Letʼs get in our time machine and set the dial for 1986. Ronald Reagan was president, the cold war was still raging, and a good number of you ESP fans werenʼt even born yet. But a certain Los Angeles-based thrash band was busy working on what would end up being one of the most influential metal albums of all time, and in October of that year, Slayerʼs Reign in Blood was released.
Reign in Blood had a few factors going that made it stand out from Slayerʼs previous two albums. For one thing, the band shortened their compositions, making them no longer than necessary to get the point across (which also showed the influence of punk rock and closed the gap between metal and hardcore). But another big change was the introduction of Slayer to producer Rick Rubin, who helped Slayer perform more tightly as a unit than ever before. Even with an average tempo of 210 beats per minute, Slayerʼs sound was honed like a knife, and had no slop at that insanely high speed.
The album proved to be a landmark in music for its intensity and aggression, and its influence reverberated through heavy music for decades to come. With Slayerʼs frontman, bassist Tom Araya, and guitarist Jeff Hanneman both being long-time ESP players, we felt it was important to commemorate the significance of the 25th anniversary of Reign In Blood with the release of the limited-edition LTD SLAYER-2011 guitar.
Reign in Blood had a few factors going that made it stand out from Slayerʼs previous two albums. For one thing, the band shortened their compositions, making them no longer than necessary to get the point across (which also showed the influence of punk rock and closed the gap between metal and hardcore). But another big change was the introduction of Slayer to producer Rick Rubin, who helped Slayer perform more tightly as a unit than ever before. Even with an average tempo of 210 beats per minute, Slayerʼs sound was honed like a knife, and had no slop at that insanely high speed.
The album proved to be a landmark in music for its intensity and aggression, and its influence reverberated through heavy music for decades to come. With Slayerʼs frontman, bassist Tom Araya, and guitarist Jeff Hanneman both being long-time ESP players, we felt it was important to commemorate the significance of the 25th anniversary of Reign In Blood with the release of the limited-edition LTD SLAYER-2011 guitar.
Limited Edition with Original Album Art
The first thing youʼll notice about the SLAYER-2011 is the art. Anyone familiar with Reign in Blood will immediately recognize the original album art has been adapted as the graphic finish for the guitar. Take a look at the details... starting at the headstock, we added a special LTD logo in the famous Slayer typeface, next to the words "Reign in Blood 25". Pentagram inlays are set in the lower half of the fingerboard, with the Slayer logo inlaid near the 12th fret. The SLAYER-2011 uses bolt-on construction with an alder body, a maple neck with ebony fingerboard, 24 XJ frets, a TOM bridge with stringthru- body design, and EMG 81 (bridge) and EMG 85 (neck) active pickups. Only 300 LTD SLAYER-2011 guitars will be made for the entire world, so this guitar will be an instant classic for both players and collectors.
The first thing youʼll notice about the SLAYER-2011 is the art. Anyone familiar with Reign in Blood will immediately recognize the original album art has been adapted as the graphic finish for the guitar. Take a look at the details... starting at the headstock, we added a special LTD logo in the famous Slayer typeface, next to the words "Reign in Blood 25". Pentagram inlays are set in the lower half of the fingerboard, with the Slayer logo inlaid near the 12th fret. The SLAYER-2011 uses bolt-on construction with an alder body, a maple neck with ebony fingerboard, 24 XJ frets, a TOM bridge with stringthru- body design, and EMG 81 (bridge) and EMG 85 (neck) active pickups. Only 300 LTD SLAYER-2011 guitars will be made for the entire world, so this guitar will be an instant classic for both players and collectors.
