SLAYER - HELL AWAITS 12" Vinyl LP Album

- NO BARCODE

Cover art of Slayer's Hell Awaits LP: a hellish scene with tortured souls falling into fire, horned demons, and the Slayer logo inside a pentagram above the chaos.

This is the first Roadrunner Release of "Hell Awaits", the second studio album by the American thrash metal band Slayer. The band's previous release, "Show No Mercy", became Metal Blade Records' highest selling release; as a result, producer Brian Slagel desired to release a second Slayer album. To that end, Slagel financed a recording budget (Show No Mercy was paid for by band members) and recruited several experienced producers to help in the studio.

Album Description:

In the realm of heavy metal, few bands have achieved the level of ferocity and influence that Slayer has. With their breakneck speed, brutal riffs, and uncompromising lyrical themes, Slayer forged a path that countless bands would follow. One of their most iconic releases, "Hell Awaits," stands as a testament to their unrivaled intensity and uncompromising vision. Today, we delve into the raw power of the "Hell Awaits" 12" Vinyl LP Album, without the barcode, and explore the artistic elements that make it a true collector's gem.

Released in 1985, "Hell Awaits" was the sophomore album from Slayer, following their debut opus, "Show No Mercy." It marked a significant evolution in their sound, as they delved deeper into the dark and macabre territories that would become their signature. The album cover design, crafted by Albert Cueller, captures the essence of the album perfectly. A haunting, otherworldly landscape filled with menacing creatures and ominous symbols serves as a visual gateway to the aural onslaught contained within.

Upon sliding the vinyl out of its sleeve, fans will be greeted with the original custom inner sleeve, adorned with album details and complete lyrics. This attention to detail is a testament to the band's dedication to delivering a comprehensive artistic experience to their audience. It allows listeners to fully immerse themselves in the bleak and sinister world Slayer has created.

"Hell Awaits" features seven tracks of unrelenting thrash metal, with each song contributing to the album's overall dark and foreboding atmosphere. The relentless and precise guitar work of Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman, coupled with Tom Araya's menacing vocals and Dave Lombardo's thunderous drumming, create an unholy sonic assault that defines Slayer's sound. From the ominous title track, which opens the album with a chilling spoken word introduction, to the chaotic fury of "Kill Again" and the epic closing track "Hardening of the Arteries," each song showcases Slayer at the height of their musical prowess.

The recording of "Hell Awaits" took place at Eldorado Recording Studio, Hollywood, USA. Produced by Brian Slagel and Slayer themselves, with Carolyn Collins serving as the assistant engineer, the album captures the raw energy and intensity of the band's live performances. The production maintains a balance that allows each instrument to shine through the relentless wall of sound, adding to the album's timeless appeal.

The album cover photography, credited to Lowell Ketz, captures the band in their prime. A striking image of the band members emanating an aura of darkness and aggression, it encapsulates the spirit of Slayer and their dedication to pushing the boundaries of extreme music.

Manufactured in the Netherlands in 1985, this 12" Vinyl LP Album of "Hell Awaits" without the barcode holds a special place in the hearts of Slayer fans and collectors alike. Its scarcity and historical significance make it a highly sought-after item, a testament to the enduring legacy of Slayer and their impact on the world of heavy metal.

Production & Recording Information

This album "SLAYER HELL AWAITS NO BARCODE" includes the original custom inner sleeve with album details, complete lyrics of all songs by and artwork/photos

Producers: Brian Slagel and Slayer
Brian Slagel is a pioneering figure in heavy metal, best known as the founder of Metal Blade Records in 1982. His label launched the careers of legendary bands like Metallica, Slayer, and Mercyful Fate, shaping the genre’s evolution. As a producer, he worked with Flotsam and Jetsam, Exciter, and Trouble, leaving a lasting impact. Learn more about Brian Slagel.
Sound Engineers: Ron Fair, Bill Metoye
Bill Metoyer is a legendary music producer and sound engineer known for shaping the sound of heavy metal. As Vice President and in-house engineer at Metal Blade Records in the 1980s, he worked with iconic bands like Slayer, Armored Saint, and Flotsam and Jetsam. His expertise in capturing metal’s raw intensity has left a lasting impact on the genre. Learn more on his biography page.
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Assistant Engineer: Carolyn Collins
Carolyn Collins started her sound engineering career with Omen's Battle Cry in 1985. Recruited by Brian Slagel, she contributed to Slayer's Hell Awaits and worked at Eldorado Recording Studio in Hollywood.
Recording Studio: Eldorado Recording Studio, Hollywood
Eldorado Studios is located in Hollywood, Los Angeles. It has hosted metal bands including Anthrax, Omen, and Slayer.
Mixed at: Track Record
Mastered by: Bernie Grundman at Bernie Grundman Studios, Hollywood (mis-spelled as Burnie Grundman)

Bernie Grundman is a renowned Mastering Engineer hailing from Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. With an illustrious career spanning several decades, he has achieved remarkable success in the music industry. Born with an innate passion for music and a keen ear for detail, Grundman has left an indelible mark on the field of audio mastering.

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Grundman's journey into the world of music began in the early 1980s when he established his own mastering studio in Hollywood, California. It was during this time that he cemented his reputation as a go-to engineer for heavy metal albums. From 1982 to 1990, Grundman lent his expertise to numerous heavy metal projects, skillfully mastering dozens of albums that defined the genre's sound during that era.

His work with heavy metal artists showcased his ability to capture the raw energy and power of the music, while maintaining clarity and fidelity. Grundman's mastering techniques brought out the full sonic potential of each album, elevating them to new heights and contributing to their commercial success.

As his talent became recognized, Bernie Grundman had the opportunity to collaborate with a multitude of renowned musicians across various genres. His mastering prowess was sought after by a diverse range of artists, including rock, pop, jazz, and classical musicians. Through his meticulous attention to detail and technical expertise, he added the final polish to their recordings, enhancing the overall listening experience for fans around the world.

Grundman's discography boasts an impressive list of hit albums, with his name appearing in the credits of numerous iconic releases. His contributions have been instrumental in shaping the sound of some of the most influential records of our time. From acclaimed bands to chart-topping solo artists, Grundman's work has left an indelible impact on the music industry.

Bernie Grundman's mastering studio has become synonymous with excellence and has earned a reputation as one of the best facilities in the industry. Musicians and record labels alike recognize the exceptional quality and meticulous attention to detail that Grundman and his team bring to every project. His dedication to achieving sonic perfection and his commitment to maintaining the artistic vision of the artists he works with have made him highly respected among his peers.

Throughout his career, Bernie Grundman has received numerous accolades for his contributions to the music industry. He is the recipient of several Grammy Awards, recognizing his exceptional skills as a mastering engineer. These accolades further solidify his status as a true pioneer in the field and underscore his unwavering commitment to excellence.

Beyond his technical prowess, Grundman's success can be attributed to his genuine love for music and his unwavering passion for his craft. His dedication to his work has allowed him to forge lasting relationships with artists, fostering an environment of trust and collaboration in the studio.

As a master of his trade, Bernie Grundman continues to inspire and influence aspiring engineers and musicians worldwide. His legacy is one of innovation, expertise, and an unwavering commitment to the pursuit of sonic perfection. Today, his name remains synonymous with exceptional audio quality, and his contributions to the music industry will continue to resonate for generations to come.

Album Cover Design: Albert Cueller
Albert Cueller designed two album covers for Slayer: Hell Awaits and Live Undead.
Album Cover Photography: Lowell Ketz
Music Genre:

Speed / Thrash Metal

Label & Catalognr:

RoadrunneR RR 9795  

Album Packaging:

This album includes the original custom inner sleeve with album details, complete lyrics of all songs by Slayer and photos of the Slayer-band.  

Media Format:

Record Format: 12" Vinyl Stereo Gramophone Record
Total Album (Cover+Record) weight: 230 gram  

Year & Country:

1985 Made in Netherlands  

Musicians:
    Band-members, Musicians and Performers
  • Tom Araya - Bass, Vocals
    Tom Araya is a legendary bassist and vocalist, best known for his role in Slayer, one of thrash metal’s most influential bands. Joining in 1981, he helped shape their aggressive sound, delivering powerful performances and thought-provoking lyrics. With classic albums like Reign in Blood and Seasons in the Abyss, his impact on metal remains undeniable. Read more
  • Jeff Hanneman - Lead Guitar
    Jeff Hanneman was a legendary guitarist and founding member of Slayer, one of thrash metal’s most influential bands. His aggressive riffs, dark themes, and songwriting shaped the genre, co-writing classics like Raining Blood and Angel of Death. A fierce performer, his legacy lives on in metal history. Learn more about his impact on music on the Jeff Hanneman Biography page.
  • Kerry King - Lead Guitar
    Kerry King, a pioneering thrash metal guitarist, co-founded Slayer in 1981, shaping the genre with aggressive riffs, blistering solos, and dark, intense songwriting. His signature playing style defined classics like Reign in Blood and cemented Slayer’s place among metal’s elite. With a fierce stage presence and lasting influence, King remains a metal icon. Read more in his biography.
  • Dave Lombardo - Drums
    Dave Lombardo is a legendary drummer, best known for his groundbreaking work with Slayer. Renowned for his lightning-fast double bass drumming and complex rhythms, he helped shape the thrash metal genre. Beyond Slayer, he played with Fantômas, Testament, and Suicidal Tendencies. His technical mastery and innovation have influenced generations of musicians. Learn more about Dave Lombardo here.
Tracklisting Side One:
  1. Hell Awaits (Lyrics: King) (Music: Hanneman/King) 6:12
  2. Kill Again (Lyrics: King) (Music: Hanneman/King) 4:53
  3. At Dawn They Sleep (Lyrics: Araya/Hanneman/King)(Music: Hanneman) 6:16
Tracklisting Side Two:
  1. Praise of Death (Lyrics: Hanneman) (Music: King) 5:17
  2. Necrophiliac (Lyrics: Hanneman/King)(Music: Hanneman) 3:43
  3. Crypts of Eternity (Lyrics: Araya/Hanneman/King)(Music: Hanneman/King) 6:37
  4. Hardening of the Arteries (Lyrics & Music: Hanneman) 3:57
High Resolution & Quality Photos
Front Cover Photo Of SLAYER HELL AWAITS NO BARCODE
Cover art of Slayer's Hell Awaits LP: a hellish scene with tortured souls falling into fire, horned demons, and the Slayer logo inside a pentagram above the chaos.

The cover of Slayer – Hell Awaits is a vivid and disturbing illustration of a fiery inferno, embodying the album’s dark and aggressive themes. The background is engulfed in vertical streaks of burning red, orange, and black, creating the illusion of a deep chasm or the flaming walls of Hell itself.

In the upper left corner, the iconic Slayer logo is suspended within an inverted pentagram formed from weathered bones and spikes. Below and across the scene, grotesque demonic creatures—part-human, part-beast—seize writhing, naked souls. These tormented figures are being dragged downward or flung violently into the abyss by their limbs and hair, screaming in agony.

The bottom left shows a massive demon skull with rotting flesh and snarling teeth, reaching toward a terrified human with clawed hands. Another tormented soul is impaled on a spiked staff, suspended mid-air as it’s lifted into the infernal void.

To the right, muscular minotaurs and skeletal devils rampage through the air, trampling and dragging bodies with them, emphasizing the relentless brutality of the descent into Hell.

At the top right in stark white serif lettering, the album title HELL AWAITS stands in sharp contrast to the violent red chaos, enhancing its ominous tone. The entire composition, rendered in graphic, comic-book horror style, is both theatrical and violent—perfectly encapsulating Slayer's extreme thrash metal aesthetic.

Photo Of The Back Cover SLAYER HELL AWAITS NO BARCODE
Back cover of Slayer's Hell Awaits LP with tracklist, band member photos, live performance shot, and red credits on a dark background. Includes Roadrunner Records branding.

The back cover of Slayer – Hell Awaits is a dynamic and gritty layout that balances track information with intense band imagery. Set against a deep black background, the top of the cover features the complete tracklist in blood-red and white text. Each song title is followed by detailed songwriting credits, highlighting contributions by King, Hanneman, and Araya.

Arranged in a scattered collage style are five photos of the band members in action. At the top left, Tom Araya is captured mid-growl at his mic, playing bass, sweat glistening on his arm. Opposite him, Jeff Hanneman screams into the camera while shredding his guitar in a sleeveless black shirt.

Bottom left shows Kerry King focused on his guitar, wearing spiked wristbands and a sleeveless leather outfit, framed in green and blue stage lighting. Bottom right features Dave Lombardo behind the drum kit with an intense expression and sticks raised mid-motion. At the center is a wide-angle live photo showing the band onstage with flames and smoke erupting behind them.

Beneath the photos, production credits are given to Brian Slagel and Slayer. Small red print across the bottom edge lists the distribution and licensing details across various countries including the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, and France, marking this as the 1985 Roadrunner RR 9795 pressing manufactured in the Netherlands.

Photo of the custom inner sleeve SLAYER HELL AWAITS NO BARCODE
Collage of black-and-white photos showing Slayer during live shows, backstage antics, fan interactions, and off-stage moments. Energetic, chaotic, and personal.

This black-and-white collage forms the inner sleeve artwork of Slayer's Hell Awaits LP, capturing the raw energy and chaotic spirit of the band’s early career. Dozens of candid photographs are assembled in a rough grid, filling the frame with frenetic energy and unfiltered personality.

The images showcase a mix of live concert action, intimate backstage moments, and off-stage debauchery. Shots of Tom Araya, Kerry King, Jeff Hanneman, and Dave Lombardo appear throughout—playing guitar, headbanging, laughing with fans, goofing off, and generally embodying the unruly force of 1980s thrash metal.

Several photos highlight fan interactions—crowd-surfing, posing for group shots, or partying together. One central image shows a Slayer banner behind the drum kit onstage, while others catch the band mid-performance under intense lighting and smoke.

The overall composition reinforces the underground ethos and DIY roots of the era. There’s no polish—just sweat, grit, and a band committed to living every note as intensely as they play it. The collage not only documents Slayer’s rise, but also the tight-knit and chaotic community that surrounded them.

Photo of the custom inner sleeve SLAYER HELL AWAITS NO BARCODE
Back of the inner sleeve for Slayer's Hell Awaits LP, featuring full printed lyrics to all songs, production credits, and acknowledgements on white background.

This image shows the reverse side of the original inner sleeve for Slayer’s 1985 album Hell Awaits. It is starkly printed on a white background with dense black text and no imagery, letting the raw content take center stage.

The sleeve is divided into three vertical columns packed with the complete lyrics to all seven tracks on the album. Each song title is bolded in uppercase, with credits for lyrics and music underneath. For example, "Hell Awaits" is credited to Lyrics: King / Music: Hanneman, King. The lyrics themselves are laid out in tightly spaced blocks of uppercase text, heightening the aggressive, unrelenting vibe of the album.

The rightmost column also includes production and recording credits. Notably, the album was produced by Brian Slagel and Slayer, recorded at Eldorado, Hollywood, with engineering by Ron Fair and Bill Metoyer, and mastering by Bernie Grundman. The sleeve also credits Albert Cuellar for cover illustration and Lowell Katz for photography.

Below the credits, a large block of “thank you” acknowledgements lists a wide range of names—from friends, crew members, and radio supporters to record label contacts across various countries. The final lines include tongue-in-cheek shoutouts like “Marooshka lives in our brains!!!”, reinforcing the band’s wild underground spirit.

The bottom right corner shows the Roadrunner Records logo and catalog number RR 9795, confirming this as the European pressing. Overall, the sleeve design is minimal and utilitarian—focused purely on content and authenticity.

Photo Side One SLAYER HELL AWAITS NO BARCODE
Side 1 label of Slayer's Hell Awaits LP on Roadrunner Records, showing tracklist, publishing info, and red Roadrunner logo, pressed in the Netherlands.

This image presents the Side 1 center label of Slayer’s 1985 album Hell Awaits, issued by Roadrunner Records (catalog number RR 9795). The label design is minimal and functional, using a plain beige background with clear black text for optimal legibility.

Prominently at the top is the bold red Roadrunner logo in a rectangular outline, with a capital “R” featured in larger font. Just below that, the side designation, speed, catalog number, and STEMRA rights society are printed on the left side.

Centered beneath the spindle hole is the album title in quotes: "HELL AWAITS" – Slayer. The tracklisting is laid out in a numbered format, each with writer credits and song duration:

  • 1. Hell Awaits (Hanneman/King) – 6:12
  • 2. Kill Again (Hanneman/King) – 4:52
  • 3. At Dawn They Sleep (Araya/Hanneman/King) – 6:16

Below the tracklist, production is credited to Brian Slagel and Slayer. The publishing rights are listed as belonging to Bloody Skull Music, and the release is noted as Licensed from Metal Blade Records.

A circular legal disclaimer runs around the outer edge in red text, warning against unauthorized copying, hiring, lending, public performance, or broadcasting. The pressing was Made in Holland, consistent with the Roadrunner release for the European market.

Photo of Side Two SLAYER HELL AWAITS NO BARCODE
Side 2 label of Slayer's Hell Awaits LP on Roadrunner Records, showing second half of the tracklist, publishing info, and red Roadrunner logo, pressed in Holland.

This image displays the Side 2 center label of Slayer’s 1985 thrash metal LP Hell Awaits, issued by Roadrunner Records under catalog number RR 9795. The label features a matte beige background with black and red print, consistent with Roadrunner’s 1980s vinyl aesthetic.

Dominating the upper center is the iconic red Roadrunner logo enclosed in a rectangular border, with a large “R” to the left. On the left margin, technical details include Side 2, STEREO, RR 9795, and STEMRA. To the right, pressing details note it as a 33⅓ RPM record from 1985, produced by Roadrunner Productions B.V.

The lower half contains the continuation of the album’s tracklist:

  • 4. Praise of Death (Hanneman/King) – 5:17
  • 5. Necrophiliac (Hanneman/King) – 3:43
  • 6. Crypts of Eternity (Araya/Hanneman/King) – 6:37
  • 7. Hardening of the Arteries (Hanneman) – 3:57

As noted at the bottom, the album was produced by Brian Slagel and Slayer, with publishing rights credited to Bloody Skull Music. The album was licensed from Metal Blade Records.

The label rim features a red circular legal notice prohibiting unauthorized copying, hiring, lending, and broadcasting. The pressing is clearly labeled as Made in Holland, a defining mark of the early Roadrunner editions.

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