| CD REVIEW (This review has also been published at www.701.com) |
| GOD HATES US ALL - SLAYER |
| I imagine this latest offering by members of thrash-metal's royal hierarchy would be a very effective antidote for anyone who happens to be currently experiencing emotional repression in their life. As John Lennon once sang, "No one can harm you, feel your own pain." It's the epitome of anger management by way of violent musical exorcism. While the sound is not much different from a hundred other trash-metal bands, i.e. monotonous primal screaming, warp-speed guitar wailing, throbbing bass lines, and staccato drums beats, it distinguishes itself from the rest of the pack through very distinctly enunciated lyrics. I, for one, am really interested in what the vocal angst is all about. It's actually quite amazing what a person can get away with saying in the context of a musical composition, when that same person, voicing these same words in a psychiatric evaluation session, for example, would most likely be recommended for institutional commitment - talk about artistic immunity! While these same lyrics would probably be considered offensive to the general public (yes, there is a parental advisory for explicit content), if you can get past the coarse language dealing with homicidal as well as suicidal urges, contemptuous religious blasphemy and utter disenchantment with society and the world in general, you'll find that the lyrics are really quite poetically astute in their intense hatred toward whomever/whatever they are directed. While drummer Paul Bostaph is obviously skilled enough to handle any kind of rhythmic wizardry, if Kerry King, the composer of most of the tracks, eventually decided to take a walk on the positive side of life, his absolute genius with lyrics, incorporated with some actual melodic guitar work and vocals from Jeff Hanneman and Tom Araya, he could knock the rock world off its collectively indifferent ass and gain a whole new audience. |
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