Regardless of what you think of Kerry, with all the posts about him slagging active and former Slayer members, then the “surprise” that Slayer would reform to play a bunch of upcoming fests, right around the same time he debuted his new band line-up and single “Idle Hands”, one cannot deny his impact on thrash metal with Slayer and as a guitarist.  He is a riff machine-he knows thrash metal probably better than any current thrash guitarist, because all Slayer albums have been thrash metal, not like many of his top-tier peers.  No names mentioned, Kirk Hammett is still bummed at me for my comments about his “awesome” guitar solos on St. Anger some years back.  Outside of all this, there are many haters of Kerry’s new project, whether it be the abysmal A.I. cover art or the fact that Kerry sometimes, puts his foot in his mouth with his comments….At the end of the day, what matters most to this guy is the music any good????

Well, F the haters, because Kerry King is back in the scene with the debut From Hell I Rise, and from top to bottom this thing fucking smokes!  Joining Kerry on guitar is Phil Demmel who has had either studio or live stints with Vio-lence, Slayer, Lamb of God, Machine Head, Testament, etc, Death Angel vocalist Mark Osegueda, Kyle Sanders on bass who was previously with the boring band HellYeah, and Paul on drums.  13 songs in 46 minutes and I think when Kerry sat down with Mark he said something like this:  “Mark-you know some of those high types of screams you do with Death Angel…well you’re gonna reign them shits in and I need you to emulate Tom Araya from Slayer, as much as you can, and if you don’t well into the slammer you go”.

“Diablo” begins and is a huge instrumental build-up.  It’s so well done with the drums and guitar work, they must open with this live and then go right into the next song “Where I Reign”, just as this album track list is set.  “Where I Regin” has an opening sounding eerily familiar to the Slayer classic “War Ensemble” with the opening guitars and drums then BOOM…right into the speedy thrash metal and when Mark comes in..he sounds fantastic.  While I have seen him live several times, I only enjoy the first two Death Angel albums…regardless his pipes are aggressive and he emulates Araya really strongly, just with more piss and vinegar, since Tom’s piss and vinegar style became tamer throughout the later Slayer albums.

One of the things that punches you in the gut and slaps you upside your pathetic head is this production.  It’s heavy and most of all pummeling.  I will say one more thing…when Kerry said this would sound as close to Slayer without the name he was transparent.  For all practical purposes this is a Slayer album without the name – it sounds, smells, and feels just like Slayer.  Heavy, fast, aggressive, and riffs to bludgeon us all to death.  This track has solos galore with Kerry’s old-school style and Phil’s more technical style, they complement one another quite well.  “Residue” is next and is a slow burn with heavy and catchy riffs with some galloping speeds.  The start and stop riffing is definitely circle pit-worthy.

“Idle Hands”, was the perfect debut song to release months ago in anticipation of this.  An excellent track and I love Mark’s whispered vocals as he gets more aggressive and lets loose a monster scream/yell.  The song is fast with a scorching and catchy chorus.  The main riff could have been lifted from vintage 1990’s Slayer….seriously.  Paul’s drums sound great and he does an overall good job on this…sorry I am partial to Lombardo, however Paul has done great work with Slayer, Exodus and of course Forbidden.  “Everything I Hate About You” calls to mind the Slayer Reign in Blood era, because this song is under 2 minutes and is only meant to thrash you from side to side and punch your jaw off for you…this is a definite homage to the 1986 Slayer of yore, so aggressive and punchy, it’s one of the fastest songs Kerry has ever written.

“Crucifixation” is the longest song at over 5 minutes it starts right off the jump with the speed, no fancy intros just chokeslam-worthy thrash metal.  The middle of the song has a slow tempo shift where the bass guitar comes through nicely alongside some melodic riffing.  It’s a pretty atmospheric part, that is a bit unexpected, then right into the whammy bar guitar soloing over the thrash pace and Mark sounding as aggressive as ever, maybe even more so. Ending with the scorching title track is killer and it rages from beginning to end, starting thrashy then into a mid-paced moment then back into the speed.  This sounds like a classic Slayer song, but still different to some degree.

When sorting your music collection, after you have purchased From Hell I Rise, I would not even bother filing it in the K section.  Slide this sucker right after the last Slayer album, Repentless, because this probably would have been the next Slayer album had Slayer stopped recording…so they say now…., but I am unsure if it would have been as good if the Slayer name was attached because Mark sounds much better on this, then Tom was on the last Slayer album.  And if I was to call this a Slayer album, which it’s not, I would say this is the best album since the outstanding, Lombardo returning on drums,  Christ Illusion from 2006.  This is thrash metal done right, speedy, punchy, multiple tempo shifts and beyond catchy.

Yes, this sounds like Slayer so much…it hurts and it burns and I love it, because Slayer will always be my favorite thrash metal band. This new iteration called, Kerry King, is fantastic and he’s put together with these songs/lineup…well it shows this dude still has gas in the tank, as other than homages to Slayer, these are not recycled Slayer riffs.  They sound fresh and this is one aggressive album from start to finish.  As I said earlier this album fucking smokes.  Welcome back…Slay…I mean Kerry King.  Buy or Die!!!

You hear it at every show you go to, it seems. There’s always that one or maybe two douchebags that scream at the band on stage to play some “fuckin’ Slayer, man”. I feel it’s more than likely one of the prime reasons why Slayer gets a mostly bad rep these days – they attract the meatheads. But, there’s also the fact that Slayer has been releasing mostly half-assed material for what seems like an eternity now. First, there was Divine Intervention, a divisive album. Personally, it was my introduction to the band at 13 years old, and I loved it, even to this day. To others, it’s the beginning of the end. Then there was Diablos In Musica with an almost nu-metal kinda vibe to it according to some. Nu-metal or not, that album was kind of a low-point for the band. God Hates Us All is mostly derided by the old heads, but hardcore Slayer fans tend to love that one. I’m not sure I’ve ever met anyone who calls Christ Illusion a good album – sans a couple songs, I tend to agree. Then most recently, they gave us World Painted Blood – an album that I was initially all about, but as time has passed, I’ve never returned to it. Those songs had no staying power, and it seems most Slayer fans feel the same.

That brings us to the newest slab-o-Slayer, Repentless. My initial impressions of this are that it reminds me a lot of Divine Intervention, with touches of Seasons In the Abyss peppered in. Right away, I think “this is easily their best since Divine” – it’s definitely straight-forward thrash, Slayer style, with nary a thread of experimentation or modernization. It doesn’t feel forced either. I have to wonder how much of an impact Gary Holt from Exodus fame has had on the band in the absence of Jeff Hanneman (RIP brother), because thus far, Repentless feels pretty damned re-invigorated. Lets take a look under the hood.

After another needless intro (seriously, bands – stop doing this), the album starts proper with the title track and it’s a scorcher – it’s like “War Ensemble” pt. 2. Tom is in classic form here, barking his way through the verses in grand fashion while King and Holt rip out one of the best Slayer riffs I’ve heard in years, then screams his guts out on the chorus. “Take Control” follows in mostly the same fashion, blazing through the verses, but then tones it down on the chorus for a nice groove, immediately reminiscent of some of the Divine Intervention stuff.

From here, they pull back on the throttle a bit for the next few songs. “Vices” is more mid-paced and grooving, but works well. “Cast the First Stone” reigns it in a little further, but falls a bit flat. “When the Stillness Comes” creeps out almost like a Slayer “ballad” (think “Dead Skin Mask” or “Spill the Blood”) – it starts slow and builds up to….nothing. They do a good job of making you think the song is heading for an explosive ending, but ends up doing absolutely nothing. “Chasing Death” brings things back to life a bit, but once again more in a mid-paced, groove-laden form, though it ends well with Tom going apeshit, which is always awesome.

When they step on the accelerator again, it’s with “Implode” – sure it’s fast n’ thrashy, but it’s also kinda dull and not memorable. “Piano Wire” dials it back again, but picks up the pace about halfway through and lets rip some ferocious solo work. “Atrocity Vendor” picks it up again to thrash righteously, but is only a couple steps better than “Implode” – ultimately forgettable. “You Against You” nails it home though, loaded with killer riffing and solos, a divebomb or two, and Tom at his finest. It’s one of the albums best cuts. Album closer “Pride in Prejudice” is a slow burn that also goes nowhere, and is kind of crappy note to end the album on.

I felt it best to write this review off the cuff, after only a couple spins. I was afraid if I let it sink it too long, the fanboy in me would come out and I’d deliver a slobberfest similar to that of their last release in which I wrote a review for (it was kind of embarrassing to re-read), then regret it later when I come back down to Earth. I think you get a more honest review this way. That said, I believe this album blows away their past two, but falls short of God Hates Us All. It does remind me heavily of Divine Intervention for the most part, but too many of it’s tracks fall short of that albums greatness. It starts fantastically, then meanders around in mediocrity for too long. It won’t do anything to change the minds of those who left the bandwagon years ago, but should more than appease the hardcore fans, as well as provide a nice Slayer fix for those that fall in between the extremes.

The band posted the following on their Facebook-page:

“Slayer is devastated to inform that their bandmate and brother, Jeff Hanneman, passed away at about 11AM this morning near his Southern California home. Hanneman was in an area hospital when he suffered liver failure. He is survived by his wife Kathy, his sister Kathy and his brothers Michael and Larry, and will be sorely missed.”

We here at Teeth would like to send our condolences to the family and friends. Jeff, thank you for the eternal riffs.

While every day is a good day to blast SLAYER, we’ll do it especially loud today.

For starters, Tom Araya sounds better and clearly more pissed than he has in years. His performances on “Snuff”, “Hate Worldwide”, “Psychopathy Red”, and “Not of This God” are downright menacing and outstanding. Some of his vocal patterns (“Snuff”, “Hate Worldwide”, “Public Display of Dismemberment”) are memorable enough to bore into your skull after just a couple spins. Musically, there is a return of ample blitzkrieg speed and intensity – “Unit 731”, “Snuff”, “Public Display of Dismemberment” (check out the absolute drum clinic Lombardo puts on here, blasts and all) and “Psychopathy Red” are stormers that might be the most brutally fast tracks they’ve penned since at least Seasons In the Abyss or maybe even before – and they’re not just fast, they’re altogether great Slayer songs that can easily stand up to the classics.

Though it’s not all raging speed – World Painted Blood is still a well balanced Slayer album. “Beauty Through Order” is a classic “haunting” Slayer track, akin to “Spill the Blood” or “Seasons In the Abyss”, with the eerie and slow buildup in the early parts, gradually working up to a blistering crescendo by tracks end. The title track and “Human Strain” are heavy handed, mid tempo stompers that are much more reminiscent of their more recent works, but work much better than here than in previous attempts.

The album is not without faults though. “Playing With Dolls” is probably the most hideous song I’ve ever heard on any Slayer album, period. The “plink plink plink plink” riff of the verses that attempts to be haunting or eerie just comes out annoying, destroying any listenability the chorus or later parts the song has to offer. “Americon” also comes up a bit short – another mid tempo type track that is short on ass kicking and long on plodding and going nowhere – ultimately, it’s just boring in comparison to the rest of the material here.

Many people will go into listening to this album with their mind made up already on whether they’re going to hate it or love it. For everyone else that may have given up on the band long ago, I’d suggest giving it a fair shot with a clear head – you might just be pleasantly surprised – I know I was.