Bloody Brilliant

It’s pretty amazing that Slayer have kicked ass and taken names for going on 30 years now. Though not every one of their 10 studio albums has been fantastic, all have maintained the band’s integrity as a hard-hitting metal act. The band’s 11th studio album, World Painted Blood, is no exception to this rule.

In fact some might say it’s an improvement over the last few albums, although the album previous to this one, Christ Illusion, did win a Grammy. Slayer have been known to repeat themselves, but they’ve also received backlash when trying to branch out as on 1998’s Diabolus in Musica. So with the title even being similar to their legendary album Reign in Blood it’s no secret that Slayer decided to stick with the classics on this one.

As good as it is for many bands to try new things, much like AC/DC, Slayer really do their best work when they stay with their signature sound. Innovators of the double bass drum beat and wicked, sporadic guitar solos, Slayer can still show the imitators how it’s done. World Painted Blood immediately punches you in the face with the thrashy title track, and the rest of the album continues the assault on songs like “Snuff,” “Beauty Through Order,” and “Public Display of Dismemberment,” which will remind everyone where black metal got many of its rhythms from.

These songs as well as “Psychopathy Red” also take a few cues from Slayer’s more melodic Seasons in the Abyss, while still maintaining an intense, almost punk pace. This is probably not an album you want to buy if you’re looking for some major innovation, but if you want to appreciate some classic thrash and black metal, then definitely check out World Painted Blood.