Review by Ken
3½ stars out of 4
Around the time this record was released, Slayer had openly admitted that
they were never really devil worshippers, and that all the Satanic imagery
they had so irresponsibly used in the past was merely a tool to inspire fear
- and to make fans believe that Slayer were indeed; truly evil. Hardcore
Slayer devotees were in need of therapy for shock and trauma after the news
broke; but for fans like myself who appreciated the band for their music and
not the message, the revelation came a something of a relieve. Of course,
the album title by no means implies that Slayer have repented and found God.
At least, that's not the impression that one gets seeing as how the music
here is as dark and disturbing as anything the band has done in the past.
While the songs no longer seem to obsess on Satan and Hell, they still touch
on Slayer's other pet subjects of war, torture and murder. One track in
particular, the relentless 'Dittohead'; sees the band re-visiting the
furious punk-thrash amalgram sound they incorporated during the 'Reign In
Blood' era. And '211' is another sickeningly creepy serial killer song- this
time centering on murderer Jeffery Dahmer.
Overall, a fantastic effort from one of the longest surviving thrash metal
bands of our time.
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