Now, the real question is, can I find the last album (so far) in order to review it? Well it proved tricky, but I did eventually track it down (without having to buy it) and I'm rather glad I did, as I note with some sadness what all Slayer fans will have known for some time, that it was the last album to feature Jeff Hanneman before his untimely death in 2013. There is a new album due out next year, but this has got to mark the end of an era for Slayer, losing one of their founder members, principal songwriters and Kerry's guitar partner. Must have been tough.
World painted blood --- Slayer --- 2009
Before he fell ill though, there was a chance to hear Hanneman play with his bandmates and dazzle us all one more time, as Slayer released their tenth album. He wrote the music for half the songs, and wrote or contributed to the lyrics on half as well, the rest written by Kerry King with some small input from Tom Araya. I'm sorry to say though that the usual done to death subjects are again in evidence: serial killers, war, religion and madness, but then, what at this point did you expect from a new Slayer release?
No doubt The Batlord, and others, will be saying at this point “S
hit man! What are you thinking of? Deeper meaning in Slayer albums? Lyrics? Concepts? That's not what Slayer are about! It's about the power, the aggression, the speed!” And yes guys, I know that, I get it: you don't speak the words Slayer and subtlety in the same sentence, nor the word original. I understand that's how they roll. But it doesn't help me reviewing the albums if that's the only criteria I have to use.
“This album's fast and brutal.”
“This album's brutal.”
“This album's brutal, but not as brutal as the last. Oh, and it's aggressive.”
Wouldn't make for very good reviews, would it?
So I have to search a little deeper, even if there is no depth to be found. And to be fair, some of these lyrics are damn good. And well written. These guys aren't braindead. I just wish they could get away from the three or four main subjects they always seem to write about, and try something new.
The title track comes in slowly and sort of in an understated manner, with sound effects in a Sabbath groove before it explodes into the usual Slayer fare, rocketing along a Mach II, but with a darker, deeper tone than in most of the other albums to date. The song itself seems to be a carryover from the final, and bonus, track of the previous album, “Final six”, detailing the Apocalypse in lurid, gory detail in which Slayer seem to revel, almost as if they're looking forward to the end of days. King is in fine form and Hanneman, in his last contribution to the band makes a real impression, almost as if he knows he will not be around for much longer. The two guitarists seem to spar and war with each other as the returned Dave Lombardo stomps along the drumbeat like a drill sergeant watching his charges with a flinty gleam in his eye.
“Unit 731” revisits the themes of “Angel of death” from “Reign in blood”, this time focussing on the atrocities practiced not by a Nazi doctor but by a Japanese one. Pounding along at full tilt, there is to be honest nothing in this that's not in the earlier song, and why they bothered is beyond me. Surely all that can be said has been said about this subject? What's next? What the Russians did in World War II? Gulags? Guantanamo? Sigh. Originality, thy name is not Slayer. Decent song but seems a little pointless. At least “Snuff” treads somewhat newer ground, detailing how the internet has become a breeding ground and marketplace for every kind of filth and deviance you could want, not that that's news to anyone. Good use of irony in the lyric:
”Action! Torture, misery, endless suffering.” and
”The internet's an open door/ Everyone can see/ Dyng brutally/ The audience begs for more.” Sick but true. Great screaming solo to start the song off and it sets the pace for a track that in true Slayer fashion seems not to even understand the concept of slowing down. Pretty, as they say, brootal stuff.
I like the idea behind “Beauty in order”, as they finally step a little outside their frankly constricting box to try something a little new, tellign the story of Countess Bathory, said to have bathed in virgins' blood. Good dark vibe to this with some cartoonish screams made by Kerry on the frets, but they work well within the framework of the song. Tom sings it very well too; maybe a pity they didn't engage a guest female singer to give it that extra feeling of realism and connect the singer to the character, but are there any women who would work with Slayer I wonder? “Worldwide hate” has nothing new to offer in terms of lyrical content, though it's a powerful, driving song and a lot of fun on one level, while it's perhaps odd to see, after “Jihad”, the guys tackling the practice of law in arab countries, such as cutting off the hands as a punishment for theft. Hard to work out whether or not they agree with it or are protesting about it --- though, given their views on the liberalism of US justice, I'd be inclined to go for the former --- but “Public display of dismemberment” (surely to become known as PDD) rocks along with the sort of fire and anger and almost blind hatred set to music we've come to know (and love?) Slayer for.
And speaking of things we've come to know these four guys for, gimme an “A”! Gimme a “P”! Gimme an “O”! Gimme a “C”! Yeah, it's another song about the end of the world, this time mankind is wiped out by a genetic disease, and I must say musically “The human strain” is probably one of the best constucted of their songs I've heard in a long time, with Hanneman and King making the guitars somehow sound ominous as well as threatening, and when Araya dips into his more “normal” low voice he can be quite effective, kind of narrating rather than singing. They surprise me with a great rant against Big Oil in “Americon” as Tom screams
”It's all about the/ Motherfucking oil/ Regardless of the flag/ Upon its soil!” Spot on, guys. Spot on. The song has a great boogie beat too, and runs at a decent pace with some super solos from the guys. Another great track. They should do more stuff like this.
And we're back to another favourite subject, serial killers, with “Psychopathy red”, as the tempo hits up again, burning up the road with some excellent guitar interplay between Jeff and Kerry and, it must be noted, some really smooth bass licks from Tom. I'd like to say the return of Dave Lombardo is a revelation, but I can't: you all know my basic apathy towards drummers. One seems very much the same as the other and especially in Slayer's music I couldn't even tell personally that they had changed drummers if I hadn't read it. Sorry, Dave! “Playing with dolls” takes us back into the mind of the murderer, but with something of a twist, as this time it's seen through the eyes of a child who is witnessing --- but we assume not surviving --- the slaughter of their family. It even starts off differently to a standard Slayer song, with smooth guitar and a very ominous, threatening rhythm, slow and grinding, Tom bellowing his heart out but putting so much passion into his voice. Yeah, I have to say I really like this too.
And rather quickly it would seem, we're heading into the closing track, as “Not of this god” takes us out on a galloping guitarfest, with even a sort of drums solo from Lombardo in the middle, very hypnotic as the beat turns into a sort of blues/boogie like ZZ gone psycho. Mad guitar riffs scream all about Tom as he thunders on, like psychotic acolytes that suddenly jump to life as the two boys belt towards the song, and album's conclusion.
There is one bonus track to go though, so let's go searching for that ... There we go! “Atrocity vendor” appears also on the B-side of the single released of the title track, and it's fast and powerful as you would probably expect at this point, but to be completely fair to it, nothing special and probably only deserves to be a bonus track. If the album had ended on this I think it would have been a mistake. As it is it ends perfectly, a fusilade of hate and anger and power to keep fans going till next year when the new album hits the shelves.
TRACKLISTING
1. World painted blood
2. Unit 731
3. Snuff
4. Beauty through order
5. Hate worldwide
6. Public display of dismemberment
7. Human strain
8. Americon
9. Psychopathy red
10. Playing with dolls
11. Not of this god
12. Atrocity vendor
Well I must say that Slayer are beginning to show promise here. After nine albums they have finally really impressed me and some of the songs on this aren't just good, they're great. A few deviations from their usual lyrical fare are definitely welcome, and even their music has improved to a degree. Tom's singing seems to get better as he ages, but it's sad to say that it's the last we'll hear of founder member Jeff Hanneman. I would say rest in peace, but they don't believe in god do they? So I'll just say wherever you are now Jeff, I hope it's what you expected and that it's one bitchin' party.
And so we come at last to the end of my sojourn through Slayer's discography, my first Featured Artiste on Metal Month. Have I learned anything from it? Hell yeah! I've learned not to take a band like this for granted; if you look into their lyrics there's a lot more there than just angry shouting and cursing and wishes that various people were dead. There's quite some thought put into some of the songs --- many of the songs --- and though Batty, Jansz and others may think I'm misinterpreting certain songs or being overly analytical of what is in the end just a "Fu
ck-you" sentiment, I prefer to think that when any band writes a song they have some idea in mind, and hope to get across some message.
Slayer are still not a band I would listen to for pleasure, but I found to my surprise over the last month that reviewing their albums was not always the chore I had envisaged it to be. I would admit though that I don't see any huge development in the band from about the fourth album on; they seem to be sort of marking time, going through the motions --- always angrily of course --- and as I've remarked before, they really do need new subjects to write about. They've done war, Christ and serial killers to death (pun intended) at this point, so hopefully when they release their new one next year we'll see something different. Well, we can hope.
But it's certainly been an interesting time; loud, angry, vicious, fast, brutal, powerful: all of these adjectives can apply and do apply to Slayer, but one certainly does not: boring.
Thanks for listening to my ramblings over the last month and next year I'll be checking out the albums of Cannibal Corpse --- hey! Watch it Satan! You nearly skated right into me! Cold, innit?
