Slayer is undoubtedly going through the toughest time in their career. Guitarist Jeff Hanneman who wrote majority of the band's material has passed away, and their drummer Dave Lombardo has quit the band, and been replaced by Paul Bostaph. Bostaph is no amateur, but Lombardo's virtuosity is simply irreplaceable. Despite all of this, the band has managed to put together a decent album and that, I feel, deserves to be commended.
Apart from Jeff Hanneman's Piano Wire, the entire album is written by fellow founding guitarist Kerry King. While he does a great job maintaining the "Slayer" standard of quality, the absence of Hanneman's songwriting can be felt throughout the record. There are some solid riffs sporadically appearing on the album, but they're outnumbered by the average ones. It's easy to see that Kerry is playing it safe here, limiting the sound to Slayer's basic style.
Kerry continues with his trademark fashion of high pitched chaotic shredding with his solos, while the newly recruited Gary Holt's solos are refreshingly steadier, in comparison. What bothers me is how less of Holt's talent Slayer made use of. His solos appear only on 4 tracks and that I feel is grave injustice, considering how skilled of a guitarist he is.
The vocals on the album aren't as barbarous or brutal as Slayer's previous records and I don't blame Tom Araya for it. His style of vocals require a great deal of focus and energy which is almost impossible to maintain at an age of 54, and yet he comes through to give an enjoyable performance. Bostaph's drumming manages to keep up with the band's ferocity, with his talent put on full display in Cast The Fire Stone, but it's hard not to feel the gaping void that Lombardo's departure has created.
Most of Repentless follows Slayer's classic musical template. The title track, Take Control, Vices Implode are all typical fast paced Slayer songs. Cast The Fire Stone is a mid-speed track with chugging guitar riffs and When The Stillness Comes follows the style of some of the band's slower classics like Dead Skin Mask and South of Heaven. Lyrically, the album is more diverse than Slayer albums usually are, covering themes like alcoholism, war, revenge and society.
In all, Repentless is a quintessential Slayer record. Fast riffs, gory lyrics, frantic double-bass drumming, breakdowns - they're all here. But it somewhat misses the brutality and power Slayer is loved for, the kind of ferocious intensity that makes me feel uneasy (in an enjoyable way).
Favorite Songs: When The Stillness Comes, Cast The Fire Stone, Vices, Pride In Prejudice
Rating: 6.5/10
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