Album Of The Week: God Hates Us All by Slayer

It is crazy to think that 17 years ago was the day that terrorists would attack the twin towers in New York on that awful day. It is a day that Americans will never forget because it had an impact on us that I would have to think that Pearl Harbor had on America back when that happened. 17 years ago today, Slayer would release an album that would put them back on the map (not that they ever left) in God Hates Us All. It was an album that had a different approach to it as Kerry King took over writing duties lyrically and it was the first album to not be produced by Rick Rubin since 1985’s Hell Awaits. The album was produced by Matt Hyde while it featured Tom Araya (Lead Vocals/Bass), Jeff Hanneman (Guitar), Kerry King (Guitar), and Paul Bostaph (Drums) on what would be his last Slayer record until 2015’s Repentless. The albums release was delayed due to controversy over the album cover that you see above so it was finally released on September 11, 2001. Then to make matters worse, the band took a lot of heat for the album because of what had happened on the day it came out. This was the second time, the band was blamed for something like this as they filmed the music video for Seasons In The Abyss in Egypt just before the Gulf War started. Nonetheless, the album debuted and peaked at number 28 on the Billboard Top 200 charts selling 51,000 copies in it’s first week.

1. Darkness Of Christ– It’s just an intro track, but it feels like unholy hell is about to be unleashed on you and you are going to wish it never happened. 5/5

2. Disciple– This is the unholy hell that is unleashed on you in the form of this bulldozer of a track that smashed your brains to pieces while reminding you that God doesn’t actually love you. Just look at everything that happens in the world. 5/5

3. God Send Death– A track that Jeff Hanneman wrote that is about people who kill for pleasure after Hanneman had read several books about serial killers. 5/5

4. New Faith– An interesting track that is about someone who has followed a religion blindly for so long that he finally wakes up and sees what has been wrong with faith the whole time. He see’s the indulgences that are tempting him to sin, etc. 4.5/5

5. Cast Down– a track that is all about a fallen angel who gets in to a really serious drug habit that is ruining his life in typical extreme Slayer style music. 4/5

6. Threshold– an in your face track that matches the attitude of the lyrics which is about a guy who is at his wit’s end with an individual who is just pissing him off. 4.5/5

7. Exile– a fierce track that is all about hating that person that is so opposite of you that you want to exile them from your life so bad. Everyone has one of these in their lives. 4.5/5

8. Seven Faces– A very eerie and melodic intro before pure madness ensues with one hell of a scream from Araya helps drive this track about someone who is falling for every temptation like the seven deadly sins. 4.5/5

9. Bloodline– My favorite track on the whole album that originally appeared on the Dracula 2000 soundtrack and was the band’s test to see if they wanted Matt Hyde to produce the record. The song is about vampires or just people who feed on your life all the time. 5/5

10. Deviance– This is the other track on the album that Jeff Hanneman wrote about people who kill for pleasure in his obsession with why do they do it. The track even opens with a police officer calling in something and a woman screaming to amplify the theme. 4.5/5

11. War Zone– This song is just pure intensity right from the start as it feels like a machine gun blasting pure metal anarchy right at you in this track that is you telling someone that there is no way in hell that you are afraid of them and you’ll bring the fight to them whenever and wherever. 5/5

12. Here Comes the Pain-a track that was written for a WCW video game I believe that is your typical macho bravado I am going to kick your ass song. 4/5

13. Payback– The last track on the record does not let up as it brings the intensity with no problems at all. The lyrics are pretty self explanatory as it’s all about revenge. 4/5

My Final Thoughts– Kerry King said he wanted to stop doing lyrics about Satan and what ever else D&D related and more street credible lyrics and it certainly paid off to a point. There is no denying his abilities as a writer and it certainly ranks up there with the best of them. My favorite tracks on the album are Bloodline, Disciple, War Zone, and God Send Death. To clarify, I like all of the songs, but if I had one that I least liked it would be the last two tracks just cause they’re kind of generic to me. I am giving the album 4.6 stars out of five for a final grade.

Alternate Album Cover

Unsigned Band Of The Week: Bloodline

For this week’s Unsigned Band Of The Week, we are leaving Ohio and we are heading south to my second favorite city in the US in Dallas, Texas. The name of the band is Bloodline and they are a metalcore band that contacted me on Twitter (handle: @EraticWanderer). That is definitely a way to get a hold of me if you want me to check you out and possibly get you on this. Nevertheless, the song I chose for all of you to check out from Bloodline is the band’s track Jaded and the track is hammering right from the start. It’s a full out assault from the band right when the first chord is struck and the singer Joe has some ferocious vocals that are in your face and explosive. Metalcore may have been brought to the spotlight in the Northeast, but Bloodline is taking to a whole new level. This is definitely a band you need to check out. Give them a like on Facebook, follow them on Twitter, and check out some of their kickass merch here. Otherwise, check out the track below and prepare to tear sh** up!