Angel of Death,” Slayer
Wednesday, March 16, 2011 | By AnonymousNotwithstanding its controversial subject matter, this Slayer classic set a new standard for speed metal when it kicked off the band’s 1986 masterpiece, Reign in Blood. Underscored by pile-driver drums and a thunderous bass line, Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman deliver their dual-guitar riffs with machine-line, rapid-fire precision. Monumental in its conjuring of unspeakable brutality, the song comes off as the aural equivalent of a horrific painting. – Russell Hall