* ORIGINALLY FEATURED IN SCRAWLSHOP ZINE

SLAYER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YES KIDZ, HERE IT IS!! AT LAST, SLAYER'S LONG AWAITED FOLLOW UP TO THEIR "DIVINE INTERVENTION" ALBUM [BUT SHORTLY AFTER THAT, "UNDISPUTED ATTITUDE" WAS RELEASED TOO...YA KNOW?! THE PUNK/HC COVER ALBUM!!].

SLAYER 1998 HAS CHANGED THEIR STYLE A BIT. OPTING FOR A NEW SCHOOL SOUND, THE SONGS ARE SLOWER, GROOVIER AND SIMPLER THIS TIME AROUND, MOST EVIDENT ON THE SONGS "OVERT ENEMY", "STAIN OF MIND" ETC. THERE'S EVEN THE FUCKIN' GROOVIN' SONG "LOVE TO HATE" [WITH A LITTLE HINT OF KORN] WHERE TOM ARAYA TRIES TO BELT OUT AND RAP. THERE ARE ALSO KOOL EVIL LINES [THAT ONLY SLAYER COULD CONJURE UP] FROM THE SONGS THAT'LL CERTAINLY GET YOUR ATTENTION AND STICK TO YOUR MIND LIKE "ANTI-CHRIST IS THE NAME OF GOD" [A PERSONAL FAVE OF MINE HEHEHE] , "NO LONGER KILL YOUR BROTHER, JUST SLAUGHTER ONE ANOTHER" AND "YOU LOVE TO HATE ME"

BUT OF COURSE, SLAYER WILL NEVER BE SLAYER WITHOUT THE FUCKIN' SPEED AND MAYHEM THAT MADE THEM THE BEST SPEED METAL BAND IN HISTORY. THEY STILL KICK SERIOUS ASS WHEN THEY OCCASIONALLY PUMMEL YOU WITH THEIR SPEED PARTS AND THEIR CHAOTIC SOLOS THAT SEND SHIVERS DOWN THE SPINE. SOME OF THE TRACKS TO CHECK OUT TO BRING YOU BACK TO THEIR GLORY DAYS IS THE OPENING TRACK "BITTER PEACE" AND THE CLOSING TRACK "POINT"

PRODUCTION WISE, THIS IS SLAYER'S BEST SOUND TO DATE WITH THE FAT SOUND OF THE GUITARS, THE VERY CRISP DRUMS, AND FOR ONCE IN SLAYER'S ENTIRE CAREER, YOU GET TO HEAR TOM'S BASS UPFRONT AND DAMN MENACING TO SAY THE LEAST. AS FOR THE MUSICIANSHIP, JEFF HANNEMAN [IDOL!!] AND KERRY KING ARE STILL VISCIOUS ON THEIR RESPECTIVE GUITARS AND STILL KILL WITH THEIR BLISTERING SOLOS, TOM'S VOICE HAS CHANGED A BIT WITH SOME VARIATIONS ON HIS SINGING STYLE GIVING MORE EMOTION TO THE SONGS. AND YES, PAUL BOSTAPH SHINES ON THIS ALBUM WITH HIS INTRICATE POUNDING ON THE KIT.

I'M NOT USED IN HEARING SLAYER PLAY SLOW SONGS ALTHOUGH THERE ARE THE CLASSICS LIKE "SOUTH OF HEAVEN" "MANDATORY SUICIDE", "SPILL THE BLOOD", DEAD SKIN MASK" BUT THIS NEW STUFF IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FROM THE MENTIONED SONGS. MAJORITY OF THE ALBUM IS ALMOST TOO SLOW AND SIMPLE NOT BOOSTING MUCH DYNAMICS AND THAT EVIL VIBE THAT MADE THE BAND SO SPECIAL.

BUT OVERALL, THIS IS STILL ONE SOLID OUTPUT FROM A BAND THAT HAS BEEN AROUND FOR MORE THAN 15 YEARS. WE COULD SAY THAT SLAYER HAS AGED A BIT WITH TIME AND ARE TRYING TO INCORPORATE NEW ELEMENTS TO THEIR SOUND TO STAY FRESH AND CREATE SOMETHING NEW. MAYBE THEY GOT SICK OF PLAYING AT THE SAME TEMPO OVER AND OVER AGAIN OR ARE THEY TRYING TO REACH THE MAINSTREAM MARKET?! NOBODY KNOWS. A WARNING: OLD FANS OF THE BAND WHO LIVED IN THEIR OLDEN DAYS [LIKE ME!!] ARE ADVISED TO THREAD WITH CAUTION AND NOT TO EXPECT MUCH OF THEIR OLD SOUND AND STYLE.

I AWAIT THE DAY THEY GET THEIR OLD SOUND BACK.

This review is credited to:
DEATHCRAYON