Sorry if there is already a thread like this...

...but I just heard some new Slayer on Myspace, and I feel like it's 1990 again. It's like Dave Lombardo never left, honestly. They are back into the South of Heaven and Seasons vibe. Mind you, I've only herad two songs so far, but to me, this just proves exactly how instrumental Dave is to Slayer's sound and style. Now it's just a matter of whether the songwriting is as good as it once was...

Dave doesn't write the music. How is he instrumental in them writing old school songs? Trust me, there are some very old school-feeling songs on this new album, but the downtuned nature of the guitar tone doesn't fit well. Still, there are about 4 or 5 songs that are like the newer Slayer.

And "Jihad" begins with a riff taken write out of Angus Young's head. Good album, though.

For some reason, I just can't get into Christ Illusion yet. For me, it still sounds like a GHUA remake. I gotta give it time...

grrr

For some reason, I just can't get into Christ Illusion yet. For me, it still sounds like a GHUA remake. I gotta give it time...

Same here. It goes straight in the head. The rest is barely kewl at first. This record need probably really a heavy rotation.

its a good album, but im not feeling toms vocals

they're playing here in sept, hope i can make it!

Slayer is the BEST band EVER. Period.

Slayer is the BEST band EVER. Period.

I DISAGREE REGINALD!

TALLY HO CHAP!

Dave doesn't write the music. How is he instrumental in them writing old school songs?

Not in the writing, but in the vibe, the sound. To me, he is as big a part of Slayer as Kerry King.

I think the new album is rubbish.

Dave doesn't write the music. How is he instrumental in them writing old school songs?

Because he jammed the King-penned songs with KK before the recording process and had input in the drum department. And above all, nobody plays metal drums like Dave Lombardo. He's one of a kind. Natural and with a totally unique presence behind the kit. I fondly remember the Dynamo 1995 festival, standing first row with 100.000 metalheads behind me: When Lombardo's kit was rolled onstage for Grip Inc.'s performance, suddenly their was some kind of magic in the air, solely by the sight of his mighty kit.

(Grip Inc. - "Heretic War Chant", live @ Dynamo Open Air 1995: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXsoNgfMtvo)

Btw: I always have to laugh about newbies stating that Paul Bostaph is so much more technical and better than Dave. Where, in Slayer? Some tom/tom/bas/bass rolls are not "technical playing" in my book, neither are the simple time shifts on "Killing Fields" from DI. And Bostaph overdid the speed of his doublebass parts on many songs, which he played VERY sloppy as a result, even on the records. Lombardo sounds sloppy only on one recording I know: Decade Of Aggression - obviously he had to raise his drum chair for the cameras and fucked up on the bass pedals as a result.

Bostaph was heavily envolved in the songwriting process, and we got many jump-da-fuck-up songs on those later albums. Coincidence? I think not. Paul ruled in Forbidden and Testament though, two bands that suite him much better than Slayer.

Trust me, there are some very old school-feeling songs on this new album, but the downtuned nature of the guitar tone doesn't fit well. Still, there are about 4 or 5 songs that are like the newer Slayer.

Agreed, I hate their downtuned approach. That's what happens when Slipknot-loving Kerry King dominates the songwriting process of current Slayer albums. Slayer should stick to their "classic" Eb tuning, half a step down; nothing more. Their guitar tone doesn't work on deeper tunings, unlike SYL or Testament for example.

And although the production and mix is better than on anything post SITA, I think they should have worked with Andy Wallace again. He was responsible for the best sounding Slayer albums and he is one of the best (co-)producers/engineers/mixers of the whole music scene IMO. Everything he touches sounds cristal clear, crisp and unique, without being clinical and stale. And Christ Illusion sounds too dry and stale I think.

Still a couple of highpoints there: "Shi.. ääääh, "Flesh Storm", "Consfearacy" and "Supremist".

But Testament's The Gathering smokes everything by Slayer post SITA, Christ Illusion included, and also Grip Inc. are the much better and more interesting band than current Slayer. But what can you do? The standard metalhead is very conservative and prefers semi-washed-up Slayer over a new act that's original, artistic and challenging. So Dave had to go back to Slayer to be a rockstar again (at least according to Gus Chambers).

Christ Illusion: 7/10 with two points for Dave Lombardo's contribution alone.

And no, I won't buy this album any time soon; I'll wait for a special edition with the additional song "The Final Six" on it; the "different" sounding song they had to left out due to time restraints.
_______________________

PS: As a sidenote, you can find several clips by different bands from the aforementioned Dynamo 1995 festival, which were screened by eMpTyV "Headbangers Ball" back in the day. There even was a brief interview segment with the Dev. I have it on VHS, but I'm unable to digitalize it. Maybe somebody else will upload it on YouTube sooner or later

I would have to agree, I think this is on par with Divine Intervention, and is their best offering since then. But like Divine Intervention, it is the most consistently fast offering since RIB, but also lacks the standout tracks the old albums had. It's all good material, but there's nothing stellar on here. At least DI had the stellar Dittohead, the standout on this album might be Flesh Storm or Jihad, perhaps even Catatonic for being one of Slayer's best slow songs ever, but nothing on these albums hold a candle to the standouts of old, IE War Ensemble.

...Jeff needs to take over more songwriting duties.

Wait, wasn't Diabolus largely Jeff-written? Shame...

I'm just terribly tired of Kerry's forced lyrics and a lot of his repetitious songwriting.

I still give this album an 8/10 for being their best offering since Divine Intervention. OH, and Grip Inc. and Fantomas both RULE!

I'll buy the album just because of Lombardo, if for no other reason. I agree that The Gathering is one mother of a metal album, and Lombardo's performance on that record was colossal. But I'm just happy to hear the original lineup again. Still haven't heard more than two songs, though...

Slayer - Christ Illusion: chart postiton # 2 in Germany!

And next week: Iron Maiden - A Matter Of Life And Death...

Deutschland = Metal