Album Review : Slayer - World Painted Blood (2009)

You know the feeling when you've lost something that truly cared for and you're longing for it and when you finally get it, your feel a weird kind of guilt because it doesn't feel the way it is supposed to? I know you know what I'm talking about and I know the band Slayer knows because it felt the exact same way when they reunited with their superstar drummer Dave Lombardo at the turn of the millennium. I don't think they ever talked about it openly, but you sure can hear it on their later records.

I believe this uneasy sense of guilt most apparent on their last record with Lombardo World Painted Blood.

World Painted Blood features eleven songs and thirty-nine minutes of music that ticks all the boxes of what I enjoy about Slayer music, except one: the fire. The riffs are better than on Christ Illusion, it has some speed and aggression and it's oh, so pristinely recorded, but it's so middle of the road in regards to the fuck-you edge that makes Slayer's music so memorable and empowering. The guys feel mentally checkout out of their own recording session. It breaks my dark, rancid metalhead heart to hear it each time.

I don’t think there are proper bangers to properly speak of on World Painted Blood, but it does feature interesting numbers. The title song has interesting riffs and a performance by Tom Araya where he ratchets up the intensity, but it does feel thin and minimalistic. I don’t know they recorded the guitars on this one, but it sounds like there's just one guy playing. With that said, I didn't mind it when it was a part of Slayer's setlist and it does have more girth live. The infectious hook alone makes it memorable.

Beauty Through Order is a lengthy, atmospheric mid-tempo corker reminiscent of the underrated Divine Intervention era. It's not a conventional Slayer song, but they became quite adept at crafting moody stuff over the years. This one does have this fullness of sound I’m looking for in their music. Public Display of Dismemberment is so Slayer-by-numbers, it could literally feature on any of their records, but it provides the expected thrills associated to Slayer music. It’s one of them here’s-what-Slayer-sounds-like songs.

On World Painted Blood, you find good songs where you’re not supposed to look. Americon features a spirited performance by Tom Araya and ghastly lyrics that aged like fine wine. I suspect it sounds better in 2025 than it did in 2009. Psychopathy Red is another straightfoward thrill even if, once again, the drumming is a little flat. The closer Not of This God is the closest they get to what they actually sounded like in the first Lombardo era. It’s not the best song on the record, but it's close. It feels good to hear.

Now here's a hard truth: some of the songs on World Painted Blood are kinda bad. Some are Diabolus in Musica bad. Hate Worldwide is thin and gimmicky. It sounds like a comedian from Saturday Night Live wrote it in an afternoon for a Slayer themed sketch. Playing With Dolls is so bad, I have a difficult time sitting through it. That main riff the band insists on sticking with throughout the song feels like right out of a bad 90s movie soundtrack. It’s original for sure, but it’s also one of my least favorite Slayer songs.

The rest of the record is neither good, not bad. It's Slayer on autopilot. The band was obviously going through some turmoil back then and you can hear it in their songwriting. A band in their legacy era is under no obligation to release new music as the fans only want to hear the classics when they play live anyway, so the material only needs to be adequate and this is what World Painted Blood mostly is. Christ Illusion was also just adequate, but World Painted Blood is both bolder composition-wise and a lot messier.

*

Although World Painted Blood is not terrible, I believe it is Slayer's second worst record. It's Slayer looking for a purpose in a world where they’re no longer cultural boogeymen. It features three great songs, two terrible ones and a whole lot of material that is just fine. Slayer’s discography is so rich with awesome material that I consider anything from World Painted Blood non necessary. I wouldn’t avoid if it’s your first time as it's part of their legacy, but it's disappointing if you're any familiar with their output.

It's their last record with Rick Rubin's American Recordings and their only one recorded by Greg Fidelman and it shows.

7.1/10

* Follow me on Instagram to keep up with new posts *