Dear Friends,
Each week that we are alive, there are so many moments. Some are easy, some are not. Some are fun, some suck so bad. Some just pass and leave us wondering what the fuck and some we fucking own. A week is not for the weak.
This was such a week. Like others before and those to come. I’m ready to say fare thee well to this one.
My heart is in Maine right now. It’s always there to a certain extent, but things are not good with my wonderful father-in-law, and I hate that there is nothing I can do except pray. I’m not much of a standard prayer type of guy, but I do talk to the universe.
My poor wife is up against it, but she’s keeping it together out there. I hope I can be of support to her. It hurts just thinking about it.
The worst part, and this is a part of life that just sucks, is that even under the best-case scenario, this is a week that will have tremendous impact on all of us. I hate knowing that people I love are hurting. Heck, I’m hurting, too, but that is nothing compared to knowing that people I love are in a tough place.
Time to soldier on, though.
*****
I did get to see Granny yesterday and she’s feeling better. She’s hurting still, too. That damn mouth infection is still holding on a little bit. She’s so small and frail. I want to take her pain on, too. I can at least do that, can’t I?
*****
Today…I don’t want to ponder. It will be what it will be. Thank you, Doris Day.
*****
So, I love Slayer. Maybe not in the way that most people who say “I love Slayer” love them or express that love, but it is still love. Allow me to explain…
I saw them live three times and loved each of the shows for very different reasons. The first time I saw them, I was in awe of the spectacle of it all, especially the violence. It seemed the entirety of Club Rio in Tempe, Arizona was involved in a fight. I went to that show alone and kind of drifted around the club looking for friendly faces, but saw very, very few.
When the band took the stage after System of a Down got done (they bored the piss out of me), there were no more friendly faces, and it was kill or be killed. It seemed like everyone that came out of fray was bleeding. True story.
The next time I saw them was at Cricket Pavilion and it was just bad ass. We got comped because of a connection that Hillbilly Devilspeak had at the time, and they were great. I was not searching for allies this time around and it was fun to watch the spectacle unfold again.
The last time was at the Arizona State Fair, and I got to take Liam to the show. He was about 10, I think, maybe 11. He was in heaven. He had been playing that guitar video game and knew the Slayer songs on it. He was the coolest kid in school the next day for sure.
I got Hell Awaits back in 1987. I did it on a whim and because all my metal loving friends said Slayer was the real shit. I liked Metallica’s first two records a lot, but I wanted my thrash metal to be more dangerous. I wanted it to be evil and my metalhead buddies wore a lot of Slayer shirts.
I took the plunge.
I loved it instantly. It’s only seven songs, but it is a meaty seven songs. It is big and scary and loud. It might not have the completely iconic riffs like some of the other Slayer records, but it is MY Slayer record.
This is where I differ from other people who love Slayer. Hell Awaits is the only Slayer record I own on vinyl. It probably always will be, too. I have a couple others, I think, on CD, but I never listen to them. Hell Awaits is all I need.
One of the things I love about it is how raw it is. This is a great band figuring out who they are. I love that about them and about Hell Awaits. It’s not the tightest or most polished thing, but hot damn if it doesn’t make you want to shank somebody you hate.
I also love that I have figured out a way to mix John Coltrane and Slayer together seamlessly.
If you play the first song on side one of Coltrane’s Giant Steps, “Giant Steps” you can mix ‘Necrophiliac” right out of it. No prob. Just let them fly.
I’d like to think I’m the first one to do that. Now everybody knows, though. Hopefully some asshole won’t take my credit. I want that cred, damn it.
Years ago, I picked this as one of the top-10 all-time best Thrash Metal records ever. In fact, I wrote that it was the second best all-time. I still stand by that pick even though some people thought that Hell Awaits wasn’t even the second-best Slayer record. They are all wrong.
Dave Lombardo made certain this record would be one of my favorites because his drumming could start a war. The drums absolutely pummel you right into submission. Close your eyes and listen to them closely the next time you take Hell Awaits for a ride. You’ll see what I mean.
Thank you, Dave. You other dudes, thank you, as well. But this one belongs to Dave. I will miss Slayer.
*****
See you tomorrow.
This is so weird and great. Doris Day vs Slayer. AI for the win.
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