| Review: Slayer Christ Illusion |
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From the decapitated head of Mother Theresa
on the cover to the references to Satan in the lyrics, "Christ
Illusion" is classic Slayer and delivers everything a great Slayer
album should deliver - killer riffs, lightning speed, aggressive lyrics
and one of the heaviest sounds in metal. It also delivers something
else - an evolution in songwriting that showcases the growth of its
members. Unlike some other bands that have been together as long
as Slayer has, the members of Slayer have not stagnated or grown stale
as musicians. Yes, it sounds like a Slayer album and is easily
identifiable as such but it is not merely a repackaging of an old album
- it is an album that features a leaner, meaner, even, dare I say, a
more mature Slayer. As the first album to feature Lombardo
on drums since 1994's "Divine Intervention", "Christ
Illusion" benefits from the reintegration of its long lost drummer.
Lombardo officially rejoined the band for the "God Hates Us All"
tour in 2001 after Paul Bostaph left (again) and the time he spent touring
with Slayer in the years between that tour and this album can be heard
in the fantastic performance Lombardo gives on the skins on this album.
It is easily as ferocious as his work on "Reign in Blood"
and perfectly balances the twin guitar work of Hanneman and King and
the machine gun delivery of Araya's vocals. However, if I am to put the spotlight
on any one member of the band, I would have to focus on Kerry King.
King's work as a songwriter really stands out on this album. Although
the album functions together as a whole piece of work and should be
listened to as such, it is King's songs that really burn into your brain.
The songs I have put on repeat most often are "Christ Illusion",
"Catatonic" and "Consfearacy". From the guitar
work to the lyrics, these are some of the best Slayer songs to come
out in a long time. On of my favourite parts of the liner notes
is the section that lists the equipment that each band member uses.
Kerry King's list ends with him citing "His Brain" as one
of the pieces of equipment he used on this album to produce his sound
and judging by the results, it is an impressive instrument. Since the weirdly coincidental release of "God Hates
Us All" on September 11, 2001, the subject of terrorism has been
connected to Slayer whether they liked it or not. On this album,
they seem to confront the issue head on with songs like "Jihad",
"Flesh Storm" and "Cult". Rather than picking
sides, however, Slayer addresses the issue by condemning all war that
uses religion as a justification. As the lyrics in "Skeleton
Christ" state, "I've seen the ways of God / I'll take the
Devil any day". -------------- Tinfoil's thoughts: I couldn't wait to get my hands on this disc and it didn't disappoint. Musically the band is as tight as ever and the disc is a nod to the bands sound in years past. Having Lombardo back in the fold has done good things for the band. More political the albums in the past and certainly with more powerful riffs that don't necessarily have to be blazingly fast to get the point across. It's a good mix of old and new. Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites          Add your comment
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