Discover Top Posts Tagged with #repentless

LETS GET HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGH

Friday, March 7: Slayer, "Take Control" [ENCORE]

Repentless came out to decidedly mixed reviews, but there was no other way Slayer’s first album without Jeff Hanneman could be received. Even more than God Hates Us All or Christ Illusion, this album was the Kerry King show: although the band managed to flesh out Hanneman’s “Piano Wire” from a demo to a working track, “Atrocity Vendor” was the only other song not written solely by King, and without Hanneman around to provide some checks and balances, Repentless found Kerry King at his most unrestrained, which was too much for even a lot of diehards to take. But even with some truly lunkheaded lyrics and aimless riffing, Slayer could still be the most lethal band on the planet when everything aligned, and “Take Control” would’ve been a highlight on any of the band’s last three albums. Good production was definitely a major factor, as Terry Date’s recording was far more robust than the anemic production Josh Abraham and Greg Fidelman delivered on Christ Illusion and World Painted Blood. But focus mattered a lot as well, and “Take Control” was not only full of typical Slayer venom, but was also played with purpose, as Gary Holt ably filled in on lead guitar while Paul Bostaph slammed his drums with perhaps the most intensity we’ve ever heard from him. Yes, both Hanneman and especially Dave Lombardo were dearly missed, but Tom Araya snarled with much more fury than anyone expected, and Date’s mix gave King’s rhythm guitar added bite. The tune ably continued the rampage brought forth by “Repentless”, and briefly gave hope that Slayer could produce a great album without Jeff Hanneman. The rest of Repentless wasn’t quite as strong, but “Take Control” at least showed that the right dose of Kerry King could still pack one hell of a punch.

Kerry King - From Hell I Rise

The new debut solo album from Kerry King, entitled From Hell I Rise, has been out for the last couple of weeks, but I haven’t written about it yet. How come? Well, two reasons — I forgot, frankly, because the last couple of weeks have given us the new Childish Gambino, Knocked Loose, and Bring Me The Horizon albums (the latter of which I should be reviewing next, so you’ll most likely see that after this review), and those are some bigger albums than this one. Yeah, okay, Kerry King is a big deal in rock and metal, especially his early work with Slayer, but Slayer called it quits about a decade ago, only for them to get back together again a handful of years later for some reason. King isn’t necessarily one of the most lauded guitarists of all time, but his work with Slayer in their prime is great stuff.

They did a lot to influence thrash and death metal coming into the late 80s and early 90s, but was anyone clamoring for King to drop a solo album? I ask that earnestly, because this album doesn’t stray from the Slayer formula, especially after guitarist and principle songwriter Jeff Hanneman passed away in 2013, but the band’s last album, 2015’s Repentless, sounds quite a lot like this. If you like 2015-era Slayer, you’ll enjoy this record. From Hell I Rise does boast some musical chops, though, as members of HellYeah, Death Angel, and a former member of Slayer join King to make some heavy, brutal, and raucous thrash that doesn’t really do anything new, but it’s fun for what it is. There is some variety, at least with some groovier and punkier moments, but it typically stays within the thrash playbook. There just isn’t a whole lot to say about this album, as it’s pretty straightforward, but that doesn’t make it bad.

I’ve seen some mixed reactions to this album, but your mileage with this album depends on how much you enjoy albums like this, or how much you enjoy straightforward thrash. I enjoy this quite a bit, but it’s not album of the year material, and it’s not a record I’ll be clamoring for people to listen to. Well, I’d recommend it if you’re a Slayer fan, or you enjoy 1980s thrash, regardless if it’s straight for the source, or from a band that has an old school influence. It won’t blow you away, but if you want that kind of sound, I think you’ll do just fine with this album. There are some solid riffs and solos from King that ultimately show why he’s one of the most influential guitarists of the 1980s thrash sound.