Slayer Haunting The Chapel 180g 12" Vinyl EP

Five-time nominated, two-time Grammy winners Slayer will release CD, cassette, and vinyl re-issues of their classic records Show No Mercy (1983), Haunting the Chapel (1984), Live Undead (1984), and Hell Awaits (1985) via Metal Blade Records.

Formed in 1981, Slayer assaulted the world with a new hybrid of metal and punk - heavier, faster and darker than the rest - and set a new standard, defining not only a genre, but an attitude. Throughout Slayer's history, the band never faltered in unleashing their extreme and focused aural assault, and repudiating temptations, Slayer always chose to remain crushing and brutal, steadfastly refusing to cater to the mainstream.

Boasting the awesome 'Chemical Warfare,' a regular staple of Slayer's live shows, the Haunting the Chapel EP was a more crucial stepping stone in the legendary L.A. band's career development than many give it credit for. Issued in between the band's very promising debut and the following year's more sonically ripened Hell Awaits, Haunting the Chapel offers important clues about this transition period, which saw Slayer's rock-based song structures give way to the non-linear, genre-defining style thereafter regarded as thrash metal's signature sound. Among the uniformly solid cuts here, the enduring fan favorite 'Captor of Sin' is another highlight, making this a well-recommended release for committed Slayer fans.