Slayer - Repentless (Released 9/11/2015)

Slayer hit us with Repentless today, the first album the band has released since Jeff Hanneman passed away.  The impossible task of stepping in for Hanneman falls upon Gary Holt of Exodus.  Holt is a quality guitarist and he works hard to fill a significant void, though his efforts are somewhat diminished by Kerry King taking on a larger role.  For the most part, King actually plays it straight, but there are enough "Hey, look at me!" solos around to drag the proceedings down at times.  Paul Bostaph fills in nicely for Dave Lombardo on drums; there can be no doubt that he fits this band just as well as Lombardo, though I still give Dave a slight edge in ability and a bigger edge in finesse.  Tom Araya does a fine job with the vocals and bass, but that should come as no surprise.  It's a good album, much better than much of what's out there right now.  How does it stack up alongside Slayer's best recordings?  Come on, man.  Still, an average Slayer album trumps a top-shelf disc from the vast majority of acts playing the heavy metal scene in 2015.  I contemplated giving this album a "C+" but it occurred to me that I wasn't being very fair.  This would get no less than a "B" if it was released by most bands in the same vein, and there are several big name entities out there that have never produced something as worthwhile as Repentless.  The opening track, an instrumental entitled "Delusions of Saviour," is perhaps my favorite cut, though it seems like it should exist as the intro for the title track.  Speaking of the title track, the song is cool but the "Repentless" video is totally gnarly.  Slayer + Danny Trejo + a grisly prison riot = 1 extremely metal music video.  Other standout tracks include "Piano Wire," the punk-esque thrashfest that is "You Against You," "Vices," and "Pride in Prejudice."  I don't think that any of these offerings stack up well against any of Slayer's best cuts, but none of the songs on Repentless fall flat.  In the end, I am enjoying this one, even if it will never be confused with one of this legendary metal band's greatest albums.  It's still Slayer, even if things look and sound a little different, and Slayer still raises hell better than anyone.

Final Grade: B-

Slayer's new line-up delivers a solid album that is head and shoulders above
most of what's out there right now, though it is surely a far cry from their best stuff.

Some Kind of Monster/Lars Sucks

I have no idea why, but I'm currently stuck on the song "Some Kind of Monster" c/o Metallica, a band I've always been lukewarm on despite my love for heavy metal.  Anyway, I really dig this track, particularly the lyrics and Hetfield's performance, both of which seem to represent some of his better work.  And then there's Lars.  I like this song and I'm listening to it a lot, but Lars (a mediocre talent if ever there was one) really sucks it up on this one.  At times, his work on "Some Kind of Monster" is simply awful.

Now, to be fair, I'm a diehard fan of Slayer, a band that has somehow been blessed with both Dave Lombardo and Paul Bostaph in their efforts to rock us all over the years.  That sets the bar pretty damn high, but it still doesn't totally account for my disdain for Lars and his meager effort on an otherwise noteworthy song.  Dude is dreadful, and if being in a rock band was like most jobs, I'm pretty sure he would have been fired during the recording session. 

What's up with Slayer?

So, like many of you, I've been hoping for another Slayer album.  Since there had been some talk of another release in 2013, I was on the prowl for details when I came upon some troubling news.  The band is gearing up for an Australian tour, but the finest drummer ever to pound the skins won't be manning the kit.  Though Dave Lombardo released a statement detailing the situation (it's basically a contract dispute) and closed it with a note that he was hopeful for a resolution, things don't sound good.

Like many, I am an avid fan of the band, and while I think the group is composed of several stellar musicians, my favorite aspect of Slayer is Dave's drumming.  To be honest, when Paul Bostaph stepped in for Dave once upon a when, the band still managed to produce epic material and crush their live shows.  Yet it wasn't quite the same, and I truly felt that bringing Dave back in 2006 was a big deal.  I enjoyed Christ Illusion and World Painted Blood, and I was eager for another record, but now I just don't know.

Again, Dave seems to feel that there's some chance the band can work through this, and it has already been announced that John Dette (who worked with the band back in 1996-97) is going to handle the percussion in Australia.  Additionally, the band is supposedly still working on new material for another release, but questions abound.  Jeff Hanneman is still recovering from a spider bite and Slayer is getting a bit long in the tooth.

Will there be another album?

Will it feature Dave Lombardo on drums?

Will I buy it if it doesn't?

Will you?