Thrash Masters Paint A Bloody-Good Modern Portrait

The "thrash resurgence" that started at the dawn of the decade with excellent releases from such bands as Kreator, Sodom and Destruction hearkened back to the classic 80's period where not only were the German bands at the top of their game, but ALL of thrash metal was reigning supreme. Sadly, most of the American groups, including the Big Four, were a little slow on the uptake.

Slayer's 2001 album, God Hates Us All, was a step in the right direction (that direction being away from Diabolus in Musica), but they just weren't there yet. Too many modern influences remained and the rapid-fire thrashers like Warzone and Payback were too few and far between. In 2006, Slayer returned with Christ Illusion, which kicked many of the nu-metal influences and sounded like more of a true return to form. However, they still just weren't there yet.

With their newest album, World Painted Blood, Slayer returns with full force, delivering their heaviest, most chaotic album since 1994's Divine Intervention. With more speed, better riffs and solid song structures all around, World Painted Blood leaves the last 3 efforts in its wake.

Drawing heavy influence from the 2012 craze and the idea of the world coming to an end, songs such as the Grammy-nominated Hate Worldwide, the punishing Public Display of Dismemberment and, of course, the title track, Slayer is not afraid to instill fear in the hearts of its listeners and bring joy to the ears of longtime thrash fans.

World Painted Blood is not without some modern touches, however. Playing With Dolls slows the pace down a bit and allows for some much needed breathing room before the closer, Not of This God, one of the albums most brutal numbers. Thankfully, such touches are tastefully used and do not interrupt the momentum of the record.

One major drawback is the production, which tends to muddy Hanneman and King's guitars at certain points, but Lombardo's drums sound quite good and Araya's voice seems to not have aged in the past eight years.

I can easily recommend this album to any thrash fan, or any fan of energetic music in general. It is not Slayer's best work, but it very may well be their last great album.