Repentless | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | September 11, 2015 | |||
Recorded | March, September 2014 – January 2015 | |||
Studio | Henson Recording Studios, Hollywood, CA, USA | |||
Genre | Thrash metal | |||
Length | 41:57 | |||
Label | Nuclear Blast | |||
Producer | Terry Date | |||
Slayer chronology | ||||
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Singles from Repentless | ||||
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Repentless is the twelfth and final [1] [2] studio album by American thrash metal band Slayer, released on September 11, 2015. This is the band's only album recorded without guitarist Jeff Hanneman, who died from liver cirrhosis in 2013 and was replaced by Gary Holt (though Hanneman did receive songwriting credits on the song "Piano Wire"). It is also the first album to feature drummer Paul Bostaph since God Hates Us All (2001). Repentless is also the only album the band released on Nuclear Blast and was produced by Terry Date, replacing Rick Rubin after twenty-nine years and nine studio albums as their producer or executive producer. The six-year gap between World Painted Blood (2009) and Repentless was also the longest between two Slayer albums in their career.
Three singles were released from the album: "Repentless," "You Against You" and "Pride in Prejudice". The album debuted at no. 4 on the Billboard 200, the highest-charting debut from the band in its native country. It also topped the chart in Germany and featured in the top ten of almost twenty charts around the world. It received generally positive reviews from critics.
When asked in May 2011 if Slayer was going to make a follow-up to World Painted Blood (2009), then-Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo replied that, although nothing had been written yet, there were "definitely plans." [3] In early 2011, guitarist Jeff Hanneman contracted necrotizing fasciitis. Reports linked this illness with a spider bite he claimed to have received while in a friend's hot tub. [4] [5] When asked about a new record, singer/bassist Tom Araya stated that any work would have to wait until Hanneman had recovered. [6]
On February 20, 2013, it was announced that Lombardo would not take part in Slayer's Australia tour due to contractual disputes, and his place would be taken by former drummer Jon Dette. [7] Being interviewed in late February by Soundwave TV, guitarist Kerry King elaborated more on the personnel status for the album. [8] He expressed doubt as to who might produce the album, saying that Metallica "monopolized" producer Greg Fidelman. The continued absence of Hanneman further contributed to the uncertainty. Lombardo's permanent replacement was later announced to be Paul Bostaph, [9] who was previously the band's drummer from 1992 to 2001, appearing on several albums.
On May 2, 2013, Jeff Hanneman died of liver failure in a Los Angeles hospital. [10] [11] A week later, the official cause of death was announced as alcohol-related cirrhosis. Hanneman and his family had apparently been unaware of the extent of condition until shortly before his death. [12] King had announced his desire for the band to continue, but Araya was more uncertain, stating, "After 30 years, it would literally be like starting over," and expressing doubts that Slayer's fanbase would approve of such a change. [13] In March 2015, Araya revealed that the band had recorded one song prior to Hanneman's passing, and that the song would appear on the album. [14] The result was the song "Piano Wire". Araya explained that Hanneman would be a part on the album [15] when King later dismissed the claim saying, "Jeff Hanneman isn't physically playing on this record. Somebody reported some bullshit. People say shit when they don't know what's actually going on. Even though Jeff's song, "Piano Wire", was recorded during the last album cycle, I played all the guitar. I've been doing that for years. Since he has no lead on that song, he's not on it." [16]
The album's writing process started in November 2011, announced by Lombardo through Twitter. [17] King later said that he and Lombardo had been working on music prior to the holidays and that they had completed three songs, in addition to three outtakes from the previous record. [18] It was initially hoped that the album would be ready for release by summer of 2012, [18] but this did not come to fruition. Frontman Tom Araya later said that the album would be pushed back to a 2013 release, [19] but this idea fell through. [20]
In addition, King had noted that two of the new songs had been fully recorded and that there was a possibility that they might be released as an EP, [21] but the idea was later dismissed. [22] King announced the songs' titles as "Chasing Death" and "Implode." [23] Araya announced that the band would start writing the new album upon completion of the 2012 Mayhem Festival tour, which ended in August of that year. [24] Since their recorded songs still needed to be mixed, King announced in a late August 2012 interview that there had been a twelve-day window where the band had been able to "hijack Greg Fidelman from Metallica" for further production on the album. By then, the band had two songs that were missing lead guitar parts and vocals and had recorded six demos. In addition, King said that the band had yet to record three more demos. [25]
In February 2013 during an interview with Eddie Trunk, King declared that, while Hanneman still had not been involved with the album, the band was waiting for label issues to be resolved before recording. King stated that he and Lombardo had eight songs that they were working on, as well. When asked about whether or not Exodus guitarist Gary Holt, who had been filling in for Hanneman during live shows, would play on the record, King denied it, saying that he would handle all guitars except for Hanneman's lead parts. King also said that Hanneman had yet to offer up any material for the album. [22] Araya later contradicted King's statement about Hanneman and stated that Hanneman had been working on material for the album. [26] Shortly after Hanneman's death, Araya revealed that Hanneman had gone so far as to send Araya music that he had been working on, [27] and Araya later said that some of this material—including an outtake from World Painted Blood—may make it onto the album. [28]
Even prior to Hanneman's death, King had expressed doubt as to who would even play on the album. He stated that if work on the album could be done in June 2013, then it was hoped that the album could be out by the following September or October. [8] After Hanneman's passing, Holt was asked if he will be featured on the album, to which he replied that he would probably be playing some solos on the album, but that the rest of the guitar work would all be King. [29] King later confirmed this sentiment, but explained that Holt would not be participating in any of the writing, noting: "fans aren't ready for it." [30]
According to Holt, recording for the album was expected to commence at the end of 2013. [29] King later stated that there were plans to begin recording in January 2014. [31] King further revealed that he and drummer Paul Bostaph have recorded 11 songs on a demo, while also working on some additional tracks, seven of which had complete lyrics. [32] On April 24, 2014, Slayer offered a free download of "Implode," [33] their first song in five years as well as their first recording to feature Holt on guitar. Additionally, it is the first recording to feature Bostaph on drums since 2001's God Hates Us All . On the same day, it was announced that Slayer had signed to Nuclear Blast, and would release their eleventh studio album in early 2015. [34] [35]
In 2017, Holt talked about recording the guitar solos, "That's one of my favorites on the album. I'm never blown away by anything I've done musically. I always want to redo it five minutes after I'm done with it. That goes down to songwriting too - it's never going to be perfect. Nothing's perfect. So yeah, I went in and did all the solos for that album in a day. I just sat down with a six pack of beer with Kerry and Terry Date. They just let me do my own thing. Tom came in after I had been messing around with a solo for a half an hour and he told me the first take was perfect. I told him they've got to let me know because I'll keep going over it and sometimes you lose a good thing when that happens. You've got to know when to just let it go and keep it whether it's raw or rough or perfect or maybe there a little bit of magic in there." [36]
In an interview, King described "Chasing Death" as being about alcoholism: "it's like people who drink too much. They don't help themselves out so they're chasing death." He explained "Implode" as being about the end of the world. [23] The album featured one song, "Piano Wire", that was written by Hanneman prior to his passing.
In October 2014, the band revealed plans to release a new song, entitled "When the Stillness Comes," via Scion AV, an "in-house record label and lifestyle marketing division" of Toyota's Scion brand. [37] The song was released for Record Store Day on April 18, 2015. [38] On June 19, 2015, Slayer made the title track available for streaming on YouTube. [39] On August 31, 2015, Slayer released "Cast the First Stone," another track on the album, via the Adult Swim singles program. [40] On September 3, 2015, a behind the scenes mini-documentary looking at the making of the music video for the album's title track was released by Rolling Stone. [41]
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 70/100 [42] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [43] |
Billboard | [44] |
Classic Rock | [45] |
Exclaim! | 7/10 [46] |
The Guardian | [47] |
The New York Times | [48] |
Record Collector | [49] |
Rolling Stone | [50] |
Spin | 6/10 [51] |
Uncut | [42] |
In April 2014, the band released "Implode" for free. Rolling Stone said the song "plays out like classic Slayer," although the lyrics were described as "expect[ed]" subject matter. [52] Alex Young of Consequences of Sound called the song a "pummeling assault of metal music." [53] In January 2015, the album, yet to be titled at the time, was mentioned by Loudwire as one of the "30 Most Anticipated Rock + Metal Albums of 2015," alongside expected albums by bands like Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Anthrax, Megadeth, Testament, Metallica and Tool. [54] Repentless sold 49,000 copies in its first week and debuted number four on the US Billboard 200, the band's highest position in its native country. [55] The album fell to number 34 on the Billboard 200 in its second week, selling 11,000 copies. [56] Seven weeks after being released, Repentless sold over 80,000 copies in the US. [57]
Repentless received generally positive reviews on Metacritic. Writing for Exclaim! , Greg Pratt said that Repentless "isn't going to be one of the classic Slayer albums, but there's still plenty of good thrash to be found." [46] Journalist J.C. Maçek III of Spectrum Culture wrote "The truth is that it might be easy to dismiss Slayer after almost 35 years as a nostalgic metal act. This would be a travesty and a mistake. Slayer not only has something new to say on Repentless, but a new way to say it." [58] AllMusic writer Thom Jurek gave the album three out of five stars, calling Repentless "a retro, workmanlike effort from a band determined to soldier on, and that's fine. There are hardcore devotees who never want their favorite bands to change; this is for them. But again, given all that's transpired since 2009, Slayer get points for even pulling this off." [43] The Guardian stated that "Slayer have always been a model of consistency and a band that fans of vicious, vein-bursting heavy metal can rely on." [47] Kim Kelly, writing in Spin was less enthusiastic, calling the album "middling" and stating that it "mostly falls flat." [51]
Year-end rankings
Publication | Accolade | Rank |
---|---|---|
OC Weekly | The 10 Best Metal Albums of 2015 | 2 [59] |
Rolling Stone | 20 Best Metal Albums of 2015 | 15 [60] |
Decade-end rankings
Publication | Accolade | Rank |
---|---|---|
Discogs | The 200 Best Albums of the 2010s | 97 [61] |
Kerrang! | The 75 Best Albums of the 2010s | 61 [62] |
Louder Sound | The 50 Best Metal Albums of the 2010s | 18 [63] |
All songs written by Kerry King & Tom Araya except where noted [64]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Delusions of Saviour" (instrumental) | King | 1:55 |
2. | "Repentless" | 3:19 | |
3. | "Take Control" | 3:14 | |
4. | "Vices" | 3:32 | |
5. | "Cast the First Stone" | 3:43 | |
6. | "When the Stillness Comes" | 4:20 | |
7. | "Chasing Death" | 3:45 | |
8. | "Implode" | 3:49 | |
9. | "Piano Wire" | Jeff Hanneman | 2:49 |
10. | "Atrocity Vendor" | King | 2:55 |
11. | "You Against You" | 4:20 | |
12. | "Pride in Prejudice" | 4:14 | |
Total length: | 41:55 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
13. | "War Ensemble" (live at Wacken 2014) | Araya, Hanneman | 4:59 |
14. | "Black Magic" (live at Wacken 2014) | King, Hanneman | 3:53 |
Total length: | 50:47 |
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Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Poland (ZPAV) [99] | Gold | 10,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Slayer is an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California, formed in 1981 by bassist/vocalist Tom Araya, guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman, and drummer Dave Lombardo. Slayer's fast and aggressive musical style made them one of the "big four" bands of thrash metal, alongside Metallica, Megadeth and Anthrax. Slayer's current lineup comprises Araya, King, drummer Paul Bostaph and guitarist Gary Holt, who initially joined as a touring musician in 2011 before joining the band permanently after Hanneman's death in 2013. Drummer Jon Dette is a former member of the band.
Reign in Blood is the third studio album by American thrash metal band Slayer, released on October 20, 1986, by Def Jam Recordings. The album was the band's first collaboration with producer Rick Rubin, whose input helped the band's sound evolve. The release date of the album was delayed because of concerns regarding the lyrical subject matter of the opening track "Angel of Death", which refers to Josef Mengele and describes acts such as human experimentation that he committed at the Auschwitz concentration camp. The band's members stated that they did not condone Nazism and were merely interested in the subject.
South of Heaven is the fourth studio album by American thrash metal band Slayer, released on July 5, 1988, by Def Jam Recordings. The album was the band's second collaboration with producer Rick Rubin, whose production skills on their previous album Reign in Blood (1986) had helped their sound evolve. Given the frenetic pace of Reign in Blood, Slayer made no attempt to top it on South of Heaven; rather, the band offset and complemented Reign in Blood by deliberately slowing the tempo down on South of Heaven, as well as by utilizing undistorted guitars and toned-down vocals.
Kerry Ray King is an American musician, best known for being the co-lead guitarist and songwriter of thrash metal band Slayer. He co-founded the band with Jeff Hanneman in 1981 and is one of two members to stay with the band for its 44-year existence, along with Tom Araya. During Slayer's hiatus from 2019 to 2024, King went on to pursue a solo career, with his debut album From Hell I Rise released in May 2024.
Show No Mercy is the debut studio album by American thrash metal band Slayer, released in December 1983 by Metal Blade Records. Brian Slagel signed the band to the label after watching them perform an Iron Maiden cover. The band self-financed their full-length debut, combining the savings of vocalist Tom Araya, who was employed as a respiratory therapist, and money borrowed from guitarist Kerry King's father. Touring extensively promoting the album, the band brought close friends and family members along the trip, who helped backstage with lighting and sound.
Hell Awaits is the second studio album by American thrash metal band Slayer, released on April 8, 1985, by Metal Blade Records. The band's 1983 debut Show No Mercy became Metal Blade Records' highest-selling release, and as a result, producer Brian Slagel desired to release a second Slayer album. To that end, Slagel financed a recording budget and recruited several experienced producers to help in the studio.
God Hates Us All is the ninth studio album by American thrash metal band Slayer, released on September 11, 2001, by American Recordings. It was recorded over three months at The Warehouse Studio in Vancouver, and includes the Grammy Award-nominated song "Disciple". Guitarist Kerry King wrote the majority of its lyrics, taking a different approach from earlier recordings by exploring topics such as religion, murder, revenge, and self-control. Stylistically, the album shows a return to Slayer's classic thrash metal sound. It was Slayer's last album to feature drummer Paul Bostaph until his return on their 2015 album Repentless.
"Angel of Death" is the opening track on American thrash metal band Slayer's 1986 album Reign in Blood. The lyrics and music were written by guitarist Jeff Hanneman. They detail the Nazi physician Josef Mengele's human experiments at the Auschwitz concentration camp during World War II.
Divine Intervention is the sixth studio album by American thrash metal band Slayer, released on September 27, 1994, by American Recordings. The album's production posed a challenge to the label, as its marketing situation drew arguments over its explicitness; to give them time to decide over its style, the band released the live album Decade of Aggression. Since it was released nearly four years after its predecessor Seasons in the Abyss (1990), vocalist Tom Araya said there was more time spent on its production compared to the band's previous albums.
Undisputed Attitude is the seventh studio album by American thrash metal band Slayer, released on May 28, 1996, by American Recordings. The album consists almost entirely of covers of punk rock and hardcore punk songs, and also includes two tracks written by guitarist Jeff Hanneman in 1984 and 1985 for a side project called Pap Smear; its closing track, "Gemini", is the only original track. The cover songs on the album were originally recorded by the bands the Stooges, Minor Threat, T.S.O.L., D.R.I., D.I., Dr. Know, and Verbal Abuse, whose work was prominently featured with the inclusion of cover versions of three of their songs.
Jeffrey John Hanneman was an American musician, best known as a founding member and co-lead guitarist of the thrash metal band Slayer. Hanneman composed both music and lyrics for every Slayer album until his death in 2013.
Diabolus in Musica is the eighth studio album by American thrash metal band Slayer, released on June 9, 1998, by American Recordings. Guitarist Jeff Hanneman wrote most of the album's content, which has been described as Slayer's most experimental. It was the band's first album to be played mostly in C♯ tuning, and named after a musical interval known for its dissonance. Lyrical themes explored on the album include religion, sex, cultural deviance, death, insanity, war, and homicide.
War at the Warfield is a concert video by Slayer which was released on July 29, 2003, through American Recordings. Recorded at Warfield Theatre in San Francisco, California, on December 7, 2001, it is the band's second video album. The DVD's contents were announced by MTV on July 25, 2003. It is the last release by Slayer with drummer Paul Bostaph, who left due to a chronic elbow injury. Bostaph was subsequently replaced by the original Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo. War at the Warfield was well received by critics, debuting at number three on the Billboard DVD chart, and sold over 7,000 copies in its first week. It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for selling over 50,000 copies in the United States. It also won a 2003 Metal Edge Readers' Choice Award for DVD of the Year.
Still Reigning is a live performance DVD by the thrash metal band Slayer, released in 2004 through American Recordings. Filmed at the Augusta (Maine) Civic Center on July 11, 2004, the performance showcases Slayer's 1986 album, Reign in Blood, played in its entirety with the four original band members on a set resembling their 1986 Reign in Pain Tour. Still Reigning was voted "best live DVD" by the readers of Revolver magazine, and received gold certification in 2005.
Gary Wayne Holt is an American musician from the San Francisco Bay Area. He is the guitarist, bandleader, and main songwriter for thrash metal band Exodus, and has also been a member of Slayer from 2011 to 2019 and again since 2024, initially joining as a temporary guitarist in place of Jeff Hanneman, and as a permanent guitarist after Hanneman's death in May 2013.
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in 1981 by guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman, who recruited vocalist and bassist Tom Araya, and drummer Dave Lombardo. Slayer's first two albums, Show No Mercy (1983) and Hell Awaits (1985), which were released on Metal Blade Records, did not chart in the United States. The band was then signed to Def Jam Recordings by Rick Rubin, who produced Reign in Blood (1986). The album helped Slayer break into the Billboard 200 for the first time, peaking at number 94. After South of Heaven (1988), Slayer signed to Rubin's new label, Def American, and released Seasons in the Abyss (1990). After the album was released, Lombardo departed Slayer and was replaced by Paul Bostaph.
Christ Illusion is the tenth studio album by American thrash metal band Slayer, released on August 8, 2006 by American Recordings. It was the band's first album featuring all four original members in nearly sixteen years. Slayer's drummer, Dave Lombardo, performed with the band for the first time since Seasons in the Abyss (1990).
"Jihad" is a song by the American thrash metal band Slayer which appears on the band's 2006 studio album Christ Illusion. The song portrays the viewpoint of a terrorist who has participated in the September 11, 2001 attacks, concluding with spoken lyrics taken from words left behind by Mohamed Atta; Atta was named by the FBI as the "head suicide terrorist" of the first plane to crash into the World Trade Center. "Jihad" was primarily written by guitarist Jeff Hanneman; the lyrics were co-authored with vocalist Tom Araya.
World Painted Blood is the eleventh studio album by American thrash metal band Slayer. It was released through American Recordings and Sony Music on November 3, 2009 and was produced by Greg Fidelman and executively produced by Rick Rubin. It is the band's only album produced by Greg Fidelman and the last album to feature the band’s original lineup including guitarist Jeff Hanneman and drummer Dave Lombardo. With much anticipation for the album after 2006's Christ Illusion, members of Slayer began revealing information about the album beginning in early 2009.
Seasons in the Abyss is the fifth studio album by American thrash metal band Slayer, released on October 9, 1990, through Def American Records. Recording sessions began in March 1990 at Hit City West and Hollywood Sound, and ended in June 1990 at The Record Plant in Los Angeles, California. It was the band's last album to feature their full original lineup with drummer Dave Lombardo until his return on the band's 2006 album Christ Illusion. Seasons in the Abyss' musical style has been compared by critics to the band's previous two albums, South of Heaven (1988) and Reign in Blood (1986).