Introduction:
Artists which are perhaps better known for the start of their careers include the speed metal band Metallica and the thrash/death metal band Slayer. Both began their musical careers in relative obscurity with the former starting on Music for Nations and the latter on Under One Flag, both labels which are now defunct and both artists having achieved international stardom on Warner and American Jam Recordings respectively.
Metallica:
Metallica began with the recording of their first album, ‘Kill em’ All’ which came out in 1983 and which remains one of their best efforts although it has its weak points too. The rough riding sound of tracks such as ‘Whiplash’ and ‘Seek and Destroy’ remains very much in the memory of all who listen to them. Ride the Lightning followed in 1984 which truly broke the boundaries of speed metal especially with music like ‘The Call of Ktulu’ and ‘Creeping Death’ which demonstrated an innate understanding of the melodic riffs line. What followed in 1986 was one of the great masterpieces of speed metal and that was ‘Master of Puppets’. The tracks are truly incredibly powerful on all counts especially the opening ‘Battery’ and the classic, ‘Welcome Home’, Sanitarium which remains my favourite part of the album.
After the death of bassist Cliff Burton, the band took a different turn and that led to a major recording contract with Vertigo where they could experiment with different styles. And Justice for All as well as the Black Album were definitely two works which contained different styles but which intrinsically demonstrated that the band had truly arrived on the international market.
Slayer:
The thrash/death metal band Slayer are perhaps a different proposition to Metallica but they also turned out to be quite similar in that they began their recording career on an indie label eventually progressing to an internationally renowned label after some years. Their first effort ‘Show No Mercy’ which came out on the Under One Flag label demonstrated a strong understanding of guitar and drum techniques as well as some excellently violent lyrics. This was followed in 1983 by the mini LP, Haunting the Chapel which was perhaps slightly more raw in its sound and which showed a certain deference for the guitar riffs. Bassist and vocalist Tom Araya was surely one of the finest of his day and he demonstrated prowess and promise as did the excellent drummer Dave Lombardo. The exposure received by the Live Undead album in 1984 led to the American Jam recording contract which led to the creation of what is probably Slayer’s best album and that is ‘reign in Blood’ With ten songs lasting just under half an hour this is definitely a masterpiece of metal from first song to last.
Slayer mellowed slightly with the album, ‘South of Heaven’ in 1989 and this was followed by the seminal live double album, War at the Warfields which demonstrated that the band had truly arrived and was a force to be reckoned with. That was followed by other albums such as Deus ex Machina and the live DVD Still Reigning which shows the band at the top of their form performing Raining Blood in a fantastic live performance. The transition from indie labels to world stardom is certainly a world well travelled.
Works Cited:
"An exclusive oral history of Slayer". Decibel Magazine. Archived from the original on 28 December 2007. Retrieved 3 December 2006.
"Kerrang! Hall Of Fame". Kerrang!. 24 August 2006. Retrieved 10 January 2006.
Lee, Cosmo (7 May 2007). "Get Thrashed: The Story of Thrash Metal". Stylus. Retrieved 16 December 2008.
