Show No Mercy: who drew Slayer's goat warrior?
A horned warrior in a red cape raises his sword next to a pentagram ringed with daggers. It looks like a heavy metal comic book, and it was drawn by the father of the band's roadie.
Flaming letters across the top, ending in a little devil's tail. On the left, the Slayer logo inside a pentagram, ringed with daggers and dripping blood. On the right, a muscled warrior with the head of a goat, a red cape flowing behind him, studs on his wrists, his sword raised high. It is pure 1983: a little bit scary, a little bit comic book, and very, very loud.
A job for the roadie's dad
Slayer were not a rich band with an art department. The figure on the cover, a Baphomet, was painted by Lawrence R. Reed, the father of Kevin Reed, a friend of the band who helped them out as a roadie. Kerry King later admitted they were just kids with few artistic ideas of their own. What they did know was how they wanted to look on stage, so they showed the artist photos of themselves playing, and the warrior got their aggressive stance.
Not everyone was impressed. Over the years critics have teased the goat about his outfit, a cape and something that looks a lot like a pair of swimming trunks. Fans did not care. To them he was simply the first face of Slayer.
Paid for with savings and a loan
The music was made just as cheaply. Slayer recorded Show No Mercy in November 1983 at Track Record in Los Angeles, producing it themselves, with Brian Slagel of Metal Blade as executive producer. The band paid for it themselves: Tom Araya put in savings from his job as a respiratory therapist, and Kerry King's father lent the rest.
The line-up was the classic one: Tom Araya on bass and vocals, Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King on guitars and Dave Lombardo on drums.
A small label's biggest hit
The album came out on Metal Blade in December 1983. At the time a typical release on the label sold around 5,000 copies. Show No Mercy sold several times that and became Metal Blade's best-selling record. Not bad for a cover painted by a roadie's dad.
About the poster
This is the Show No Mercy sleeve printed as a large 55 × 75 cm (22 × 30 in) portrait poster, from 2024. It is an original magazine insert, never hung, with no staple holes, folded three times as issued. The sheet is double-sided, with Paradise Lost "Icon" on the back.
Browse all original Slayer posters.
Quick answers
Who painted the Show No Mercy cover?
Lawrence R. Reed, the father of Kevin Reed, a friend of Slayer who worked with them as a roadie.
What is the figure on the Show No Mercy cover?
A goat-headed warrior, a Baphomet, with a sword and a red cape. The band showed the artist photos of their stage poses for reference.
When was Show No Mercy released?
In December 1983, on Metal Blade Records. It was recorded in November 1983 at Track Record in Los Angeles.
How big is the poster?
55 × 75 cm (about 22 × 30 inches), portrait. It is a separate insert, so it has no staple holes, and it is folded three times as issued.
What is on the other side?
Paradise Lost "Icon". The sheet is double-sided, so you choose which cover goes on the wall.