Album Review : Slayer - Repentless (2015)

It's difficult for any successful person to know when to stop. Everything feels good all the time when you’re killing it. Slayer started the twenty-first century with one of the hardest albums of all-time, but it felt like they were petering out after that. Label troubles and tensions between the members creatively dragged down Christ Illusion and World Painted Blood and Slayer seemed to have overstayed their welcome for a second. But the hardest band in the game wouldn’t leave without saying proper goodbye.

Repentless might not be an elite Slayer record, but it’s a defiant resurgence as the band was going through chaos and tragedy.

This ultimate offering features twelve songs and forty one minutes of music. Terry Date's production feels bulky and sometimes on-the-nose (it almost sounds too clean for Slayer), but the band has found its fire back and that’s the most important. The intro Delusions of Saviour sets up the tone properly with a brazen, moody guitar lick that gets your blood pumping. Slayer has used it as an opener to their shows ever since. It’s a musical afterthought to Repentless, but it emotionally anchors the record.

Then Repentless kicks in to gear with what vocalist Tom Araya calls his Hannemanthem, honoring the passing of Slayer’s guitarist and genius riff writer Jeff Hanneman who passed away in 2013. It’s a fast and furious song in the time-honored tradition of the band, but the usual galloping thrash riff Araya sings to is chunkier and more textured than on Slayer-by-numbers songs. It’s carried by a spirited vocal performance and heartfelt lyrics about living your life defiantly in a world that’s falling apart.

It’s impossible to listen to the title song without feeling the historical weight behind it as a Slayer fan, making it perhaps better than it ought to be, but who cares? Jeff roars back to life whenever it plays and it feels good.

Unsurprisingly, there’s more than one banger on Repentless. In fact, there’s a surprising number of catchy, blood-pumping songs. Cast the First Stone and When Stillness Comes are two songs that could feature on any classic Slayer album….and maybe even improve them? Slayer are so good when they’re slowing it down juuust a little bit and embrace a groovier and more atmospheric edge to their sound. The latter is a particularly nasty and ghoulish number. It’s proper boogeyman music and it rules.

I also have a soft spot for the dramatic and narrative-driven You Against You that narrates the ending of a self-combustible narcissist. Araya delivers an scorching performance that paints over what is perhaps a most standard instrumental. The closer Pride in Prejudice feels a little gimmicky too but guess what? For all the flack he’s catched for not being Dave Lombardo, Paul Bostaph’s drumming performance really anchors the song and grants it a brooding atmosphere and lasting power.

Bostaph is not Lombardo, but the songs he plays on are consistently good and it makes him a different kind of awesome.

Jeff Hanneman’s lone creative contribution to Repentless Piano Wire is another moody and memorable mid-tempo scorcher. The guy was so good as sounding massive and unique. Chasing Death is also a lot of fun and doesn’t mind grooving it up. Implode is a little bit more straightforward, but once again Araya rips another fire-laced performance from his guts to make it a haunting number. I wouldn’t say the latter two are bangers to properly speak of, but they contribute tot he album’s fiery atmosphere.

The only song that I flat out disliked on Repentless is Vices. Musically it’s fine, but the lyrics are not Slayer’s finest hour: A little violence is the ultimate drug/let’s get HIIIIIIGH. It sounds a little 1980’s PSA-ish for my taste. But even then, I’d rather Slayer do something goofy and out of touch than seeing them phoning it in like they did on the two previous records. Vices is a goofy anecdote on what is otherwise a solid Slayer record and you can skip it if need be. It’s just good to see the guys going hard after it.

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Repentless is a much better record than given credit for. Although fiercely anchored in their post-God Hates Us All simpler and more in-your-face sound, it channels some of the aggression and theatrics of earlier records to offer something that adds a worthy final chapter to their legacy. Repentless might not have the lasting power of their 1990 to 2001 run, but it has its memorable moments nonetheless. I’m glad Slayer retired on a high note. It’s crucial to understand when to leave and they did.

7.9/10

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