Slayer, one of the “Big Four” of thrash metal, has released their tenth studio album, “World Painted Blood.”
And it is a disappointment.
The first thing a listener will note is the terrible sound quality. Each instrument’s volume is increased to such a degree that unwanted distortion (and not the good, Rock ‘n’ Roll kind) cracks out of the speakers.
The mix is also lackluster in that the guitars are crammed so high up that the bass is inaudible for 80 percent of the album. Perhaps this is one of the more disappointing aspects of the album, as Slayer’s previous records had pretty stellar audio quality.
Even on their very first album, 1983’s “Show No Mercy,” one could clearly hear what both guitars were doing, the bass line was identifiable and the drums did not pierce your ears with each downbeat. Compared to previous records, “World Painted Blood” sounds like a tangled web of noise and static.
Next in line to upset are the band’s asinine lyrics. While songs about war, violence, mistrust and abuses of power have been around in metal since the 1970s, Slayer has taken these themes to a new level of redundancy and stupidity.
Rather than have each song about a coherent and unique topic, it feels like the band was just writing a line because it sounds “metal,” and then puts it with another equally “metal” line and called it a day.
Here are some examples of the band’s lyrical wit: “Anarchy, disarray this is the world today / Justice is a lie for the followers to get by / No peace, only guns, can’t trust anyone,” from the wonderfully titled “Public Display of Dismemberment.” Another prime example: “Mistress of cruelty, a name that will not die / You are my sacrifice / Blood is the deficit / Bathing in blood, your heart, your soul, your god,” from “Beauty Through Order.”
Of course, it doesn’t help that lead singer Tom Araya doesn’t actually sing these lyrics so much as he shouts and screams them like a drunken frat boy on a Friday night. While screaming and shouting a song (rather than say, singing) isn’t that uncommon for heavy metal, most listeners will probably be put off by this quality in Slayer’s “vocalist.”
To be fair though, a quick review of Slayer’s previous albums shows that “World Painted Blood”’s lyrical and vocal style is just the way Slayer does things. Fans of the band will probably not be disappointed and glad to hear a familiar voice. Newcomers to Slayer (or the metal genre in general) will probably leave unimpressed.
In summary, “World Painted Blood” is a jarring experience from the get-go. The sound is amped so much that the sound quality of the instruments suffer, and listeners may have to turn the iPod down in order to listen without being in pain (but perhaps that was the band’s intention). The lyrics are dumb and typical for a metal band, and the singer screams more than actually sings.
If you are a fan of Slayer, then this album is probably going to be fine to your ears. There’s nothing new from the band, but it still has the good stuff you love.
One out of Five stars
