Slayer

Still Reigning DVD (2004)

Brandon Sideleau

By now Slayer has been around for over 20 years, and unlike many other bands (for better or for worse), Slayer has changed very little in those 20 years. I think the band understands that when people buy a Slayer record, they want violent and fast thrash metal…and that's what they never fail to deliver. This new DVD, "Still Reigning," pretty much proves that these guys can (much like a band like Bad Religion) play their songs live so well it sounds as if you're listening to the original studio recordings.

On the DVD they blast through the entire Reign In Blood album during their set, which ends with the band playing "Raining Blood" while being drenched by fake blood from a vast sprinkler system above the stage. The set is about what you'd expect from Slayer; the songs are played perfectly and the whole set is tight and intense. The only complaint I have is with the fact that there is very little physical interaction with the music; for the most part the band just stands and plays. This is most likely due to the fact that every member is carrying an instrument, but it's a small complaint nonetheless.

Bonus materials are ample, with an entire extra set of non-Reign In Blood live footage and extensive interviews with the band members. As far as picture and sound quality goes, this is a major studio release from a recent show, so it's obviously clear, clean and nicely edited.

The bottom line is, if you never liked Slayer before then this won't change your opinion, but if you're a fan of the band or this kind of music in general, buy this DVD; it's well worth it.