We’ve all heard the phrase “Out with the old, in with the new,” and this saying is just what describes thrash goers – Slayer. The olden days are dead and gone. Now that our world has seen the light and alignment of hope, things should be for the better instead of for the worse right? Wrong!

Our world has been painted in cold blood – World Painted Blood, to be precise. Breaking down the barrier of this bloodshed – the title track progresses a lot like “the good old days” era of Reign In Blood. For instance, the martial drumming effect and guitar driven riffs, builds up at first and then picks up once the one minute mark strikes. The speed pulses its way through – up until the ending point, before cutting away and starting off with the next track.

The next set of tracks i.e. “Unit 731,” and “Snuff,” go hand in hand. Both showcase fast-paced guitar tactics that override the music and clash together, challenging Slayer’s musical abilities to the max. But that’s not really where the music falls flat; it slows down just a notch, adding “darker” and “gloomy” tones to “Beauty Through Order.” The riff structure is very similar to “Eyes of the Insane,” (Christ Illusion 2006), which is practically a re-recording of that song. But after the track paces itself after two minutes, changes are made with riffs and solo work inspired by “Reign in Blood” and “Seasons in the Abyss”.

As the album continues to break itself down with “Hate Worldwide,” and “Psychopathy Red,” the songs showcase a different style, resembling “punk rock.” Now, this has been done before on their earlier works but to bring it back on this album doesn’t quite cut it. It actually doesn’t matter since it balances the music – providing musical progression and mellow break downs that will leave listeners bracing themselves.

But this doesn’t mean that World Painted Blood, has become a downer of an album. It displays itself evenly. According to how its laid out, the first half is fit for speed junkies. The midway point provides a mellow effect, while the ending allows listeners to take it all in. This album is one that the band should be proud of. It’s a calling card filled with nothing more than a vengeance with an utter warning to stand clear of.

Natalie Perez has been a Music/Entertainment Journalist for 7 years now having first started out with her middle and high school newspapers. She now writes for a handful of various online and print publications.

http://s7.addthis.com/js/250/addthis_widget.js?pub=xa-4a5e990e29489c7a