Review of Slayer - God Hates Us All

The first noise I heard from this release came from the sound card of a good friend's computer. As we were sitting there searching for some new sounds, we came across about six tracks from God Hates Us All. Now I've heard some kickass music come out of that rig from time to time, but what I heard coming out of his speakers that night made me question my hearing. As a matter of fact, I was extremely disappointed. Then it came time for me to give it a good listen on the "home system". Wow!!! What a difference that made. Now I can cancel my appointment with my ear specialist; my ears work just fine. Before we continue, let's take a trip back to the beginning of the Paul Bostaph era. When I'd heard that the masterfully artistic Dave Lombardo wasn't going to be joining the band on their newest release I was shocked. "How could this be?" "What's the world coming to?" I'll tell you what it came to. It came to the band releasing my all time 2nd favorite Slayer album next to Reign In Blood. Not that any of the others lacked anything, but since Divine Intervention dominated my scene, this band has yet to bring me back home with the releases after that masterpiece. Back to the present and the main reason I'm here. God Hates Us All is not a bad album. As a matter of fact I like it a lot, but I'm still not home. It's just not the same Slayer I grew up with, or maybe it is but just not as good. Yeah, it has many admirable drumming sections as well as the same driving rhythms. It has the same maniacal leads we've come to either love or hate. Why would they change that at this stage in the game? The bass level on this production is about the same as the others; it's almost nonexistent (right where they want it to be I imagine). And the lyrics are still as insanely crazy as ever. What I like most about the lyrics on this one is that they seem personal and from the soul. I had heard Kerry King was pissed off, and after hearing him rant and rave through the voice of Tom Araya that definitely holds true. If I didn't go out and get God Hates Us All to add to my Slayer collection it would not be complete, and aside from any negatives I've pointed out here, I like this album. I'm going to make it simple for you. If you're a longtime Slayer fan, buy this album. If you're a newer Slayer fan, buy this album. It's worth it. Favorite Track: Exile

“Slayer the almighty”. Years ago a title that was indisputable but now a days it should read “Slayer the tiresome”. With absolutely nothing new to offer, Slayer releases their 12th CD entitled God Hates Us All. Now I know I am going to have hardcore Slayer fans chanting spells to the devil condemning me to a life of agony. In my defense though, I was at one time a fan that would claw tooth and nail through a hungry mob of over weight housewives at a Kmart blue light special just to get my hands on a new Slayer release. But times have changed my friend. The dribble that comes from Kerry King’s fingers as well as his mind just won’t cut it now a days. Tom Araya’s half-assed bass playing won’t be overshadowed by his powerful vocals because even they seem lacking on this one. As far as Jeff Hanneman goes, is he even on this one? Paul Bostaph’s playing is definitely solid but he should still be playing in Forbidden as far as I am concerned. A possible Dave Lombardo reunion might actually get my ass out to a Slayer show but until then I will watch from a far. So in summary, the magic is gone. Slayer continues to just go through the motions. What was once untouchable is now mediocre. A damn shame indeed. If you are still to this day a hardcore Slayer fan, you will see absolutely none of these observations. Probably because you’re home “drowning your bible in blood so none of these lies will affect you”. Bottom line: Don’t even bother with this one unless you have Slayer carved in your arm.

Release Details

Slayer

God Hates Us All

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