Review: Slayer – World Painted Blood (2009)
Unlike many of their thrash peers from their 80’s heyday, Slayer has remained as heavy as ever, putting out album after album of pulse pounding, boundary pushing, audible heresy. However, many metalheads (i.e. those who don’t cut themselves in the name of the band as a form of ridiculous worship), have been critical of several of their albums despite never really lacking any of heavy spirit that got them off the ground to begin with, with God Hates Us All as a particular favorite to be picked on. Many have claimed they went too mainstream during the nu-metal era bringing shitty bands on tour with them, etc. After hearing World Painted Blood though, all I can say is I hope all the naysayers finally shut the fuck up. I am no fanboy of Slayer, and will admit they have made a few stinkers in their time, but they have never, ever compromised who they are, and World Painted Blood is a premiere example of a career almost 30 years in the making, sounding as fresh as ever.
I will say this though, World Painted Blood is an effort that Slayer hasn’t created since South of Heaven, and that is a HUGE deal for the metal community. Rarely does a band as storied as Slayer get to re-live their yesteryear glories, but the bay area’s darkest have defied the odds. World Painted Blood is an ode to all that is fantastic about thrash, with Araya sounding enlivened (finally), Lombardo brutalizing his drums with a ferocity that would make many death metal drummers blush, and of course, the highlight of the album, the unbelievable breakneck chaos from the duo of Hanneman and King. Wow. One of the biggest problems people had with Slayer’s most recent albums has been the dumbed down riffs, which I agree with. I think that many of those songs needed to be written in order to just make something different from a band that has been at it for so long, but also to make moments like World Painted Blood taste so much sweeter to long time fans.
Sometimes, the world is just right. With Megadeth putting out the great End Game, and Testament’s comeback effort from last year, it would seems that the Bay Area is back on top, and perhaps better than ever.
AMAZING
Similar Artists: Come on, really?
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
Tom Araya – Vocals, Bass Guitar
Jeff Hanneman – Guitar
Kerry King – Guitar
Dave Lombardo – Drums
American Recordings
Review by CODY
« Puscifer’s New EP May Have A Long Name, But It Makes Me Giggle
Master To Embark on South American Tour »
Comments
Comment from Tim
Time: November 20, 2009, 2:15 pm
Agree joe. Idk, i just sounded so…generic?
Comment from cody
Time: November 21, 2009, 1:42 am
Warbringer’s new album doesn’t come close, and Kreator doesn’t have the same chaoti atmosphere that this album possesses. Endgame is definitely a contender for being better though.
Comment from C*ntH@ck
Time: November 21, 2009, 8:15 pm
Back in the real world, this album is nothing but utter horseshit. The members of Slayer should have been killed off in a house fire somewhere after releasing RiB, the planet would have been spared from having to tolerate more than two decades of boring and shit music from these cock smokers.
Comment from CARTER
Time: November 23, 2009, 10:59 am
I could teach Nate to play guitar better than Kerry King. That guy is one of the most overrated guitarists in metal, if not THE most overrated guitarist.
Comment from Joe
Time: November 19, 2009, 11:53 pm
Don’t really like this at all TBH. Endgame was much better this year, as was Kreator and Warbringers new albums this year.