Slayer β Haunting the Chapel
- intothewellsabyss
- Aug 4, 2023
- 4 min read
π πππ πππ ππππππ - πππππππππππ ππππ πππππ ππππππππ π’π§ ππ‘π πππππππ π¨πΒ ππππ ππππ & πππππ πππππβ¦
August 4, 1984 β Slayer released Haunting the Chapel, the bands first EP via Metal Blade / Enigma Records. (Apple Music or Spotify)
Overview:
Slayer's debut album Show No Mercy became Metal Blade's highest-selling album, leading to producer Brian Slagel wanting to release an EP. Recorded in Hollywood, the recording process proved difficult when recording drums in a studio without carpet, although it resulted in drummer Dave Lombardo meeting Gene Hoglan who was to become an influence in his drumming style and speed.
It was during the recording of this session that Lombardo first had the double bass added to his kit. Hoglan, working for Slayer at the time, sat at the kit and played a double bass for the first time. Lombardo was impressed and although Hoglan never gave him lessons, he did give him tips regarding the use of the double kick drum.
Although originally featuring three songs, the record evidences a marked evolution from the style of their previous album, Show No Mercy, and is considered the first demonstration of the band's "πππππππ" style displayed on later albums and is often described as a "ππππππππ πππππ". The songs Captor of Sin and Chemical Warfare were regularly featured on the band's live set list. Chemical Warfare appears in Guitar Hero Warriors of Rock.
Background:
Slayer's previous album, Show No Mercy, had sold over 40,000 copies worldwide and the band were performing the songs Chemical Warfare and Captor of Sin live, which made producer Brian Slagel want to release an EP.
The album was recorded in Hollywood with sound engineer Bill Metoyer, in a studio with no carpet which was a problem while recording the drums. Slagel was acting as executive producer. Metoyer is Christian and the lyrics from Show No Mercy did not bother him. However, the first words Araya sang when recording Haunting the Chapel were "πππ ππππ’ πππππ, ππ’ππππ ππ ππππ, πππππππππππ πππ πππππ ππ π²ππππππππ ππππ", and other anti-religious lyrics; Metoyer thought he would go to Hell for his part in recording the lyrics. These lyrical themes were inspired by the band Venom, who influenced Kerry King and was also into the Satanic image.
(ππππ’ππ πππ π΄π‘ππππ, πππππ π·πΏπΎπΊ)
Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo set his drum kit on the concrete and the kit went "πππ ππππ πππ πππππ" while playing. Lombardo asked Gene Hoglan to hold his kit together, while recording Chemical Warfare, with Hoglan thinking, "πΈ ππππ ππ ππππ ππππ ππ πππ ππ ππ π πππππ, πππππππ ππππ ππ πππππ."
(ππππ’ππ πππ πΌππππ’πππ π΅πππ, πππππ π·πΏπΎπΊ)
Hoglan was coaching Lombardo how to use double-bass drums to improve his drumming ability and speed; Lombardo asserts Hoglan was "ππ ππππ£πππ ππππππ-ππππ ππππ’ππ ππππ ππππ ππππ", although it was Hoglan's first time playing the double bass. Eddy Schreyer provided audio mastering and digital remastering, with the cover art design created by Vince Gutierrez. Haunting the Chapel was darker and more Thrash-oriented than Show No Mercy, and as previously noted, laid the groundwork for the future direction in the band's sound.
(ππππ’ππ πππ πΌπππππππ, πππππ π·πΏπΎπΊ)
Touring:
Slayer embarked on the Haunting the West Coast tour to promote Haunting the Chapel. Hoglan worked as a roadie for the band after their lighting guy did not show up one night, and performed Lombardo's soundchecks.
(ππππ’ππ - π·πππππππ πππ ππππ π²ππππ ππππ, πππππ π·πΏπΎπΊ)
Slayer and Hoglan would play Dark Angel songs during soundchecks, which is how Hoglan eventually joined Dark Angel.
Hoglan approached Dark Angel guitarist Jim Durkin: "π·π ππππ ππ ππ ππ πππ πππ’ πππ πππππππ ππππππ ππ πππ ππππππππππ ππ πππ ππππ. π·π ππππ π π ππππππ ππ ππ ππππ ππππ. π°ππ ππππ ππ ππππ, 'π±π’ πππ π ππ’, πΈβπ π ππππππ πππππππ ππππ πππ πππ’ π’ππ ππππ ππ π³πππ π°ππππ πππππ πππ .'"
The story goes that Hoglan was fired as he allegedly thought a roadie only did lighting, while vocalist Tom Araya's brother Johnny Araya would do all roadie duties, such as moving equipment, working with sound and lights, and setting up the stage.
The band performed a show on June 29, 1984 in Seattle, WA at Mountaineers in front of a crowd of 1500, the largest show they performed at the time, with support from Metal Church and Wild Dogs.
In Texas, they played with a band also called Slayer in San Antonio. However, it was the San Antonio Slayer's goodbye show.
Critical Reception:
Although the EP did not enter any charts, Eduardo Rivadavia of AllMusic awarded the EP three out of five stars. Rivadavia said Haunting the Chapel was a "ππππππππ πππππ" that "ππππππ πππππππππ πππππ πππππ ππππ ππππππππππ ππππππ, π ππππ πππ ππππ’ππβπ ππππ-πππππ ππππ ππππππππππ ππππ π ππ’ ππ πππ πππ-ππππππ, πππππ-ππππππππ πππ’ππ ππππππππππ ππππππππ ππ ππππππ πΌππππβπ πππππππππ πππππ." The tracks Chemical Warfare and Captor of Sin are played at Slayer's live shows regularly.
Vocalist Karl Willetts of the Death Metal band Bolt Thrower asserts the record was an inspiration for the band:
"ππππ ππππ’ππβπ π·πππππππ πππ π²πππππ ππππ πππ πΈ πππ πππππ πππππ πππ’πππππ ππππ ππππ ππππππ π πππ ππππ πππ’ππ ππ ππππππ ππππ’πππ. ππ π πππ πΏππππ πππ π·ππππ’ πΌππππ π ππ πππππ ππ πππ ππππππππππ. π°ππ πππππ πππππ π π πππππ ππππ π ππππ, πππππππππ πππ πΌππππππππ. ππ π π ππππ πππ ππππππππ ππ ππππππππππππ ππππ πΌππππ πππ πππ ππππππππππ ππ πΏπππ πππ ππππππ ππ πππ ππππππππ."
The late Chuck Schuldiner of the band Death said the record was "ππππ ππππππππ ππ πππ ππππ" asserting, "ππππ π ππ ππππ ππ πππ πππππ’ πππππ ππππ ππππ ππ ππππ ππππ."
The Black Metal band Perverseraph covered Chemical Warfare on a tribute CD to Slayer titled Gateway to Hell, Vol. 2: A Tribute to Slayer.
Thrash Metal band Equinox also made an appearance on the same album covering Haunting the Chapel.
Melodic Death Metal band At The Gates released Captor of Sin on a 2002 re-issue of their 1995 album Slaughter of the Soul.
Notice: The reviews shared here are for historical reference. The views and opinions expressed within are not always supported (in full or in part) by Into the Wells. β E.N. Wells
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