Dan's Metal Memory of the Month: 7/07

I saw Slayer before I really knew who they were. One of those life-changing, early teen encounters. Much to my Dad's dismay, after this show I wore a groove in my vinyl copy of Reign in Blood. I played it non-stop for months on end. At one point, worried about the noise level and what the neighbors might think, he came into my room and demanded I "turn down that garbage - it sounds like someone's being murdered in here." He could never decipher the lyrics of any other band I played, but Araya's gravelly vocals struck a new chord with Dad. When the crush wore off in a few months, I never saw him so happy that I was back to listening to the old standards like AC/DC and Motorhead. I guess he saw the threat of his son becoming a serial killer pass. (I must say, Slayer's new album is quite good.)