Slayer
Haunting The Chapel
[Metal Blade]
To call this a classic would be an understatement. Ok, it's not
their best album (that honour lies firmly on the shoulders of
"Reign In Blood", an album that Slayer will NEVER manage to top
despite what all the press releases for each subsequent album tell
you), but "Haunting The Chapel" is a close second in my not so
humble opinion.
Starting off with the machine gun barrage of the opening riff to "Chemical Warfare" (surely Slayers greatest moment ever), it then heads off into a bomber dive of frantic guitar work wrapped up neatly into a misanthropic metal shell. "Captor of Sin" is next up, and after some preliminary high end guitar gymnastics begins proper. The main riff is a slightly faster than mid-paced affair that's not of much interest, but it's the chromatic scaling following the chorus that really gives this song it's "UMPH!" factor - not to mention the great lyrics (your classic "impregnate the whore with the seed of Satan" scenario). "Haunting The Chapel" is the 3rd song (and the closing track on the vinyl version), and once again it's mostly mid-paced and has a slightly "morbid" feel in the same way Celtic Frost did (albeit a tad quicker in tempo). Closing off the mCD is the "bonus" track "Aggressive Perfector" (funny, but this track seems to be added onto almost every other slayer EP as a "bonus", not to mention the re-recorded version to be found on the re-issue of the "Reign In Blood" CD) - the track itself is very based on Slayers adoration of early Judas Priest, and subsequently has a very "heavy metal" feel...Tom's vocals are surprisingly "melodic" (in the way that old Hetfeild vocals were also melodic), and this adds to the headbanging feel of the song (especially the falsetto scream at the 2:50 mark). A great track, although not very "aggressive" as the title would have you believe.
The highlight of the mCD is of course "Chemical Warfare" (that goes without say), but all of the 4 tracks presented here are prime quality thrash. I doubt that very many of you don't already have this, but if that's the case, grab this immediately. It's not the vicious as hell Slayer of "Reign in Blood", nor is it the "plodding through the depths of the underworld" Slayer of "Hell Awaits", but if you enjoyed the bands first offering ("Show No Mercy"), this is right up your alley...
© 1999 chorazaim
Starting off with the machine gun barrage of the opening riff to "Chemical Warfare" (surely Slayers greatest moment ever), it then heads off into a bomber dive of frantic guitar work wrapped up neatly into a misanthropic metal shell. "Captor of Sin" is next up, and after some preliminary high end guitar gymnastics begins proper. The main riff is a slightly faster than mid-paced affair that's not of much interest, but it's the chromatic scaling following the chorus that really gives this song it's "UMPH!" factor - not to mention the great lyrics (your classic "impregnate the whore with the seed of Satan" scenario). "Haunting The Chapel" is the 3rd song (and the closing track on the vinyl version), and once again it's mostly mid-paced and has a slightly "morbid" feel in the same way Celtic Frost did (albeit a tad quicker in tempo). Closing off the mCD is the "bonus" track "Aggressive Perfector" (funny, but this track seems to be added onto almost every other slayer EP as a "bonus", not to mention the re-recorded version to be found on the re-issue of the "Reign In Blood" CD) - the track itself is very based on Slayers adoration of early Judas Priest, and subsequently has a very "heavy metal" feel...Tom's vocals are surprisingly "melodic" (in the way that old Hetfeild vocals were also melodic), and this adds to the headbanging feel of the song (especially the falsetto scream at the 2:50 mark). A great track, although not very "aggressive" as the title would have you believe.
The highlight of the mCD is of course "Chemical Warfare" (that goes without say), but all of the 4 tracks presented here are prime quality thrash. I doubt that very many of you don't already have this, but if that's the case, grab this immediately. It's not the vicious as hell Slayer of "Reign in Blood", nor is it the "plodding through the depths of the underworld" Slayer of "Hell Awaits", but if you enjoyed the bands first offering ("Show No Mercy"), this is right up your alley...
© 1999 chorazaim