Christ Illusion - Slayer
Metascore
72 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 21 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 21
  2. Negative: 1 out of 21
  1. Not since the maniac thrash of 1986's genre-eclipsing Reign in Blood have these SoCal wastrels managed music that sounds so frighteningly out of control and yet wholly, idealistically pure of intent.
  2. Sounds as hideously vital... as [Slayer] have at any time during their 23 year career. [26 Aug 2006, p.41]
  3. This is the most brutal metal record to see a release in 2006.
  4. 80
    [Drummer Dave Lombardo's] return hasn't complicated Slayer's brutal, single-minded aesthetic, but it has stoked the hellfire that merely sputtered on God Hates Us All. [Sep 2006, p.97]
  5. 80
    Guitarist Kerry King physicalizes Araya's emotional investment; his mad, crunched-up playing is anxiety rendered in sound.
  6. An anti-Christian/anti-Islam/anti-Theocratic, anti-war album, Christ Illusion is essential for anyone interested in the genre.
  7. Christ Illusion is not a throwback; it's something new steeped in something old.
  8. The album has a kind of demented gravity, and the music bears it out: it is the most concentrated, focused Slayer record in 20 years.
  9. While it's unlikely the band will ever top such astonishing albums as Reign in Blood, South of Heaven, or Seasons in the Abyss, Christ Illusion is still a remarkable return to form.
  10. They're not exactly shaking up their own heavy-duty formula, but with the hell-and-handbasket thing going strong, what difference does it make to them?
  11. The question with Christ Illusion, as with any post-Seasons album, is simple: could these songs make it into Slayer's live set? The answer is yes, and more than the usual one or two.
  12. If you're the sort of person who only buys one metal album a year, then you'd probably be better off buying the new Mastodon album 'Blood Mountain' and going to see Slayer live but otherwise, what the hell are you waiting for...
  13. 70
    Innovative it's not. [Oct 2006, p.112]
  14. Christ Illusion sounds like an bid to get back to the Reign In Blood era by reining in the tech prowess that weighed down God Hates Us All and Divine Intervention.
  15. Their most rigorously conceived and focused [album] for years.
  16. The good news is that this is the band's strongest music since Seasons in the Abyss. The bad news is that, compared to their vaulted '80s output, the album lacks intensity.
  17. 60
    Blends the furious muscle of 2001's God Hates Us All with the more melodic experimentation of their post-Reign work. [Sep 2006, p.112]
  18. There is a sense of 'heard it before' on many of the songs on the album, but, nonetheless the songs still have the ability to rip your ears off.
  19. For the most part Christ Illusion is flabby and arthritic. [Oct 2006, p.126]
  20. Slayer seem unwilling to ditch the nu-metal tendencies that have made much of their recent output so resistible.
  21. "Christ Illusion" for the most part consists of leaden, grinding sludge devoid of any urgency or malevolence.
User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 27 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 16
  2. Negative: 1 out of 16
  1. ReggieS
    1
    Slayer are so lame! Winger had bigger balls and guitars...not to mention the sexy Kipp Winger. Whateven Slayer has done, Winger has done it 10X better!! Go get a Winger album and find out for yourself!! Full Review »
  2. 7
    Although this album may seem to be unfocused rage at first, you will find that "Christ Illusion" is an insightful look into such subjects, such as the 9/11 crisis and religious excuses for violence and destruction. From the start of "Flesh Storm", to the others such as "Eyes of the Insane", and "Jihad", the album is like making a shake in the blender with monster, red bull, and coffee all mixed together. That is the overall feel of the album, until we get to the songs "Consfearacy", "Catatonic", and "Black Serenade". But "Cult' brings the album back into its blender feel again. Overall, this is a good album by itself, but it doesn't achieve everything that a Slayer album should be able to achieve, with its lack of guitar solos. However, Araya's vocals are excellent in this album. Give "Christ Illusion a good listen, you will be satisfied well enough. Full Review »
  3. DanielR.
    8
    Slayer's best album since Season's, the album's higlight's are the the track's Flesh Storm, Jihad and Cult, could of used more of Hanneman's songwriting, but it's still a good album. Full Review »