Angel of Death

[JayKeeley]

It is THE quintessential metal song, is it not? And if not, doesn't it at least deserve a place in the top 5 metal songs of all time?

For the classic mid-song tempo breakdown itself, the track becomes an instant masterpiece...right here:

Pumped with fluid, inside your brain
Pressure in your skull begins pushing through your eyes
Burning flesh, drips away
Test of heat burns your skin, your mind starts to boil
Frigid cold, cracks your limbs
How long can you last
In this frozen water burial?
Sewn together, joining heads
Just a matter of time
'Til you rip yourselves apart
Millions laid out in their
Crowded tombs
Sickening ways to achieve
The holocaust
Seas of blood, bury life
Smell your death as it burns
Deep inside of you
Abacinate, eyes that bleed
Praying for the end of
Your wide awake nightmare
Wings of pain, reach out for you
His face of death staring down,
Your blood running cold
Injecting cells, dying eyes
Feeding on the screams of
The mutants he's creating
Pathetic harmless victims
Left to die
Rancid Angel of Death
Flying free

*cue solos*

That whole section is brutal, technical, innovative, and EMOTIONAL!! Seriously, that whole section and the rhythm structure behind it (including the way Tom Araya delivers the vocals / lyrics) is quite hypnotic.

Am I wrong?

 

[speed]

Its the song that made me a metal fan. Before i had a passing interest, I was a rather catholic listener of music, but I always wanted to hear the heavy stuff. so, I heard slayer sort of invented heaviness and Reign in Blood was the album to get. From the time I first heard Angel of Death, I was in shock, I had never heard anything like that before.

 

[General Zod]

Never cared much for Slayer, and I especially dislike that song.

If I had to pick the "quintessential metal song" it would have to go to "For Whom the Bell Tolls". I know that picking a Metallica song, over a Slayer song, in 2004 is Metal blasphemy (although, that's an oxymoron), but I'm sticking to my guns.

Zod

 

[J.]

I like the song, but I don't even think it's SLayer's best song, much less the best metal song. I think it usually gets the nod mostly for nostalgia's sake.

Don't know what the metal song is.

 

[MajestikMøøse]

The metal song is "Det Som En Gang Var" you fools.




actually to be truthful, I have no idea what the metal song is, but Det Som En Gang Var gets my vote. It doesn't have anything to do with evil, death, destruction or taking over the world or anything (if you can understand the lyrics or have seen a translation) but its still the greatest song ever.

 

[neal]

angel of death definitely has some of their best riffage, and that nice heavy middle section, but the solos at the end are just boring, mindless shredding. remember when their solos had melody on the first album? yeh that was better.


and yeh you could say det som en gang var is the song for that genre.

 

[NAD]

THE metal song? Holy Wars... The Punishment Due.

But there is no denying Angel of Death and Raining Blood as defining moments in the history of metal.

PS:

 

[NAD]

Oh yeah, best Slayer song is Sex. Murder. Art.

 

[lurch70]

I first heard Angel of Death on some local station here in NY sometime before Reign in Blood was released and my jaw literally dropped when I heard it. Like JK said ... the breakdown in the middle is amazing.

Over the years though, I realized that Raining Blood has a much more adrenaline flowing structure though.

Jeff Hanneman even said in a recent interview, that it is the only song in their live set that still literally gives him goosebumps when they play it.

The start of that song as it builds is pure magic.

Did you guys see SOD play it on the SOD DVD? ... somewhere in Germany at some open air festival. The crowd when completely apeshit.

 

[JayKeeley]

Well, lucky that I caught this thread a few posts in because I never said it was THE metal song. Thanks for re-routing. I said it was the "QUINTESSENTIAL" metal song, meaning "the most typical example or representative".

This does NOT mean the best song in the world omgmypantiesfelloffwithcrustyskidmarksbecauseiforgottowipe.

Yeah, Slayer may have better songs -- just like Metallica may have better songs than "For Whom the Bell Tolls", but I probably wouldn't argue with Zod -- and there is no way in the world to say that one song is the best in the world, that is just impossible.

BUT,

As metal goes, Slayer represent multiple genres. Slayer probably are well appreciated from *most* metal fans, from ALL walks of life, whether it be prog through to sludge. They're NOT the most popular, but there are probably less metal fans that argue over the impact of Slayer than say Judas Priest.

So let's try again, QUINTESSENTIAL metal songs:

Angel of Death
For Whom the Bell Tolls
Hallowed be thy Name
Peace Sells....but Who's Buying
War Pigs

etc.

See, I'm saying if not #1, then top 5. You geddit now!

 

[JayKeeley]

angel of death definitely has some of their best riffage, and that nice heavy middle section, but the solos at the end are just boring,

To me, it sounds like people dying in the showers at the gas camps. Especially the last "waaah" crying sound that fades in and out in the last solo - I think Kerry King (or was it JH?) might have used a volume pedal for that, or just flicked off and on the volume knob on the guitar itself.

 

[lurch70]

To me, it sounds like people dying in the showers at the gas camps.

yeah ... good night everyone

 

[JayKeeley]

Sleep tight.

 

[NAD]

Don't let the lampshades bite.

 

[JayKeeley]

Ouch!

 

[NAD]

Yeah I really shouldn't have said that...

Oh well. :Spin:

 

[MajestikMøøse]

and yeh you could say det som en gang var is the song for that genre.

heh, yeah. but I like to say lots of stuff merely for controversy and meaningless debate

 

[lurch70]

you leave my lampshades out of this ...

 

[JayKeeley]

THE metal song? Holy Wars... The Punishment Due.

Would you say this song best represents Megadeth out of interest?

 

[NAD]

No, something off of Peace Sells represents the true Megadeth sound. Probably Devil's Island, or maybe Good Mourning / Black Friday. Anything that is really fast and has those shout along background vocals.