Mark’s Review:

I always thought Diabolus in Musica was an underrated Slayer album. It contained a few great tracks, mixed with a bunch of others that had their moments but failed to really strike a chord. This was pretty typical pattern for the band during the early 90’s, sputtering to find their next breakout album after grunge had laid waste to the promise of metal. World Painted Blood reminds me of this time and of this album, because once again Slayer seems to be exploring new ways of expanding their sound. Ultimately this will bring controversy amongst the fanbase, but since Slayer’s killing spree is once again being driven by Dave Lombardo’s legendary drum work, the end result is definitely more raw and untamed. Tom Araya’s vocals and Jeff Hannemen’s guitars all sound great, but even though the sound and attitude exist, some songs seem to lack cohesion despite a collection of standout parts. World Painted Blood is a solid effort, but a majority of it feels a bit divided and struggles to live up to its potential.

The first three tracks off of World Painted Blood are outstanding, and the title track shows how Slayer successfully incorporates new sounds to create the insidious and demonic vibe. From the midpoint of the song, the band uses riffs that are a bit more open, accenting the space between the notes to paint the picture of a slowly stalking and impending doom. Snuff begins with a wild Kerry King solo reminiscent of Captor of Sin and blitzes through three and a half minutes of pure fury. Unfortunately, after this initial barrage, the album’s power and focus begin to waver. The long stretch of songs in the middle of the album are not necessarily bad, but they fail to capitalize on some positive, yet fleeting moments. Beauty Through Order seems to wander and jump through different tempos, not knowing if it wants to be Dead Skin Mask or not, and Americon features some promising riffs combined with stale, politically-charged lyrics that plague the song with their lack of imagination. Luckily the album ends with the already-released, new classic Psychopathy Red and another awesome track, Not of This God.

There are some people that don’t like Slayer, those people are obviously idiots, but there are a few people that will not like World Painted Blood. While I think the album has it’s share of problems, it’s annoyingly close to being a great body of work. The album contains several songs that will become new live staples guaranteed to start pits and break noses, as well as some questionable tracks with brilliant bits left unfulfilled. Slayer fans will be discussing the pros and cons of this album for awhile, so that definitely makes it worth a listen.

Mark’s Rating:

King says: “World Painted Blood? Right after repainting the front door, thank you.”

Justin’s Review:

Let’s cut the crap. Much like the rest of the Big 4, Slayer spent a healthy part of the last 20 years adapting their trademark sound to match modern trends. Unlike the other three, Slayer never pulled a full-on Judas towards their fans, and when it comes to “returning to their roots” the band proved they were more than capable with the release of 2006’s Christ Illusion.

So where does Slayer go next? Dave Lombardo is comfortably back to the fold, the band has 2 Grammys collecting dust on the shelves, and at this point, would probably prefer golf and snake breeding to strapping on the leather pants and being drenched in stage blood. Well… this IS Slayer we’re talking about, so of course they collectively say “fuck that,” turn on the WABAC Machine and deliver us possibly their most well-rounded effort since Seasons in the Abyss. That’s not to say World Painted Blood is an instant classic. No… sadly, I think those days are behind them; but unlike their contemporaries, Slayer don’t pussyfoot around the issue either.

World Painted Blood embellishes on the “classic-era-Slayer” we all loved on Christ Illusion. The fast stuff is faster, the solos are ripping, and for the most part, that “late-90s-aggro-Stain-of-Mind-Slayer” is downplayed quite a bit (in favor of the “late-80s-try-to-be-creepy-but-end-up-sort-of-campy-Slayer”). All of which is fine by me. With the exception of a couple mediocre riffs and some cheese-dick lyrics (cough:Americon:cough:), the only real problem I have with this album is that it doesn’t quite sink in the way I wish it would. Positives aside, I don’t really see myself singing along to the chorus of Playing With Dolls 10 years from now, or trying to beat the solo from Snuff on Guitar Hero 18. Negatives aside, I do think World Painted Blood is a worthy addition to any metalhead’s collection (who the hell am I kidding… we all know you bought it the day it came out, right?)

Anyway, here’s to hoping Slayer continue to push themselves further (in this direction) before they move to Florida to retire. While you’re at it guys… be sure to give Larry Carroll a call next time around.

Justin’s Rating:

King says: “The only thing I like more than painting the world with blood is painting my face with upside-down crosses.”

Have A Listen:

Slayer – Snuff:

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.