive. The vocalist spat lyrics a mile a minute on the likes of “Kill Again” and “Praise Of Death.” “I don’t recall the songs being hard to sing,” he says. “Singing fast and clearly has always been something that I strived for.”
The reissue arrives May 15th, 2026, in three physical formats and digitally. Preorders are available now at this location.
Vinyl Box Set:
- 3 LPs total: 7-track Hell Awaits + 18-track live bonus audio (Live From Bochum 1985):
- 60-page book (12” size)
- Hell Awaits album (in gatefold sleeve, 1xLP) mastered and restored from original 1985 production tapes by Patrick W. Engel at Temple Of Disharmony in February 2025. Vinyl color = Fire Splatter
- Live From Bochum 1985 (in gatefold sleeve, 2xLP) – 18 live tracks never before released physically or digitally
- Replica ticket from the Bochum show
- Replica Hell Awaits tour laminate
- Hell Awaits tour poster (German dates)
- Slipmat
- Band posters
- Replica merch flyer
- Replica Satanic Wehrmacht newsletter
- 2 flyers
“Blood” Filled Liquid Vinyl (Slayer store exclusive – Ltd. 666 worldwide):
- 7-track Hell Awaits album mastered and restored from original 1985 production tapes by Patrick W. Engel at Temple Of Disharmony in February 2025
- -“Blood” filled liquid vinyl – gatefold
CD Earbook:
- Earbook includes 3xCDs – 7-track Hell Awaits CD + 18-track live bonus audio (Live From Bochum 1985):
- Hell Awaits album (1xCD) mastered and restored from original 1985 production tapes by Patrick W. Engel at Temple Of Disharmony in February 2025
- Live From Bochum 1985 (2x CD) 18 live tracks never before released physically or digitally
- 60-page 11” book
- Poster
