SLAYER will celebrate a monumental chapter of their legacy with the 40th anniversary reissue of Hell Awaits, arriving May 15, 2026 in multiple physical and digital formats.
SLAYER will celebrate one of the most defining moments in their history with the 40th anniversary reissue of Hell Awaits, available on May 15, 2026 through a new special edition that revitalizes their second studio album.
Originally released in 1985, the album represents the moment where the band fully crystallized their identity — darker, faster and more ambitious than anything else emerging at the time. Kerry King puts it plainly: “It’s the record where Slayer became Slayer.”
This second album marked a sharp departure from Show No Mercy, embracing the influence of Mercyful Fate and venturing into longer, more progressive structures, with three tracks surpassing six minutes — something unique in the band’s catalog.
Tom Araya delivered a blistering vocal performance, firing rapid-fire lyrics on tracks like “Kill Again” and “Praise of Death,” matching the escalating violence and precision of the music.
The new anniversary edition brings Hell Awaits back with renewed attention to its original essence, celebrating a career that began in 1981 and remained unapologetically brutal and uncompromising.
Four decades later, Hell Awaits returns as a testament to why this record reshaped the foundations of extreme metal.
