NEW SSSSSLLLLAAAAYYYYEEERRRR!!!!!
Wednesday, June 18th, 2008 at 4:12pm by Axl Rosenberg
Here’s a passage from D.X. Ferris’ just-released contribution to the 33 1/3 music book series. Ferris’ entry concentrates on Slayer’s Reign in Blood:
“By ‘92, almost every band from ‘86 [specifically Metallica, Anthrax and Megadeth] was missing some crucial element that once made them great. Except Slayer…
“Slayer held it together. Slayer kept their fans in the game. A Slayer album arrived every few years, no matter what you were doing in life, no matter what you’d been listening to. And they were all, at least, pretty darned good.”
Those are pretty much my sentiments exactly – in fact, they echo something I wrote way back in February of ‘07 (by the way, that might sound like I’m implying that Ferris ripped me off, but I’m not – I’m just sayin’ great minds think alike is all). I know lots of people hate hate hate Slayer’s post-Seasons in the Abyss output, including 2006’s Christ Illusion – but I’ve just never really understood that. The band has been consistently making good thrash for almost three decades now, and that’s why I always get behind them.
So I’m more than happy to report that band is working on some new shit, Kerry King tells Total Guitar:
“We’re supposed to have [a new album] ready at the end of the year! There’s been talk of all kinds of odd things, because the record industry changes every day. We’ve talked about maybe putting out a couple of songs from an upcoming record through iTunes, so we can play something new on the Unholy Alliance III tour. You know, that’s not so far outside the realm of possibility. As far as how much we’re gonna get done by the end of the year? I have no idea.
“Jeff [Hanneman, guitar] has a couple of things. I’ve got ideas that I’ve never finished, so I wanna get back to working on those. Some of them are really cool. I haven’t recorded anything yet because I want to finish the songs first — I like them to have a beginning and an end before I demo them.”
As Rob at Metal Injection pointed out, it’s good to hear that these old dogs are willing to try some new tricks, in terms of how they get their music to the masses. New albums by Metallica, Anthrax and Megadeth are usually iffy propositions, but a new Slayer album? I can’t help but get excited by the idea.
-AR
P.S. Ferris’ book on Reign is really, really fucking good (and I’m only on page 39). I had a really hard fucking time finding my copy, but if you can track one down, it’s totally worth the eleven bucks.
That’s awesome news. I always get excited when I hear of new Slayer. The only album I really didn’t like very much is Divine Intervention.
I wasn’t all that impressed with Christ Illusion. From a musical standpoint, it was decent, with a few standout tracks, but I got a little tired of the 3rd Grade level anti-God rants that made up the lyrics. I have no problem with the viewpoint, I just wish the lyrics were a bit more intelligent, which I thought their mid career output had.
What I totally forgot to say is that I still look forward to a new slayer album. As far as the other post Seasons output, I haven’t heard Divine Intervention, but I liked God Hates Us All.
SSSSLLLLLAAAAYYYYYEEEEERRRRR!!!!
“it’s good to hear that these old dogs are willing to try some new tricks, in terms of how they get their music to the masses”
Now, if only they could learn some new tricks re: songwriting. That’s one tired-ass one trick pony.
I find Slayer to be a lot like Ozzy: all you really need is one double length best of. In this day and age of digital downloads, you can make your own, of course.
I imagine that in the 80s, Reign in Blood was groundbreaking. I don’t think they’ve done much since then that is “groundbreaking”, but they are pretty solid. I mean, it isn’t like they started writing ballads or anything. They’ve made fast, heavy albums. I figure that is why they have a legion of crazy fans. Much like Motorhead, they give ‘em what they want. I guess their songs have been Okay, not mind blowing, but Slayer is always Slayer.
Plus they have fans like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXFuv7B-4lY
Only Slayer album that I haven’t found to be at least a few listens was Diabolus in Musica. I hope this new album is a little more South of Heaven and a little less Reign in Blood.
Insert “worth” between “least” and “a”
I’m one of the few that think Reign In Blood was an over rated album…it was good, but I can honestly say that there are very few on the album that I really like. I love the entire south of heaves and Seasons in the abyss. If you count undisputed attitude as an album, that one kicks ass all the way through as well. Christ illusion was good but in the midst of everything else that was out in 2006 I got bored with it kind of quickly.
Mankvill, may I correct you? it’s not SLAAAAAAAYYYYYYYERRRRRR
it’s FUCKING SLAYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEERRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)
yea nothing is more heavy than slayer!!!!!!!!!!!
I’m with Eric… I like the music, but I can’t listen to the same old anti-God lyrical content: God Hates Us All, Christ Illusion, etc. I love how aggresive they are, but these guys are in their late 40s sounding like kids that don’t want to go to Sunday School.
you guys constantly rag on metallica…but just you watch that new album is going to fucking rule and slayer will put out yet another post seasons pile of garbage…
ok ringo ur a fucking pussy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! slayer fucking kills!!! metallica fucking sold out. go read the new slipknot song for free arcticle to read what i think about them. slayer are gods!! yes the whole anti-god thing is getting old because how many ways can you say i hate god? i think they should reach onto something and sing about that. if they do that then i think that this could be the new great thing(greater than it already is). maybe politics? or multilation or something. this is the mutilation generation so i gess you could talk about that
I’d hate to see any of you guys falter from having shitty taste in metal, but the reason the last 18 years of their musical output has been derided is because ITS AWFUL.
LOL.
Even Slayer’s weakest albums are better than at least 75% of the ‘metal’ that comes out in any given year.
Always worth a listen.
OH and ragging on the ‘anti-god’ lyrics being a constant, if I may quote Black213: “IT’S FUCKING SLAAAAYYYYEEEEEERRRRRR”
Maybe Deicide should start singing about teenage angst too.
http://www.amazon.com/Reign-Blood-33-1-3/dp/0826429092 and its less than 9 bucks!
As much as I love Slayer, Diabolus was a truly awful record. Otherwise everything has been solid from these guys and I always look forward to more.
The lamest deathcore album trumps everything Slayer has done after “Seasons…”
SLAYER!!!
slayer one of the greatest bands ever, and there talented beyond beleif. And manny, your right, all the music out today sucks
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