By Name: Slayer, Album: “Repentless”, Label: Nuclear Blast, Release Date: September 11, Rating: 4/5 stars
After 32 years, Slayer has continued to push the limits of thrash metal while staying true to the band’s pioneering and redefining sound of speed metal from the 80’s. Their newest album “Repentless” has been over six years in the making and was well worth the wait.
The album picks up where Slayer’s 2009 album “World Painted Blood” left off, in terms of the band’s sound and production quality, delivering signature sonic speed riffs, powerful lyrics and superb drumming.
Despite experiencing a couple of potential setbacks, the band has done a great job of replacing deceased guitarist Jeff Haneman, one of the primary song writers of the group who passed away due to cirrhosis of the liver, and legendary drummer Dave Lomabardo, who’s departure from the band was due to of management issues.
New guitarist Garry Holt does Haneman justice with his exceptional guitar-work, especially during solos where he and King are interchanging riffs, a signature move of the band.
Paul Bostaph, Lombardo’s replacement, does a great job keeping up with the band’s unorthodox pace, making it sound as if the band never replaced Lombardo. Lead vocalist and bassist, Tom Araya, relevant and sometimes blasphemous lyrics impress and overshadow his mostly lackluster bass playing throughout the album.
The first track, “Illusions of Savior,” the album’s instrumental intro, contains musical themes used during their opening acts. These distinct themes give you the feeling of being front row center at a Slayer concert.
At the end of the intro, it immediately blends into arguably the album’s best track, “Repentless.” The track immediately hits you in the face with Kerry King’s lethal guitar licks, which consist of electrifying alternate picking.
After head-banging through the first few tracks of the album, you begin to hear the more progressive side of Slayer, as they slow it down a couple of notches and Araya’s lyrics begin to stand out.
In “When The Stillness Comes,” Araya’s spoken word lyrics paint a vivid picture of a morbid nightmare in one of Slayer’s better slow songs since their “Season In The Abyss,” Slayer’s fifth studio album from way back in 1990.
Araya’s lyrics take a more sinister approach in “Implode,” a song about the end of the world. “Implode” also features Slayer’s signature style of interludes, changing tempos from zero to sixty and also serves as a good transition into the last four songs of the album, taking you back into thrash mode.
The final song of the album titled “Pride In Prejudice,” leaves a very thought-provoking impression; speaking about a racist, violent, trigger-happy society fueled by media hype and a tyrannical government. Recent events such as the movie theater shooting in Aurora, Colorado or the exiling of Edward Snowden for leaking documents of intrusive government spying, show that this track is one of the better and more relevant songs on the album.
Despite nearly tuning out from a couple of filler songs, the superb solo riffs played by King and Holt salvage those tracks and pull you back in. This album is nowhere near the status of the band’s legendary albums such as “Reign In Blood” or “Hell Awaits,” but it is definitely worth a listen for any metalhead.
