[Metal] Slayer - Christ Illusion

It has been six years since Slayer’s last album and while that didn’t set the word alight, unlike any of the other thrash bands still on the go people still universally seem to look forward to Slayer records. You couldn’t say the same for Anthrax, Megadeth or even probably Metallica anymore. Perhaps more than ever folk are wanting to hear this record, featuring as it does Dave Lombardo back behind the drum kit since 1990.

The stupidly named Christ Illusion is an old fashioned machine gun paced metal album with no nods to any modern traits of production or sound. Apart from the slow churning build up to Cult, the pace is whiplash fast. Teeth rattling riffs are the order of the day, with some surprisingly tuneful squawls of guitar solo work smothered on top, most memorably used in the gnashing opener Flesh Storm and the extended screech at the end of the afore mentioned Cult.

Over these pounding buzz monsters you get the usual tirade of Slayer’s singer Tom Araya, now he’s no Paul Weller, and when your music is as blunt as a cosh to the head, why wrap up your meaning in fancy words when you can just shout what you mean. the 9/11 themed Jihad has something interesting to say but it gets lost in the general roar of the metal instrumentation around it.

Only the vague mood piece Eyes of The Insane does not feel right, as if it’s unfinished, with no real drive behind it. With all the speed and rage of most of the record, the Sabbath like Catatonic is a good bluesy thrash number and change of pace, this number is not slow but it’s slower.

Apart from these it‘s all Kitt on turbo, most notable of the speed blitz of Catalyst.

Easily their best album for years, Christ Illusion maybe a rather precise distillation of what Slayer are and what people want to hear from them but is that such a bad thing after a string of less and amazing records? This is a Slayer record, and a good one rather than a bad or less than great one.

Out 21st August on Warners, out now via legal download sites

http://www.slayer.net/

Jushin Liger · 10th August 2006, 9:27am

I'm sure the UK release for this album is the 21st of August.

What your saying seems in line with what I've heard elsewhere, it's a decent Slayer album, best for a while but nothing that'll change the world.

Syxx · 10th August 2006, 9:30am

Yeah, everyone i've spoke to about it had the same response.

"It's not good, it's not bad, it's just Slayer."

MarkMono · 10th August 2006, 9:32am

Sounds good to me, that was exactly what I hoped for.

Jushin Liger · 10th August 2006, 9:35am

If you got anything else you'd be disappointed.

*Charlie Parker* · 10th August 2006, 9:45am

Ach, it's 21st but its out on Napster etc.

Joe Spinebuster · 10th August 2006, 5:00pm

I don't think it has been even 5 years since "God Hates Us All", has it...? September 2001, I thought.

I have nothing to comment on with regards to "Christ Illusion" that hasn't already been said in this thread. Although I'm willing to put money on this being the only Slayer review on Earth which namechecks Paul Weller.

*Charlie Parker* · 10th August 2006, 5:05pm

Okay I'm one year out by a couple of months

Joe Spinebuster · 10th August 2006, 5:13pm

It's a lot easier to just assume everything is "6" with Slayer rather than going to all the hassle of finding out actual figures anyway, 9 times out of 10 you'll be right.

behemoth · 10th August 2006, 8:16pm

Great album, indeed a typical Slayer album and yes the best they have done since seasons in the abyss.

2nd November '06 - Chapter 2 \m/ Rawk on \m/

sinister · 13th August 2006, 10:07pm

Absolutely amazing album, for me, the best since Reign in Blood. Really never thought I'd say that about another slayer album. It's like Dave lombardo never left and all the crap they've released since then actually never happened.

Aki · 14th August 2006, 10:43pm

Piss poor album IMO!

When I first listened to it I thought Slayer had finally released something special again and redeemed themselves for 12 years of absolute pish. But then I got onto track 3 and the snooze fest began. The riffs are, largely, pedestrian and do nothing for me and the lyrics make me cringe and I don't want to shout along to them like I do with some of the earlier albums.

The album's one redeeming feature is it's comedy appeal: putting a Zomie Pirate-Jesus on the cover was a great decision.

It hasn't really been that great a year for Thrash to be honest; I wasn't overly keen on the new Sadus, Sodom, or Tankard albums. Moreover, the past 12 months haven't been much better; the new Exodus was a step in the wrong direction, the new Destruction album was a huge disappointment. The new Metal Church album is pretty fucking decent but not as good as the last one and you can't really call MC Thrash. On the other hand, there have been quite a few good releases from the unsigned UK and Ireland Thrash bands; Gama Bomb, Mass Extinction, and Evile have all released better stuff than the old guard in the last year or so.

heartworm · 14th August 2006, 11:25pm

wheres the HUGE big fuck off cheesy smilie, coz thats what I feel like witht his

jsellers · 14th December 2006, 7:24pm

you know me and my friend went into the store to go buy this and then my friend made a joke and we was paying when he made it....he said

wow this is gonna be great we can listen to it on the way to church..

ha ha it was funny!!

Schillinger · 1st January 2007, 11:20pm

Being a childhood Slayer fan who has survived 28 years, I can't pretend to be particularly thrilled with the new album, in fact, I don't think I've listened to it in it's entirety yet. Everything up to and including, 'Seasons In The Abyss' is timeless as far as I'm concerned. Then there was the disappointing 'Divine Intervention', followed by the much-maligned, but personally adored 'Undisputed Attitude' punk covers album. I lost interest in Slayer after that and the two subsequent albums were just same-old as far as I was concerned.

Credit to them for not going nu-metal and adpoting jump-da-fuck parts into their music, but their musical formula, image, and targets just bore me now. Religion bores the fuck out of me, and that includes those ranting and raving against it. "I've made my choice, it's 666" would've been a funny lyric on their first album, but a lame one 20 years on.

I agree with much of the review, but I think many people of this genre are looking forward to new upcoming Megadeth album as much as they did 'Christ Illusion'. The fact Mustaine has been allowed time to assemble it, gives me hope it will be their best since 'Youthanasia' at least.