Formed in 1981, Slayer are an Extreme Metal band from California. Considered to be one of the “Big 4″ of Thrash/Speed Metal bands alongside Metallica, Anthrax and Megadeth, the band has dealt with a wide variety of subjects including serial killers, Satanism, Religion and warfare. The band is a 2 time Grammy Award winning band, and this release [the band's 11th], was issued in Nov. 2009.
World Painted Blood—-Beginning in a rather plodding, dirge manner with lots of added soundbites and odd noises, the song does not take long to enter the fray and blast of your forehead. The sound is less deep than the last release, the vocal is clearer and more down to earth. The pace of the song remains frentic….faster than I can move my fingers across the keyboard. The lyrical content is as dark and dense as you require…a good kick off.
Unit 731—-Grasping ahold of the more brutal pace that the last track seemed to lack, the song is violent in feel and a freakin’ free for all. The voice seems a little misplaced to me…like the passion is not quite as intense…..to me, compared to some of the Norwegian Metal bands I love, this is rather mild and sits well next to modern-day Megadeth.
Snuff—-Brutality from the onset….the guitars are in your face and the pace of the song is really incredible. It kills me that so many words can fit into a single sentence, but Slayer never lets you down. I would prefer the vocal to be a bit deeper, but I think that is just personal taste. All in all, this is standout…love it!!! And the lyrics…you have to read them to appreciate them!!!
Beauty Through Order—-For the song title alone, the song gets an automatic thumbs up….me being one of those anal retentive compulsively orderly people…you have to love it!!! The entire mood of the song is formed by the brutality of the lyrics that even after all of these years still manages to surprise and moderately surprise. The music is slower and really deep in sound, the song is driven by the voice and the evil word pukes into your headphones….this is freakin’ classic. A rant that includes death, mayhem and God can’t be wrong!!!
Hate Worldwide—-Moving at a much faster pace, this song really drives you to lose control. The chorus is a huge affair that will make you crazy…the words are spews of hate and distaste that makes you question your own beliefs…..the true message is a current look at the world we live in he outer edges of the shiny photographs of life we all wished we lived in…this is real and frightening. Slayer remain masters.
Public Display Of Dismemberment—-What a great title!!!! The music is relentless….better than Cannibal Corpse in recent years. This is dark…electric…full of dirge and moving all at the same time at an incredible pace. This is not to be missed. The downshift of the music in the middle of the song gives it that classic Slayer sound of older recordings…this is incredible…you will love this…I said so!!!
Human Strain—-Really dense in sound, the song never really breaks any new ground. Of course, that is what we all live for. I wish the sound of the song had just a tad bit more treble added in the studio, but that is just me…the musical breaks are nice and show diversity…this makes me smile…the band speaks of a future retirement…this just shows the enduring quality of the music they are making.
Americon—-Sounding much more current and clearer in sound, the voice is up front in the mix and you catch some nice clear vocals. The song reminds me..almost…of the classic days of Marilyn Manson….he could have really pulled off this song. The drums seem really up front…they get in and repel from your forehead….this is really favorite of mine.
Psychopathy Red—-Brutal from the very first note, this song travels at an incredible pace. The frantic pace of the music will leave you excited, in awe and lying on a heap on the floor by the end. This is pure brutality and the finest the band has issued in quite some time. The down shift of the nmusic…allowing the bass to come up front, and then the guitar…the structure is awesome…don’t miss this.
Playing With Dolls—-Odd from the onset, the lyrics of this very clear and concise song leaves visions in your head best not pondered on. Not as laughable as Cannibal Corpse, that is the precise thing that makes the song scary. The lyrics and the delivery are from a band that has mastered the dark and unnerving undersides of life that exist more than we would like to admit. This is great!!!!
Not Of This God—-Much more traditional Thrash Metal, the song begins from the very first note. The lyrics are shoved inside each bar at an amazing pace and the lead guitars are allowed to soar and shine. A classic Slayer tirade against religion, the song never loses its pace or intensity despite the drum interlude and the shiny delivery of a nice bass solo. Fantastic!!!
**** out of 5
No comments:
Post a Comment