Album Review: Slayer – Repentless (Nuclear Blast)

Slayer are one thing for sure…consistent. Repentless is the bands 11th album & coming after line-up changes & the unfortunate death of founder Jeff Hanneman.

Opting for a short 2 minute, no vocals, opening song Delusions of Saviour will get the muscles in your neck working instantly. A really catchy number that is an instant reminder of why Slayer are top of their game still.

Repentless picks up the more well-known Slayer speed with Tom Araya vocals really shining here. Its pace never lets up & even with a drawn out guitar solo it’s a very enjoyable listen.

Take Control has a bit of a mixed start, on one hand the guitar/drum combo is impressive but the vocals end up drowning a lot of it out. After the guitar solo it picks up nicely & ends on a much better note.

I love the drumming on Vices, some really punchy stuff that dominates throughout but never overshadows the rest. A slow moody affair with some really interesting lyrical content. Either side of a well-played yet uninspiring guitar solo the song is one of the best on the album.

Cast the First Stone is a an unmemorable track with only the obligatory guitar solo worth shouting about, solid throughout but nothing to get too excited about.

The first released single, When the Stillness Comes is a track that could have been ripped straight from the Seasons in the Abyss album. A really dark & deep sounding affair with sudden punches of vocal power & brief flurries of heaviness.

Chasing Death is pit-pleasing number with a solid sounding riff that sits back & lets some killer sounding vocals & drums lead the track. An instant head-banging hit.

Pure heaviness leads Implode into a more traditional Slayer sound as the pace is suddenly increased as if a race has started & every instrument is desperately trying to get to the finish line. It’s a more classic style Slayer song that long-time fans will enjoy.

Piano Wire starts off strongly enough with a solid drum beat/guitar riff backing up some quality vocals. Its solid stuff especially with small moments where the speed increases. Unfortunately a guitar solo that feels out of place disrupts the rest of the song & then it’s over before getting a chance to recover.

It’s very easy to enjoy Atrocity Vendor as it’s another classic, no frills Slayer song. Fast & heavy, exactly what we expect from the band.

You Against You has one of the more enjoyable guitar riffs throughout the album & it helps lift an otherwise uninspired track while the final track on the album, Pride in Prejudice aims to end things on a heavy high. An excellent album closer that showcases what Slayer have always been about while also added more slower elements & keeping things intensely heavy.

A great Slayer album with some really great tracks. The ones that aren’t so good tend to be ‘by the number’ affairs & unmemorable.