This was Dimebag Darrell's favorite Slayer track. His thoughts on it. "Those guys have a real unorthodox style of playing - it's totally not normal. [Laughs] They have unbelievable rhythm chops. Their songs taught me how to play with guts and aggression. The half-time feel on "At Dawn They Sleep" is really cool, too. I like how they just start and stop out of nowhere, using no time to build up or wind down. They never give you a chance to get into a song: As soon as it starts, they're battering you over the head, hard and fast."

This album and their first album is all the Slayer I need. I'm addicted to that early thrash sound.

Love the bass guitar presence on this album in particular…

epic scary imaginative 80s Slayer is their best era. great song, lyrics and music

Man, I haven’t heard this album in awhile. Time to revisit Hell Awaits & the 1st album!

It gets more evil, try "Necropheliac" from this same album. But while we're on the subjuct of vampires, try "Blood Religion" by Gamma Ray. A crazy thing I recently learned about these guys, is that Tom Araya apparently knew nothing about heavy metal before joining Slayer.

“They got that Groove.” That’s the “Lombardo Groove.”

Fun fact: Slayer wanted this album “underproduced” to try and replicate the raw sound that Venom had on “Welcome to Hell” They came close but there is only one….THE MIGHTY VENOM!

One of my favourite songs . Slayer for ever 🤘

Hell awaits is probably one my favorite albums of Slayer!! Especially the title track Hell Awaits!! When they play that song live, you feel this energy come out of you that's something from another world!!

They use words not common to something you would expect. I was 16 when this came out. I didn't back then know I was a writer. I'm just over 50 now and realize how integral to my writing process they became. It started for me in Southern California, but moved on to Southern Florida. These guys shaped my creativity. God Bless Slayer.

You can never go wrong with slayer🤘💖🙏💯

Aggressive, Catchy & EVIL!!! That’s why they’ve been one of my favorites since the 80’s.

Slayer are so powerful and phenomenal, I absolutely love slayer, finally got to see them live in Seattle at quest field and it was a literal war zone, I was in the mosh the entire show and it was brutal, luckily I was sober and could survive 👍

Hell Awaits, sinners. Such a straight up diabolical record. Crank it up and you can smell the sulfur. I imagine Old Scratch, Lucifer Morningstar, at the mixing board, wisps of smoke coming off his fingers, smiling at the band. "Yes, this is acceptable to me. You've done well. Now, gentlemen, if you will just sign here."

The whole album is a statement; starts with the ending grove, or ends with the starting grove, whatever you prefer!

Hell Awaits is my favorite Slayer both the album and the title track. It's the one that got me into the band. I still think this is their darkest and scariest album and the one that would link to the Death Metal bands to follow. I actually love the underproduced sound as that is a big part of what makes it sound so sinister.

The whole of the Hell Awaits album is my favourite track on the album. Its my favourite album by my favourite band. Fuckin' SLAYER 🤘🤘🤘

Necrophiliac is awesome from this lp.

🤘slayer 🤘

Favorite track from this album is tough. It’s either hell await or at dawn they sleep

Something about this Slayer album in particular that really has its very own sound and tone. I can't really describe it but I wonder if the bass was using chorus effects or something

A friend gave me this on vinyl in 86 - ish and I got it as the third owner. The first two coul;dn't stand having it in their houses anymore. It was too EVIL. LMFAO. I still have it.

Jamed this album the other day one of my favorite slayer alubms great reaction T🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥☮️💯♥️

Great video. Your analysis and opinion are right on. Was definitely one of those recommending this song on that metal meltdown. One of my favorite songs from one of my favorite albums. Saw them live many times including their final show at the Forum :)

Back in the early 2000s I saw Slayer in a little club in philly, they just stood there ripping metal riffs with this white light behind them, It was like a fever dream.

Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax, Testament, King Diamond....my high school years...miss those times. Slayer is my all-time favorite metal band! No one kept it more honest and real like they did for so many years.

Finally this is topps. Ty my guy!!!!!

The title track hell awaits where they're saying join us backwards I was also 15 when it came out had to have it especially after having haunting the chapel and I believe the EP before was live evil they're the only big four that never went commercial

A great SLAYER track, love the grooves and the cadence of the lyrics

Everytime I hear this live. I get chills. And my Ass kicked in the pit. Many many times.

Oh wow...even Slayer sounds like Slayer (wink)...this is probably the best one I've heard so far!

Oh my God that's an old video I made! I'm so glad you decided to use it for your reaction, been obsessed with this song lately haha

As an 18-year-old in 1985 hearing this for the first time on the Friday Rock Show back in the days of radio, I thought this was the evilest, eerie riff I'd heard at that point. And the speed and the drumming. Masters before they became stale and monotonous after SOH.

Finally, love this whole album

Early 80s SLAYER FUCKING RIPS

By far and away their best work. Ty brother

You nailed it. This is one of my absolute favorites from them across the entire catalog. Also, very astute observation concerning their undisputed inclusion amidst the Big-4! I'm a metal head for life and I'd never even considered that point until now. Well done. Well chosen. ...and thanks for covering it!

Excellent. Gotta do Necrophiliac from same album, or Crypts of Eternity. This is the real occult stuff.

i fkn love your reaction and your point of view about At Dawn They Sleep and about the band's catalogue. Thanks man.

Listening to this song...it's like a time machine! Truthfully the whole album rocks. 'Necrophiliac' may be a bit more evil. Good stuff. man. you get it! 🎶🤘

Brilliant song... both musically and lyrics.. A song about vampires, from the vampire's point of view!

Love SLAYER 🤟🏻💀🤟🏻 they never sold out !!! For ANYONE !! Stayed true to their thrash sound !!

By far in my humble opinion their best work. Hell Awaits. The Shit!

Hello sir I'm amazed that you losten to that stuff that i've been listening for 30 years thank you for your reaction, that's good to see how over peaople react !!!

My all time favorite Slayer song ! Hell Awaits is also my favorite Slayer album👍🤘🤘

Amazing song 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

"I have heard this song" I appreciate the honesty, it's refreshing.

You should check out Overt Enemy’s cover of this song. Saw them perform it live in Corpus Christi TX this past March. They did it a fantastic job on it!

It's spelled FUCKIIING SLAAAAYERRR!

Dont sleep on the 'Haunting the Chapel' EP i had the picture disk back in the day. I fux w/ metal songs bout vampires & that opening riff is HoF. 1st saw Slayer at Moore Theater, Seattle, Reign in Blood, '87? Halloween no less. The Moore was an intimate playhouse then, w/ theater & balcony seating for idk 500+/-. Id seen 'Fiddler on the Roof' there. Now the sunken orchestra pit, the width of the stage & bout 6 rows deep, was the "gen admission" moshpitt.& what went on that night should never have been allowed indoors. Half the floor seats were broken flat, or torn out completely from ppl jumpin off the seating into the moshpitt. Ppl swingin from & divin off the balconys into the seating & even off the balcony edges directly into the moshpitt. Cushions & curtains burnt, drugs, fights & a 6'8" bloody Jesus walkin around.

Only slayer could make vampires sound badass and cool

Jajajaja. Increíble que lo conozca yo, un argentino, antes que vos. Buena reacción!

Its 85: i buy Hell awaits Under the blade and the first 2 Venoms at record store. It wasn't until I fell in love with south of heaven That I was able to go back and listen to Hell awaits it was that evil

Still my favorite SLAYER song. Reign will always be my favorite album. Great Review as always T.

This is by far my favorite album and song !

Your headbanging is top notch. Don't stop.

Slayer South of Heaven!!

FINALLY you react to this song 🤘SLAYER🤘

great reaction

Omg my favorite slayer album.

One of the absolute best Slayer songs. That intro riff is sinister af.

SLAYER- DONT RUN FROM THE DEVIL. EMBRACE HIM.

1985 Exodus, Slayer, Venom. Ultimate Revenge Tour....the stuff of legends.

my best album of Slayer to be honest,they play the entire album in 1997 in montreal when they came for the show

🤘😝🤘 Slaaayer!

Yes my favorite Slayer song!

Hell yeah! I saw them on this tour. I still think their best stuff is on their first four albums (which includes the 4 song EP 'Haunting the Chapel) I'm glad you got to hear this track. Check out some live recordings of them performing Hell Awaits, awesome stuff. /,,/ !

Awesome! I love this track! the riffs my god the riffs. Only Satan can inspire such badassery. Great album but definitely very dense, thick and meaty. Reigh in Blood is like Hell Awaits diet XL Hanneman and King were very intricate riffmongers! 10/10

Hell Awaits is one of the most wicked albums ever put out! Those guys were just a magic formula for horror metal and this album was grabs you. Really fantastic stuff.

next do KILL AGAIN

Been a fav since it was released.

The only Slayer I had heard before this was the only newly released South of Heaven. I was 12. I bought the cassette of Hell Awaits and listened on my own in my room.. I'll never forget the thoughts that the intro of the song Hell Awaits caused me. I thought I was engaging Satan. I listened through the album and I was disturbed that there were actually human beings out there that chose to listen to music like this. Now Im one of them. It's great!!!

I got to see slayer 27 times from 84 through 2015

The difference is...they never changed. Never sold out, unlike the other Big 4. Stayed true,for better or worse. They made plenty of money from true fans like me that seen them every tour since '84. 3 times on their final tour. They were the most consistent Band in my life.

My favorite song from this record....

Crypt of eternity is my favorite song in the album!!! I like to watch the way People experience music especially stuff like slayer nothing else like Old school Slayer- nuclear warfare, Hell awaits, Black Magic, Die by the sword Etc AWESOME!!!!!

Favourite song from this album has to be Necrophiliac.

FUCKING SLAYER PLEASE COME BACK!!!!

It's great you can enjoy good music

My favorite slayer album

Better than many. Hell awaits

🔥🤘🔥🤘🔥🤘🔥🤘🔥

No live version of this song, except the live Intrusion video

TNT will have long hair next 😂

My favorite Slayer song.

🤘🤘🤘

my favorite slayer record.

Insane

This whole album was so tough to listen to growing up... When it came out in 1985 I was only 11 and it was freightening! My older brother played it so much.. we have to hide our cassette tapes out in the bushes out front... This, Sodom, kreator, onslaught....etc... Were all in our collection... If my mom ever found them she would have burned them right in front of us lol 😂

My #1 on this record changes. Currently it’s Necrophiliac. The grove and notes of that song are pure evil. 🧟‍♂️

The title track is HeavyAF…

T don't forget about Pantera probly one of the best shows I've seen Pantera slayer and bio hazard same show

OVERKILL should be in the big "four" and then call it the big five . My Jersey boys !!!

I feel this is there heaviest song of all time

They should'v called it 'At Dawn They Sleepy'

The Big 4 is the Big 4 because they were the first legit thrash metal bands to go platinum, that's not disputable. It's not about a Top 4 list of favourites, it's a Top 4 list of profit margins. I honestly don't know one single person who would put the Big 4 as their personal favourite bands, mine would be Annihilator, Testament, Overkill and Slayer but the only reason I'd keep Slayer is because Dave Lombardo was my drum teacher, sort of, I practiced my footwork speed and endurance to Slayer songs, Hell Awaits is one of my all-time top albums, it scared the shit out of my Motley Crue, Bon Jovi loving girlfriend, particularly the backwards "join us" chant at the beginning of the album.

I have that pad on my jacket shoulder.

Old school SLAYER solos are the best. You should react to the 16 minute time bomb called Haunting the Chapel.

Listen this song from Live İntrusion concert record, thats the best. Also try Chemical Warfare, if u think u can handle :))