Album Review: Slayer Repentless

2015 marks the year of many big releases in the world of music. Some more popular than others, but the year is great for lovers of all sounds. Slayer, a colossus in music and metal, just released their first album since 2009. With Repentless, Slayer shows that they still got what it takes to stay atop the metal-ladder.

The album, running at 41 minutes and change, is classic Slayer.

Opening with a treble-y distorted guitar, plucking an eerie melody, before the intro song goes into a marching band mixed with war drums sound. The marching band-sound is soon dropped in favor of guitarists Kerry King and Gary Holt’s riffs, Paul Bostaph’s relentless drumming and Tom Araya’s iconic shouting. It’s Slayer all right. The title track and single has all the ingredients of the Bay Area. Fast and loud.

As the album progresses, it gets more varied. It pokes into several sounds of their back catalogue, Vices could fit on the heavier God Hates Us All (2001). Slower and tuned down, Vices makes you move some body part. Head bang or the good old rock-foot; it doesn’t matter.

Cast the First Stone has parts that fit around their impressive history. Piano Wire would not be the odd one out on South of Heaven (1988), cold and slow intro, and a blistering fast ending. The whole album has a natural feel to it as each track glides into each other.

Even though they range from fast to slow, Slayer has never been known for a wide range of sounds or variety. This is still the case for Repentless.

You have slow and heavy, fast and ripping, the wild guitar solos, double bass drums, shouting, and some melody. No surprises, nothing new, nothing different. All Slayer.

Their 11th release will please the old hardcore fans of the band, as well as fans of metal music in general. It’s an all over good album that has the best of the genre incorporated in a well sounding package. It’s a hidden “best of album of one of the biggest acts in the world.