Let’s also take this moment to recognize the photographers, credited below each photo, who risk life and lens to go in the pit and capture the mayhem as it happens. For those about to shoot, we salute you!
Metallica and Lou Reed have posted their collaborative album, ‘Lulu,’ due out on November 1, for streaming. You can hear it by clicking here. You can also read the lyrics to every song on the album here. Let us know what you think of it in the comments.
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Metallica and Lou Reed have posted 30-second samples of every song on their forthcoming collaborative album, Lulu, to Soundcloud. Listen to it below (if you want to hear more, you can click here to hear the full version of “The View”) and let us know what you think of it in the comments.
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Metallica and Lou Reed have released another teaser video for their collaborative album, Lulu, which comes out November 1. Check it out below and let us know what you think of it.
]]>Metallica and Lou Reed are releasing their collaborative album on November 1. (You can hear their new song, “The View,” here.) In anticipation of the album, the group’s fanclub, the Metallica Club, and the studio Bowers & Wilkins Sound Sessions are planning a special listening session in New York City on Monday, October 24.
Fans can enter to win passes and an opportunity to meet the guys at facebook.com/BowersWilkins. Metallica Club members can also enter at Metallica.com after logging in to the Members Area.
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Today is the 25th anniversary of Slayer’s milestone thrash album Reign in Blood, which Revolver celebrated with this Jeff Hanneman interview here, and to mark the occasion Guitarworld.com have released a special feature chronicling the making of the record. Included in the piece are quotes from guitarist Kerry King, who reminisces on, among other things, how back then he considered that they were “just a bunch of angry punks making a record we thought was cool.”
To read the full article, click here.
Here at Revolvermag.com we are also marking this special day, with several features looking back at the classic album. Click here to read an interview with fellow Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman discussing what for many is the standout track on the record, “Raining Blood.” If that’s not enough Slayer-love for you, click here to register your vote for your favorite song off Reign in Blood.
In case you have yet to get your hands on them, you can still purchase Revolver‘s The Book of Slayer, dedicated to the thrash legends, as well as our Big Four Special Collector’s Issue.
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Today marks the 25th anniversary of the release of Slayer’s landmark Reign in Blood album. The cornerstone of that album for many fans is the cut “Raining Blood,” with its hellacious opening riff. In the interview below, conducted before guitarist and writer of the song’s music Jeff Hanneman (pictured, second from left) grew ill with necrotizing fasciitis, he discusses the origins of one of metal’s greatest riffs. For more on the history of Slayer, check out Revolver‘s “Book of Slayer” special issue and “Big Four” special issue.
REVOLVER What do you remember about writing the main riff to “Raining Blood”?
JEFF HANNEMAN I just remember when I came up with it, I thought, This is pretty good. I instantly grabbed my little mini-recorder or whatever I had at that time and recorded it so I wouldn’t forget it. I had no idea that the fans would react to it as much as they do. Still, to this day, when we play that song, they go nuts. It’s just unbelievable.
At concerts, you know the drum buildup before we start playing that riff? It’s almost like an eerie calm going on in the audience. But once it starts, when we start playing that riff, they fucking go crazy. I think its success is that it’s so simplistic. It just sticks in your head. It embeds itself in your brain, and you sing it in your head all day and the only cure is to play the song again. Kids go nuts for that song.
Like I said, I knew it had something that was really eerie about it or whatever, but I didn’t’ know it was going to be as big as it was. In fact, I played it for Kerry on my little 8-track, and Kerry was like, “So.” And I’m like, “Dude, c’mon this is cool!”
What did the other guys think of it?
Fuckin’ Dave loved it. Tom loved it. Kerry was the only one that was like, “Huh, what?” Of course he loves it now.
Do you remember how it sounded in demo form?
I came up with the riff and I had some stuff to go after it. Not what is actually on the song now, but I did the whole buildup. The whole “bomp bomp bomp” and the eerie guitar sounds, and I put it down on my little 8-track with my drum machine. And I thought it sounded great.
What else do you remember about writing the song?
I pretty much started the lyrics and I hit a roadblock and I think Kerry finished them up. Then I came back and did the ending part. The whole “Raining Blood.” That part. But it pretty much came together easy. It’s a short song.
What were your musical influences around that time?
I think pretty much punk. I think those were still my big punk days. Wasted Youth, T.S.O.L., Minor Threat.
How did your producer, Rick Rubin, react to it?
I think on that song he just said, “It’s done. It’s perfect.” That’s pretty much how Rubin works. It’s either, “Oh, this sucks.” Or “It’s perfect.” Then he’ll throw in his two cents. Our big thing is we’ll either listen to him or if we think it’s dumb, it’s dumb, and we won’t do it. But his big contribution to that album was the sound. That was the first time we ever sounded that in-your-face. The past records were all a lot of reverb, too much reverb.
We didn’t know exactly what we wanted. But looking back it’s like I don’t know why we even put up with that much reverb. But we were kids. And Rubin just said, “Fuck the reverb,” and said, “Let’s just put it straight.” Like it would be, I guess, live or whatever. After that we were like, “Yeah, let’s keep it this way.”
Have you ever gotten sick of playing “Raining Blood”?
Not really, because it’s a great song. It’s short and the kids go nuts. Every night when we play it, once the kids go off like they do, it gives you goose bumps. You go off. It’s still fun to play.
How do you feel about how it has been embraced in the sports world?
Yeah. I finally heard it, God, they played it in a hockey arena. I couldn’t believe that. I love hockey, and I go to a lot of the games. And I was like, Why don’t they ever play Slayer? And then they finally played “Raining Blood,” and I was like, “Yes!”
What did you think of Tori Amos’ cover of “Raining Blood”?
I would have to say her version was the most original. Is this our song? It’s like why would you even do that song? Something about the rag? I don’t know. She just asked if it was OK, and we said, OK, knock yourself out. And that was the end of it. The only cool thing about it is, I guess because she did that song, we were playing over in Europe and we were really late and we were going on before her. We were super late and she just said, “No problem.” We got there late, our flight was late or whatever, and she said, “No problem. Play your whole set.” Like, Wow. I thought she was gonna be a bitch.
What do you think of how some people use that riff as their ringtone?
Yeah. That’s pretty cool. I actually would think that would be goofy, but that is pretty cool.
Did the success of that riff intimidate you as a band in any way when you were writing your next album, South of Heaven?
It was just like, we’re not going to be able to top that whole album. We’re not going to be able to beat that. That’s why we did South of Heaven and Seasons, we just kind of mellowed out a little bit. Not mellow, but slowed down. Maybe this new album will be… I don’t think anything can beat Reign in Blood. [futureusgalleryLaughs] Who am I kidding?
Thrash titans Slayer put out their masterpiece, Reign in Blood, 25 years ago today. Clocking in at under a half an hour, the album was played so fast and viciously that its 10 songs fit on both sides of a cassette upon its initial release. We’ve posted that track-listing below, so you can answer our poll, What is the best song on Reign in Blood? For more on the history of Slayer, check out Revolver‘s “Book of Slayer” special issue and “Big Four” special issue.
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