SLAYER 1983-1984 - The Metal Blade Albums on CD

Today I listened to the 1985 Metal Blade picture mini-LP of "Live Undead". Sounds really nice !!! "Black Magic" and "Die By The Sword" seem to be the same versions as on the 1985 Roadrunner 6-song-mini-LP (the one with the white border), whilst the version of "Show No Mercy" is not included in its entirety on any other version than the 1985 Metal Blade release. It has a long drum intro / drum solo before the track.
As I said before, the 1985 releases have unique mixes.

 

LIVE UNDEAD - THE ORIGINAL MIXES

All 7 tracks were released in their original 1985 mixes on various records:

Metal Blade picture mini-LP 1985:
- black magic
- die by the sword
- show no mercy + drum solo intro

Roadrunner 1985 mini-LP(white border):
- captor of sin

Banzai 1985 (b-side of "Haunting The Chapel"):
- aggressive perfector

Speed Kills compilation - Music For Nations 1985 / The Best Of Metal Blade 2LP 1986 / Force Of The Blade compilation - Banzai 1986:
- evil has no boundaries

12 Commandments In Metal compilation 1985:
- the antichrist

So you need 5 records to get all 7 tracks with the original mix. Strange, but true.

 

I can confirm that the Live Undead tracks from the Banzai LP uses the older mixes, which I compared it to my 1987 Metal Blade LP (and yes, it includes an older studio mix of Chemical Warfare, too).

 

So now it is 100% sure that all 7 tracks exist in their original mixes.

 

Everything is nearly complete on the original 1984 mixes, except the announcement before "Captor Of Sin" which is not included on the Roadrunner mini-LP with white background. Too sad - all other stuff seems to be intact.
Is there any compilation album, released before 1987, including the live version of "Captor Of Sin" with the announcement ?

 

Good detective work, of these I currently only have the Banzai Force of the Blade compilation LP.

 

This one is very rare here in Europe. I've only heard an mp3 rip from the album. Seems to sound good on vinyl.

 

You've inspired me to pull the album out and give it a spin tonight. In my experience, Banzai albums on vinyl tend to sound pretty good.

 

@sathvyre thank you so much for all of the research and info in this thread!

 

Today I received my BANZAI pressing of "Haunting The Chapel / Live Undead". Sounds great and now I have all 7 livetracks here to create a complete original mix CD-R for my personal archives

Unfortunately, the "Haunting The Chapel" tracks on the BANZAI vinyl have swapped channels, whilst the live tracks are correct - strange, but true.

 

Thanks for this thread, guess I lucked out on getting the Restless/Metal Blade CDs of SNM and Hell Awaits back in the late '80s. To be very picky, my Hell Awaits CD says 1988, not 1987. Wish these could be remastered well, Haunting the Chapel and Hell Awaits have always sounded poor and muddy.

 

A big thank you for this thread....

Just caught up and read all your recommendations, I will be adding to them to my collection

 

T

The 1988 Restless CD of "Hell Awaits" sounds great. Nothing wrong with it.

 

I'm not saying there's anything specifically wrong with it, just that I don't think this album was recorded/produced very well to begin with.

 

It's a part of its time.

 

That is strange, I have the Roadrunner 125508 press and the Banzai BAM 1005 press of 'Haunting The Chapel' on vinyl, both pressings have the studio material in the proper channels.

 

Defintely not. I have also the Roadrunner "Haunting The Chapel". If I remember correctly, "Chemical Warfare" should start on left channel. On the BANZAI vinyl, it starts in the right channel.

 

You need to dig out your RR pressing and compare. I wired up my deck for the first time in two years after reading your post...so thanks, sorta, haha. Both of my copies RR/Banzai start with Kerry playing on the right.

 

I will re-check today or tomorrow. In my memory, the RR starts on the left channel for "Chemical Warfare".

 

Other way round. Studio stuff is correct, it's the live tracks that have the channels reversed.

 

Ah...c'mon...the 1984 Roadrunner "Haunting The Chapel" EP has no live tracks. I think you are mixing some things here...
Simply compare the first song "Chemical Warfare".

 

I have compared the versions of 'Chemical Warfare', that's exactly why i'm here! Have you?

 

I will compare them tomorrow...but probably you are right. Long ago since I listened to my RR vinyl...the BANZAI starts on right channel...the 1993 remaster on CD also starts on right channel...will check the RR tomorrow.

 

No worries. They both should start on the right for 'Chemical Warfare', Kerry is always on the right and he starts the song.

He also starts 'Black Magic' so if any of the 'Live Undead'material starts on the left, it's reversed, as is the case on the Banzai HTC.

Was hoping someone else could chime in or check it for us.

 

Ok. So the rough mix of "Chemical Warfare", included on the 1987 "Live Undead" version, has reversed channels. It starts on left channel, if I remember correctly.

Have to check "Black Magic" live version (1984 original mix) again....I think on all versions I know (Metal Blade 1985 picture disc, Roadrunner EP, Banzai), it starts on the left channel...weird...on the studio version of the "Show No Mercy" album, it starts also on left channel.