Angel of Death (Slayer song)

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"Angel of Death"
Song by Slayer from the album Reign in Blood

Released

October 7, 1986

Recorded

1986, Los Angeles, California

Genre

Thrash metal

Length

4:51

Label

Def Jam

Writer(s)

Jeff Hanneman

Producer(s)

Rick Rubin
Music sample
Angel of Death
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"Angel of Death" is the opening track on the American thrash metal band Slayer's Rick
Rubin produced 1986 album Reign in Blood. The lyrics and music were written by guitarist Jeff
Hanneman. They detail the Nazi physician Josef Mengele human experiments at the Auschwitz
concentration camp during World War II.
Although the lyrics are detached and written from Mengele's rather than Hanneman's point of
view, "Angel of Death" led to accusations of Nazi sympathizing and racismagainst the band,
which they vigorously denied, but followed them throughout their early career. Despite the
controversy and the resulting delay in the release of Reign in Blood, it remains a live favourite
and is featured on all of Slayer's live albums and has appeared in several movies.
The song has been highly influential in the development of both thrash and speed metal, and is
highly regards by some critics; AllMusic's Steve Huey described it as a classic and the album as
"the pinnacle of speed metal".[1] The half-time riff was sampled by Public Enemy in their 1988
song "She Watch Channel Zero?!"[2]
Contents
[hide]

1Composition and origins

2Controversy

3Music and structure

4Reception

5References

6External links

Composition and origins[edit]

Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman wrote "Angel of Death" after reading books
about Nazi physician Josef Mengele while on tour with the band.[2] He said that he remembered
"stopping someplace where I bought two books on Mengele. I thought, 'This has gotta be some
sick shit.' So when it came time to do the record, that stuff was still in my headthat's where the
lyrics to 'Angel of Death' came from."[2]
The lyrics are written both from Mengele's point of view and from that of detached observer
condemning his actions.[3] They detail Mengele's surgical experiments on patients at the
Auschwitz concentration camp during World War II.[4][5] Mengele's explorations were conducted on
such groups as dwarfs and twins, and included both physical and psychological examinations.[6]
[7]
Among the tests he performed that are mentioned in "Angel of Death" are experimental
surgeries performed without anesthesia, transfusion of blood between
twins, isolation endurance, gassing, injections with lethal germs, sex change operations, the
removal of organs and limbs, and abacination.[8]

Controversy[edit]
The lyrics of "Angel of Death" delayed the release of Reign in Blood. The band were signed
to Def Jam Records, whose distributor, Columbia Records, refused to release the album due to
its subject matter and artwork, which they believed were "too graphic". [2] Reign in Blood was
eventually distributed by Geffen Records on October 7, 1986. However, due to the
controversy, Reign in Blood did not appear on Geffen Records official release schedule.[2]
"Angel of Death" caused outrage among survivors of the Holocaust, as well as their families and
the general public. The controversy led to accusations of Nazi sympathizing which have followed
Slayer throughout their career.[2] People took Hanneman's interest in Nazi history and his
collection of Nazi medals as evidence of sympathizing[2] his most prized item being a
German Knight's Cross.[9] Hanneman counteracted asserting:
"I know why people misinterpret it it's because they get this kneejerk reaction to it. When they
read the lyrics, there's nothing I put in the lyrics that says necessarily he was a bad man,
because to me well, isn't that obvious? I shouldn't have to tell you that." [10]
According to guitarist Kerry King: "Yeah, 'Slayer are Nazis, fascists, communists'all that fun
shit. And of course we got the most flak for it in Germany. I was always like, 'Read the lyrics and
tell me what's offensive about it. Can you see it as a documentary, or do you think Slayer's
preaching fucking World War II?' People get this thought in their headsespecially in Europe
and you'll never talk them out of it."[2]
The song drew accusations of racism, which the band has denied.[2] The band members are often
asked about the accusations in interviews, and have stated numerous times that they do not
condone racism and are merely interested in the subject.[11]
The song "Jihad" from their 2006 album Christ Illusion has drawn comparison to "Angel of
Death".[12] "Jihad" deals with the September 11, 2001, attacks, and is told from a terrorist's
perspective. Vocalist Araya expected the subject matter to create a similar backlash to that of

"Angel of Death", although it did not materialise,[13] in part, he believes, due to peoples' view that
the song is "just Slayer being Slayer".[14]

Music and structure[edit]

"Angel of Death", at 4 minutes and 51 seconds, is the longest track on the album, which is 29
minutes overall.[2] It has one of the most conventional song structures on the album, featuring
prominent verses andchoruses, where most tracks on the album abandon them. Hanneman and
King deliver their 'intricate riffs', which offer the few hints of melody on the album according to
PopMatters reviewer Adrien Begrand,[1] and Araya bursts out his piercing scream,[15] with
Lombardo performing beats of 210 beats per minute.[16]
When drummer Lombardo left Slayer in 1992, they recruited a full-time replacement
in Forbidden drummer Paul Bostaph.[17] Bostaph made one mistake out of the nine songs the
band trialled him with, on "Angel of Death".[17] Before the "big double bass part" there is a lead
section, which Bostaph could not understand, as he had to learn from live records recorded with
Lombardo.[17] Bostaph could not tell how many revolutions the guitar riff goes before the bass
sequence. The band members told him there were eight, "perfecting" the song afterwards. [17]

Reception[edit]

Continuing to capitalize on the controversy created by "Angel of Death", Slayer used the eagle atop
swastika as their logo in the 1990s to gain further publicity.

Although "Angel of Death" did not chart, it was highly praised by critics during reviews for Reign
in Blood. Clay Jarvas of Stylus Magazine observed how the song "smokes the asses of any band
playing fast and/or heavy today. Lyrically outlining the horrors to come, while musically laying the
groundwork for the rest of the record: fast, lean and filthy." [18]
Adrien Begrand of PopMatters remarked that "There's no better song to kick things off than the
masterful 'Angel of Death', one of the most monumental songs in metal history, where guitarists
Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman deliver their intricate riffs, drummer Dave Lombardo performs
some of the most powerful drumming ever recorded, and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya screams
and snarls his tale of Nazi war criminal Josef Mengele." [15]
Taking advantage of on the controversy, the band incorporated Nazi imagery by adapting a logo
to one similar to the eagle atop swastika during the Seasons in the Abyssperiod. Hanneman
placed SS stickers on his guitar, and wrote "SS-3", a song about Reinhard Heydrich, the second
in command in the Schutzstaffel organization.[19]

References[edit]
1.
2.

3.

^ Jump up to:a b "Reign in Blood - Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 2007-07-03.

^ Jump up to:a b c d e f g h i j "An exclusive oral history of Slayer". Decibel Magazine. Archived
fromthe original on 2006-08-13. Retrieved 2006-12-03.
Jump up^ Ferris, D.X. "Slayer's Reign in Blood". p 114

4.

Jump up^ "Slayer's King Says Rick Rubin's Collaboration With Metallica Was 'Slap In
The Face'". Blabbermouth.net. 2006-06-01. Archived from the original on 26 March 2007.
Retrieved 2007-03-21.

5.

Jump up^ Moore, Ryan (2009). Sells Like Teen Spirit: Music, Youth Culture, and Social
Crisis. New York University Press. p. 101. ISBN 0-8147-5747-2.

6.

Jump up^ "Josef Mengele". auschwitz.dk. Archived from the original on 23 February
2007. Retrieved 2007-02-21.

7.

Jump up^ "moreorless : heroes & killers of the 20th century - Josef Mengele".
Moreorless.com. 2001-04-30. Archived from the original on 5 December 2006. Retrieved 200612-01.

8.

Jump up^ Roberts, Michael. "Westworld Online interview with Kerry King".
Slayersaves.com. Archived from the original on 2006-10-18. Retrieved 2007-03-21.

9.

Jump up^ Lahtinen, Lexi (2006-12-18). "Slayer - Jeff Hanneman". Metalrules.com. Archivedfrom the original on 29 January 2007. Retrieved 2006-12-27.

10.

Jump up^ Davis, Brian. "Knac.com interview with Jeff Hanneman". Knac.com.
Retrieved2006-12-13.

11.

Jump up^ Cummins, Johnson. "Slayers Tom Araya on Satanism, serial killers and his
lovable kids". MontrealMirror.com. Retrieved 2006-12-02.

12.

Jump up^ Kornelis, Chris (2006-06-14). "Slayer expects blacklash with 'Jihad'".
spokane7.com. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved 2007-02-21.

13.

Jump up^ Gargano, Paul (2007-01-25). "LiveDaily Interview: Tom Araya of Slayer".
LiveDaily.com. Archived from the original on February 5, 2007. Retrieved 2007-02-21.

14.

Jump up^ Lahtinen, Luxi (2006-12-18). "Slayer - Jeff Hanneman". Metalrules.com. Archivedfrom the original on 29 January 2007. Retrieved 2006-12-27.

15.

^ Jump up to:a b Begrand, Adrien. "The Devil in Music". Popmatters.com. Archived from
the original on 15 March 2007. Retrieved 2007-02-22.

16.

Jump up^ Haug, Andrew (2006-10-13). "Andrew Haug speaks with Dave Lombardo from
Slayer". Abc.net.au. Retrieved 2007-02-09.

17.

^ Jump up to:a b c d Syrjl, Marko (2007-02-05). "Paul Bostaph of Exodus, ex-Slayer".

Metal-Rules.com. Retrieved 2007-03-07.

18.

Jump up^ Jarvis, Clay (2003-09-01). "Slayer Reign in Blood". Stylus Magazine.
Retrieved2007-02-18.

19.

Jump up^ "Master of Death - Heydrich". Auschwitz.dk. Archived from the original on 2
February 2007. Retrieved 2007-01-26.

External links[edit]