Earlier this month, Slayer’s seminal third studio LP – Reign in Blood – celebrated its fortieth anniversary! Throughout his latest look on the Loaded Radio podcast, former drummer Dave Lombardo dove into why Reign in Blood nonetheless provides him “chills” after so a few years (amongst different issues).
Why Does Reign in Blood Nonetheless Give Lombardo “Chills”?
The interview was uploaded to YouTube on Oct. 9, and it didn’t take lengthy for host Scott Penfold to ask Lombardo about being 40 years on from Reign in Blood (which Penfold referred to as “one of many best steel albums of all time”).
“Oh, it nonetheless, it nonetheless provides me the chills once I take heed to that album,” Lombardo expressed, including:
The palms of your palms get sweaty, you recognize? Your coronary heart fee will increase, and also you’re simply within the second. I’ve carried out these songs so many occasions in my life on stage, and that adrenaline, simply interested by it, and once I take heed to these songs, it triggers that adrenaline. I get charged. [Laughs] If I am going into cardiac arrest, play “Angel Of Dying” or “Raining Blood” or one thing, and watch me simply pop up, like, “Hey, what is going on on?'”
So, there you’ve gotten it.
READ MORE: 2 ‘Massive 4’ Thrash Stars Host Steel Radio Station in ‘Grand Theft Auto 6’ (Hear Preview)
What Else Did Lombardo + Penfold Focus on?
After diving into Reign in Blood, Penfold requested Lombardo: “Do you continue to maintain thrash very, very near your coronary heart?”
Lombardo defined:
I get pleasure from thrash once I hear good thrash, you recognize? There’s . . . quite a lot of actually constructive – or, not constructive, [but] commendable makes an attempt. However, . . . since pc software program, music recording software program, quite a lot of the music has turned very sterile. So, you sort of miss that push and pull of these albums that have been virtually – they have been sort of, like, stressed, you recognize? They have been very simply aggressive, I might say, and you could possibly hear it! You could possibly hear it within the recording, and I may see how that translated on to the file as a result of after we have been recording these songs, we might have a look at one another and say, “All proper, let’s go. Come on. Let’s fucking kill it. Let’s nail this one. Let’s get this track.” “Sooner?’” “Yeah, play it just a bit quicker.” “Okay, let’s go.” Rely 4 and the band simply is available in. . . . Anger, angst, adrenaline –every part.
Lastly, Lombardo and Penfold talked about late Slayer co-founder/co-lead guitarist Jeff Hanneman (who died of liver failure in 2013).
“He was an excellent man,” “Lombardo started. “He was humorous. [He was an] superb songwriter. He was a trailblazer, man. He got here to the band with out – you recognize, self-taught, and took it from there and created a number of the most superb music of our style.
You possibly can watch Lombardo’s entire chat with Loaded Radio beneath:
Dave Lombardo Discusses ‘Reign in Blood’ + Extra (Oct. 9, 2026)
Extra About Reign in Blood
Though Slayer’s complete Eighties run was essential to the event and popularization of thrash steel, Reign in Blood is basically thought of Slayer’s most vital and enduring effort.
Unsurprisingly, Loudwire mentioned as a lot after we included it in our characteristic on the very best album by 15 legendary thrash steel bands.
Particularly, we surmised:
From its fantastically macabre cowl to its honed chemistry of centered and ferocious hookiness, it’s masterful. After all, “Raining Blood” makes for an iconic finale – its seamless emergence from the militaristic “Postmortem” is downright ingenious – however every part that comes earlier than it’s almost faultless, too. . . . In lower than half-hour, Slayer cemented their legacy.
The file additionally positioned second on our checklist of each thrash steel ‘huge 4’ album ranked from worst to finest (with Metallica’s Grasp of Puppets taking the gold medal).
Different Slayer Information
In case you missed it, Loudwire lately reported on the truth that Slayer vocalist Tom Araya and guitarist Kerry King might be internet hosting the steel station (“106.6 The Chamber”) in Grand Theft Auto VI!
As we wrote:
The steel icons are going by the names DJ Tom and DJ Kerry on the station, in order that they weren’t attempting to be as refined as after they gave Weapons N’ Roses’ Axl Rose the DJ alias Tommy “The Nightmare” Smith in ‘Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.’
Snippets of three steel songs performed throughout the preview for 106.6 The Chamber: Black Sabbath’s “I” (1992), Pantera’s “I am Damaged” (1994) and Slayer’s “Raining Blood” (1986). Two different acquainted voices from the rock and steel world is heard throughout the pattern as nicely: Caity Babs from the SiriusXM stations Octane and Turbo and Shawn the Butcher from Liquid Steel.
“The world’s a heavy place. Give it the beating soundtrack it deserves,” Araya could be heard saying proper earlier than enjoying “Raining Blood.”
You possibly can hear a preview of the radio station right here, and naturally, Grand Theft Auto VI will arrive on a number of gaming platforms on Nov. 19!
Do you agree with Lombardo about Reign in Blood? Would you say it’s among the many best steel albums of all time?! Tell us.
Additionally, hold scrolling to see our characteristic on each huge rock and steel album launched every day in October historical past (together with two Slayer information)!
Each Massive Rock + Steel Album Launched Every Day in October Historical past
Listed here are the all-time finest rock and steel albums launched for every day in October.
Gallery Credit score: Rob Carroll
