MEGADEATH
Slayer
Slayer was one of the most distinctive, influential, and extreme thrash metal bands of the 1980s. Their graphic lyrics deal with everything from death and dismemberment to war and the horrors of hell. Their full-throttle velocity, wildly chaotic guitar solos, and powerful musical chops paint an effectively chilling sonic background for their obsessive chronicling of the dark side; this correspondence has helped Slayer's music hold up arguably better than the remaining Big Three '80s thrash outfits (Metallica, Megadeath, Anthrax).
Naturally, Slayer has stirred up quite a bit of controversy over the years, with rumours flying about Satanism and Nazism that have only added to their mystique. Over the years, Slayer put out some high-quality albums, one undisputed classic (Reign in Blood), and saw the numbers of naysayers and detractors shrinking as their impact on the growing death metal movement was gradually and respectfully acknowledged.
Slayer survived into the 1990s with arguably the most vitality and the least compromise of any pre-Nirvana metal band, and their intensity still inspires similar responses from their devoted fans. Slayer was formed in 1982 in Huntington Beach, CA, by guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman; also recruited were bassist/vocalist Tom Araya and drummer Dave Lombardo. The band started out playing covers of Judas Priest and Iron Maiden songs, but quickly discovered that they could get attention (and fans) by exploiting threatening, satanic imagery.
The band was invited by Metal Blade's Brian Slagel to contribute a track to the Metal Massacre, Vol. 3 compilation (a series that also saw the vinyl debuts of Metallica and Voivod); a contract and debut album, Show No Mercy, followed shortly thereafter.
While Slayer's early approach was rather cartoonish, their breakneck speed and instrumental prowess were still highly evident. Two EPs, Haunting the Chapel and Live Undead, were released in 1984, but 1985's Hell Awaits refined their lyrical obsessions into a sort of concept album about damnation and torture and made an immediate sensation in heavy metal circles, winning Slayer a rabid cult following.
Def Jam co-founder Rick Rubin took a liking to the band, signed them to his label, and contributed the first clear-sounding production heard on any Slayer album for the stripped-down Reign in Blood. Due to the graphic nature of the material, CBS refused to distribute the album, which garnered a great deal of publicity for the band; eventually, Geffen Records stepped in.
Combining Slayer's trademark speed metal with the tempos and song lengths (if not structures) of hardcore, along with the band's most disturbing lyrics yet, Reign in Blood was an instant classic, breaking the band through to a wider audience, and was hailed by some as the greatest speed metal album of all time (some give the nod to Metallica's Master of Puppets).
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South of Heaven disappointed some of the band's hardcore followers, as Slayer successfully broke out of the potential stylistic straitjacket of their reputation as the world's fastest, most extreme band. Drummer Lombardo took some time off and was briefly replaced by Whiplash drummer Tony Scaglione, but soon returned to the fold. 1990's Seasons in the Abyss was well received in all respects, incorporating more of the classic Slayer intensity into a more commercial - but no less uncompromising - sound. "War Ensemble" and the title track became favorites on MTV's Headbanger's Ball, and Slayer consolidated their position at the forefront of thrash, along with Metallica.
Following the release of the double live album Decade of Aggression, Lombardo left the band for good due to personality conflicts with the other members and formed Grip Inc. Slayer remained quiet for a few years; the only new material released after 1990 was a duet with Ice-T recorded for the Judgement Night soundtrack on a medley of songs by the Exploited.
After leaving the Forbidden, Paul Bostaph signed on as the new drummer for 1994's Divine Intervention, which was released to glowing reviews; thanks to the new death metal movement, which drew upon Slayer and particularly Reign in Blood for its inspiration, Slayer was hailed as a metal innovator. The album was a massive success, debuting at number eight on the Billboard album charts.
Bostaph left the band to concentrate on a side project, the Truth About Seafood, and was replaced by ex-Testament drummer Jon Dette for Undisputed Attitude, an album consisting mostly of punk and hardcore covers. Bostaph rejoined Slayer in time to record 1998's Diabolus in Musica. The band reunited with Def Jam for 2001's God Hates Us All. In 2004, they unleashed the four-disc anthology Soundtrack to the Apocalypse, followed by an album of all-new material, Christ Illusion, in 2006. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
Source: http://www.artistdirect.com/
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PANTERA
Pantera are a metal band, prominent in the early to mid ‘90s, seemingly putting to rest any remnants of the ‘80s metal scene. The Texas foursome were fairly unsuccessful, until the addition of vocalist Phil Ansemlo, aand the key turning point was the band's major-label debut, Cowboys from Hell (1990).
Pantera's mainstream breakthrough came next with Vulgar Display of Power (1992), their second major-label album, which thrust the band to the forefront of the metal scene, alongside such veteran bands as Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax. By the time Pantera unleashed Far Beyond Driven (1994), after two long years of touring, they were the most popular metal band in the land.
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At the height of their popularity, Pantera began to self-destruct. Less than two months after the release of The Great Southern Trendkill (1996), Anselmo overdosed on heroin and as tensions rose between him and his fellow bandmembers, he began engaging with a growing list of side projects that kept him away from Pantera. A live album, Official Live: 101 Proof (1997), was compiled for release when it became evident that no new studio album was forthcoming any time soon.
One final studio album did result, Reinventing the Steel (2000), but that was more or less it for the briefly reunited Pantera. The bandmembers once again went their sperate ways, forming such bands as Damageplan, Down, and Superjoint Ritual.
The end of Pantera then became official on December 8, 2004, when guitarist Dimebag Darrell was murdered on-stage by a deranged fan.
Anselmo is now the frontman in popular metal band 'Down'.
Carly Page
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Metallica
Metallica, the most innovative metal band of the late 80s and 90s, formed in 1981 in California, by drummer Lars Ulrich and vocalist James Hetfield. Despite many line-up changes, Cliff Burton joined on bass in 1982, and Kirk Hammet replaced Megadeth guitarist Dave Mustaine in 1983.
This combination endured until September 1986, when Metallica’s tour bus overturned in Sweden, killing Cliff Burton. During the four years with Burton, the band put thrash metal on the map, with the aggression of their debut album ‘Kill ‘Em All’. Although 1984’s ‘Ride The Lightening’ was a distinctive metal release, it was 1986’s ‘Master of Puppets’ that shock the metal scene, taking thrash to a whole new level.
Following the death of Burton, the band chose to continue, recruiting Jason Newstead on bass. Sessions for ‘And Justice For All’ began, resulting in a spectacular moment in ‘One’, which entered highly in the UK and US charts.
1991’s chart-topping album ‘Metallica’ held some of the bands most impressive hits, with the MTV-friendly ‘Enter Sandman’ breaking the band on a stadium level, showing how the band had matured from the chaotic ‘Kill ‘Em All’ ten years previous. A stopgap live set marked time while the band completed work on the eagerly awaited follow-up to ‘Metallica’.
Finally released in 1996, ‘Load’ entered the US charts at number one. The album marked a change in image for the band, who began to court the alternative rock audience. The following year's ‘Reload’ collected together more tracks recorded at the ‘Load’ sessions, and featured 60s icon Marianne Faithfull on the first single to be released from the album, ‘The Memory Remains’. ‘Garage Inc.’ collected assorted cover versions, and the following years release ‘S&M’, was recorded live with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra..
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In January 2001, Newstead announced he was leaving after almost 15 years with the band. His replacement was former Suicidal Tendencies' bass player Rob Trujillo. Recording sessions for the new studio album were fraught with difficulty, with Hetfield at one point departing to spend several months in rehab. When it finally appeared in 2003, ‘St. Anger’ was given a mixed reception by critics who had rapidly fallen out of love with the band.
Death Magnetic was released on September 12, 2008, topping the UK and US album charts – making Metallica the first band to have five consecutive number one albums. Despite previous criticisms, the album charmed music journalists - and it was hailed as some of Metallica's best work.
On January 14, 2009, it was announced that Metallica would be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 4, 2009.
Carly Page
This information is provided as a brief overview and not as a definitive guide, there are other sources on the net for that. If however you have a story or information that is not generally known we would love to hear from you. Content@rokpool.com
