Slayer - South of Heaven LP (black vinyl)

Coming off the hellaciously paced masterpiece that was Reign in Blood, Slayer realized they needed to switch things up for their next release. So, with 1988’s South of Heaven the band opted to pump the breaks of their manic-and-satanic signature sound — at least kind of.

While full-fury blitzkriegs still existed (“Cleanse the Soul”) the biggest hits were the ones that took their time to terrify you. “Mandatory Suicide” is an eternal banger, while few metal intros are as instantly recognizable and expertly chills-inducing as the creep-crawling guitar lick that leads off the title track. Mesmerizing as it is menacing, South of Heaven is a must-have for any true metal fan.

• Sealed
• Black vinyl
• Released by American