Eyes of the Insane

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Eyes of the Insane

Eyes of the Insane is a 2006 thrash metal song by Slayer from their album Christ Illusion. It lasts 3 minutes and 23 seconds and was released as a single on November 20, 2006. The lyrics, written by Tom Araya, tell the story of an American soldier dealing with mental trauma after returning from the Iraq War; they were inspired by a Texas Monthly article titled Casualty of War that Araya read during pre-production.

Musically, Eyes of the Insane features Dave Lombardo's slow drum intro and angular descending guitar riffs by Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. The song builds from verse to chorus and is noted for its intense, haunting mood and Araya's vocal performance.

A music video directed by Tony Petrossian was filmed in the Los Angeles area in August 2006. It centers on a soldier's eye, with disturbing war imagery reflected in the pupil. Two endings were shot; the version used ends with the soldier's death. The video was nominated for Best Video at the 2007 Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards.

The song received positive reviews from critics and charted modestly in Europe (Denmark peak 15, UK 97). It was included on the Saw III soundtrack and Slayer performed it on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in January 2007.

Eyes of the Insane won the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance at the 49th Grammy Awards in 2007, though guitarist Kerry King later said he did not view it as Slayer's best track on Christ Illusion. The track is often cited as a standout example of Slayer's mid-2000s work and as a notable entry in their Iraq War–themed songs.

Credits: Lyrics by Tom Araya; music by Jeff Hanneman; produced by Josh Abraham; label Warner Bros./WEA International.