Raining Blood

"Raining Blood" tells the story of a soul cast out of Heaven, now trapped in Purgatory, who is plotting a violent overthrow of his former celestial home. The song's narrative is one of apocalyptic revenge. Songwriter Jeff Hanneman explained, "it's about a guy who's in Purgatory 'cause he was cast out of Heaven. He's waiting for revenge and wants to fuck that place up." Co-writer Kerry King elaborated on this, explaining that the lyrics describe the process of this fallen being gathering power for his assault. The iconic line, "Fall into me, the sky's crimson tears," symbolizes the blood of angels falling and being absorbed by the protagonist, strengthening him for his final takeover. The climactic declaration, "Now I shall reign in blood!" signifies the successful coup and the establishment of a new, dark dominion built upon the slaughter of Heaven's angels. The song is a powerful, metaphorical tale of rebellion against authority, betrayal, and the seizure of power through violent retribution.

A soul is confined to Purgatory, a state of living death, having been cast out from Heaven. This being is not penitent; instead, it is filled with a burning desire for retribution against the celestial powers that banished it. It waits, anticipating the moment of reprisal, knowing that death will be the only outcome for its former captors. The atmosphere begins to shift, mirroring the entity's growing power. The sky transforms into a deep, bloody red, a visual omen of the impending slaughter. This vengeful soul beckons the falling crimson tears of the sky—the blood of angels—to merge with its essence, fueling its return to dominance. The old divine laws, once immutable and set in stone, are destined to be shattered and abolished.

The spirits of those who betrayed the protagonist in a past life now haunt the scene. They are reduced to grotesque ornaments, their souls pierced from below, dripping in a horrifying display of justice. The hour of vengeance is imminent, and the time for those in Heaven is rapidly running out. The song erupts into its iconic chorus, a declaration of ultimate triumph and horrific rebirth. Blood rains down from a sky that appears lacerated and torn, bleeding its horror upon the world. This cascade of angelic blood is not just destruction; it is creation. It forms the very structure and being of the protagonist, who triumphantly proclaims an intention to establish a new dominion, one built on and defined by this violent, bloody reign. The narrative is one of complete and utter transformation through apocalyptic violence, where a fallen entity usurps divine authority and becomes a new, terrifying power, forever reigning in blood.

"Raining Blood" was written by Slayer's guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. The song was recorded in 1986 in Los Angeles, California, for the album Reign in Blood. The album was the band's first collaboration with producer Rick Rubin, who was instrumental in refining their sound. Rubin's production stripped away the heavy reverb present on their previous albums, creating a much more direct, aggressive, and "in-your-face" sound that became a hallmark of the record. Hanneman conceived the song's main concept and iconic opening riff, envisioning a dark, bloody scene. He developed the eerie intro with thunder sound effects and the main riff structure. Kerry King contributed lyrics, picking up on Hanneman's title and theme to flesh out the narrative of overthrowing Heaven. The entire album, including "Raining Blood," is notably short, clocking in at under 29 minutes, a decision made to maintain relentless intensity from start to finish.

The lyrical structure of "Raining Blood" largely follows a free verse format, prioritizing visceral impact and narrative flow over a strict, conventional rhyme scheme. The focus is on the power of the imagery and the percussive quality of the words. The rhythm of the song is one of its most defining features. It begins with a slow, ominous build-up before exploding into a fast and aggressive tempo, characteristic of thrash metal. The drumming, particularly Dave Lombardo's double-bass work, creates a relentless, driving pulse often described as a "backwards gallop." This complex and high-speed rhythmic foundation is complemented by the staccato, percussive nature of the guitar riffs, which often employ palm-muting and alternate picking to achieve precision at high speeds. The vocal rhythm is syncopated against the instrumentation, with Tom Araya's shouted phrases cutting through the intricate musical backdrop. This interplay between the furious musical rhythm and the more deliberate, declamatory vocal rhythm enhances the song's chaotic yet controlled feel, perfectly mirroring the lyrical theme of a violent, apocalyptic seizure of power.

Musically, "Raining Blood" is a masterclass in thrash metal composition. It opens with atmospheric sound effects of rain and thunder, which transition into one of the most recognizable riffs in metal history—a dissonant, chromatic, diminished-scale progression played in harmony by two guitars. This main riff is noted for its simplicity and eerie quality, making it incredibly memorable. The song employs several key musical techniques:

• Chromaticism and Dissonance: The guitar riffs and solos heavily utilize chromatic scales and tritones (the "devil's interval"), creating a tense, unsettling, and evil atmosphere that eschews traditional melodic structures.
• Tempo and Rhythm: The track is famous for its aggressive speed, driven by Dave Lombardo's powerful double-bass drumming and galloping rhythms. It features abrupt tempo changes that add to the song's chaotic and dynamic feel.
• Vocal Delivery: Tom Araya's vocal style is not melodic singing but rather a raw, aggressive shout that delivers the lyrics with visceral intensity, enhancing the violent narrative.
• Structure: The song has a somewhat linear structure, building tension from its atmospheric intro to a frantic, chaotic series of riffs and solos, before concluding with the sound of rain, bringing the apocalyptic event to a close. Producer Rick Rubin's decision to use a dry mix with no reverb gives the instruments a sharp, punishing, and immediate sonic impact.

"Raining Blood" is widely regarded as one of the most iconic and influential songs in the history of heavy metal. As the closing track to the seminal 1986 album Reign in Blood, it helped define the thrash metal genre and set a new standard for speed, aggression, and heaviness. The album itself is considered a cornerstone of extreme music, directly influencing the development of death metal. The song's main riff is one of the most recognizable in metal and has been sampled or referenced by artists in diverse genres, including rapper Lil Jon. "Raining Blood" has been featured extensively in popular culture, appearing in video games like Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and famously as one of the most difficult tracks in Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. It was also notably used in a 2005 episode of South Park titled "Die Hippie, Die," where it is played to disperse a crowd of hippies, an appearance the band found humorous and fitting. Numerous artists have covered the song, with Tori Amos's piano-led rendition being one of the most well-known and unconventional interpretations. A staple of Slayer's live shows for their entire career, the song is often performed with a dramatic shower of fake blood over the band.

The song is rich with powerful symbolism and metaphors centered around rebellion and apocalyptic imagery.

• Raining Blood: The central metaphor of the song is the "raining blood," which explicitly represents the blood of angels being shed as the protagonist overthrows Heaven. It symbolizes the violent consequences of rebellion and the foundation of the new, dark reign.
• Lacerated Sky: The image of a "lacerated sky" personifies the heavens as a living entity being torn apart. This powerful visual reinforces the sheer violence of the celestial coup and the destruction of the old order.
• Crimson Tears: Describing the angels' blood as "crimson tears" is a poetic metaphor that simultaneously conveys the violence of their demise and a sense of sorrow or loss from a divine perspective, which the protagonist then absorbs to gain power.
• Abolishing Rules of Stone: This phrase symbolizes the destruction of immutable, divine laws. "Stone" implies permanence and ancient authority, and its abolishment signifies a total and fundamental shift in the cosmic power structure.

The most significant recurring element in "Raining Blood" is its iconic main guitar riff. This ten-note chromatic phrase, introduced after the atmospheric opening, serves as the song's central musical motif. Jeff Hanneman noted its simplistic yet eerie quality, which embeds itself in the listener's mind. Its repetition throughout the song acts as an anchor amidst the chaotic structure and lightning-fast solos. Whenever the riff appears, it re-establishes the song's menacing theme and is a cue that electrifies live audiences. Lyrically, the titular phrase "Raining blood" is the key recurring concept, culminating in the final, triumphant declaration, "Now I shall reign in blood!" This repetition solidifies the song's central image and narrative arc, transforming the horrifying event of blood raining from the sky into a symbol of the protagonist's ultimate victory and ascension to power.