Band:	Slayer
Album:	Repentless
Style:	Thrash metal
Release date:	September 11, 2015
Guest review by:	nikarg

Disc I
01. Delusions Of Saviour
02. Repentless
03. Take Control
04. Vices
05. Cast The First Stone
06. When The Stillness Comes
07. Chasing Death
08. Implode
09. Piano Wire
10. Atrocity Vendor
11. You Against You
12. Pride In Prejudice

Disc II [deluxe bonus]
01. Live At Wacken 2014
02. Making Of 'Repentless' [documentary]

Approximately four years ago, just two months after Jeff Hanneman's passing, on the 1st of July 2013, I went to watch Slayer play at a festival that also included appearances from Kvelertak, Rotting Christ, Napalm Death and Down. The thrash legends were the last band to play and halfway through their set, Phil Anselmo showed up on stage. It was his birthday (as well as mine), so they played "Happy Birthday" for him (and for me, haha). Then, being under the influence of something, Phil gave an incoherent speech full of tears and drama that concluded with the words: "Slayer don't need me, I need fucking Slayer". Now, two questions come to mind: a) do we actually need "fucking Slayer" today? and b) is there life after Jeff?

Repentless is the band's first effort without the legendary Jeff Hanneman and the first without Dave Lombardo since God Hates Us All in 2001. The former's shoes were filled in the studio by Gary Holt from Exodus, one of the very few guitarists that could actually be hired to try something like this without it being considered utter blasphemy. Gary gives a great guitar performance as always, but he was not allowed to have any songwriting contribution in the album. The godfather of double bass was replaced by the familiar Paul Bostaph, whose performance is nothing less than outstanding. Paul is a real beast, not up there in the same level as Lombardo (no one is up there anyway besides Dave himself), but still very close. Tom Araya still sounds as angry and pissed as ever, even though he is in his mid-fifties. His bass is hardly heard, but this is no news. But how does the album sound?

Repentless is practically written entirely by Kerry King and he has a lot to prove, since the general consensus is that he was the one who insisted on Slayer continuing after Jeff's death. The album is exactly what you expect from them: pure thrash destruction. After the hauntingly beautiful intro, "Delusions Of Saviour", the title track kicks in and gives everyone the opportunity to scream "fucking Slayeeer!". It's a song that really stands out, although it bothers me that its opening riff is very similar to Sepultura's "Arise". Best track is probably "You Against You" with its great riffs and solos, followed by the fast and furious "Take Control", the punk-influenced "Atrocity Vendor" (B-side of the "World Painted Blood" single) and the crushing "Chasing Death".

There are no surprises in Repentless. The songwriting is familiar, Terry Date's production is decent, but not special, and the lyrical themes have all been used before. But we do need them, because they play their music well after 35 years, even without half of their original members (yes, there is life after Jeff), and they sound like no other, as always. If you are a Slayer fan, you will probably enjoy this album. It is roughly eye to eye with World Painted Blood and Christ Illusion and those two were recorded with the classic line-up. So, really, well done, Slayer, and Kerry King particularly; not many expected that you could pull this off and the fact that you did is the biggest surprise of them all.