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Repentless Image
Metascore
70

Generally favorable reviews - based on 19 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
7.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 46 Ratings

  • Summary: Produced by Terry Date, the 11th full-length studio release for the California trash metal band is the first with Exodus guitarist Gary Holt who took over from co-founding guitarist Jeff Hanneman who passed away in 2013.
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Top Track

When the Stillness Comes
Blood looks like paste on the walls Bodies lay lifeless like dolls A moment that felt like days Lives extinct with inner rage So noxious, I don't... See the rest of the song lyrics
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 19
  2. Negative: 0 out of 19
  1. 80
    That Repentless is coherent and persuasively powerful is a tribute to the identity of the band.
  2. Sep 10, 2015
    80
    Still the masters of this stuff, Slayer have honoured a fallen comrade in the best possible way.
  3. 80
    Repentless is the best Slayer album of the 21st century.
  4. The Wire
    Sep 3, 2015
    70
    While King may not be quite as adept a riff craftman as his late partner, the headbanging intensity and shout-along choruses that have always marked their best material are still present. [Sep 2015, p.51]
  5. Sep 10, 2015
    68
    Repentless is solid--far from a classic, but the best possible outcome.
  6. Sep 14, 2015
    60
    Repentless was never going to be Lulu, though the lack of surprises amongst diminishing returns is almost as bad.
  7. Sep 11, 2015
    40
    You Against You, which benefits from that unpredictable, bolted-together feel that all the craziest Slayer songs possess; and Implode, the first advance single released last year, and now re-recorded. The rest, unfortunately, lack spark.

See all 19 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 9
  2. Negative: 0 out of 9
  1. Sep 15, 2015
    10
    Repentless sounds like a squealing hog before the slaughter - you don't want to be on its way yet you cannot avoid it....brutal, mesmerizingRepentless sounds like a squealing hog before the slaughter - you don't want to be on its way yet you cannot avoid it....brutal, mesmerizing and maybe the best Slayer ever !...new producer gave those guitars a bit different twist while Araya's singing (shouting) delivers punches left and right....this is the best background music while driving - ever ! Expand
  2. Sep 11, 2015
    10
    If you like Slayer at all or metal in general this album is for you. The power is here in every lyric and every riff. You will feel like aIf you like Slayer at all or metal in general this album is for you. The power is here in every lyric and every riff. You will feel like a killing machine when you listen to this. That is all I can say. It is a very powerful, very agressive, and a very sweet set of tracks. Do yourself a favor and play it as loud as possible. I suggest buying the disc because it comes with a dvd of a live show and a documentary of the making of the album. Expand
  3. Jan 12, 2016
    9
    Repentless by Slayer. A German review.
    Nachdem die beiden Alben Christ Illusion und World Painted Blood den Totalausfall God Hates Us All um
    Repentless by Slayer. A German review.
    Nachdem die beiden Alben Christ Illusion und World Painted Blood den Totalausfall God Hates Us All um längen überboten haben war eigentlich klar in welche Kerbe das neue Album der Thrashtitanen Slayer schlagen muss. Doch wie sind der Tod von Jeff Hanneman und der Weggang Dave Lombardos zu verkraften? Erstaunlich gut, möchte man sagen. Wie auch auf God Hates Us All zu hören, wird klar, dass Dave Lombardo der bessere Schlagzeuger ist, jedoch glänzt auch Paul Bostaph phasenweise. Das Exodus-Urgestein Gary Holt hingegen füllt die Fußstapfen Hannemans richtig gut und zeigt uns wo der Hammer hängt. Zudem erleben wir die Herren King und Araya in Hochform.
    Anspieltipps der neuen Slayerscheibe sind Repentless, Atrocity Vendor und You Against You.
    Insgesamt irgendwo zwischen World Painted Blood und Seasons In The Abyss einzuordnen: 9/10.
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  4. Sep 11, 2015
    9
    This is Slayer. I feel it in guitars, i feel it in vocals, i feel it in vocals and lyrics that I can translate in my head while I listen thisThis is Slayer. I feel it in guitars, i feel it in vocals, i feel it in vocals and lyrics that I can translate in my head while I listen this fast and powerful songs Expand
  5. Nov 11, 2016
    7
    Repentless… what a stupid name, its not even a word… This album’s main problem lies in its presentation. You take the name, and the coverRepentless… what a stupid name, its not even a word… This album’s main problem lies in its presentation. You take the name, and the cover (which despite its bland colour palette, I love) and you get something which really does not demand anybody’s attention. One would expect a more impressive statement coming from Slayer’s newest album.

    The music is really key in the album. The music is very solid, the riffs, the tones and the solos really remind me of that early Slayer, and the new drummer perfectly mimics unique style of Lombardo before him. The songs however face the issue, of having very little punch to them the first time you hear them. Your first listen through the album will really have you feeling caught up in a cycle of similar lyrics and song-writing across all of the songs. For the first side the only major standouts are the opening instrumental and When The Stillness Comes.

    A mini analysis of the songs:

    Delusions of Saviour, a short instrumental opens the album, and I really think this works. It really paces the album well and does not immediately reveal what Slayer have in stall for us. Its not as fast or as heavy as some of the other tracks, but adds a lot to the album’s replay value.

    When the Great Stillness Comes, is essentially a mini Seasons in the Abyss, with that slow and spooky singing style, and really just goes for an aminous vibe, which for the same reason as the first song really adds the replay value to this album, such a great example of this album’s ability to shift tempos and really create a more rounded listening experience.

    Then at the second side the album really picks it up. Essentially the whole side provides competent thrash songs, which could really work on any of Slayer’s older albums.

    Firstly we have Piano Wire, which quite literally opens on one of Slayer’s best riffs. The thrashing nature of the riff, is complimented with it somewhat clear tone. It is legitimately catchy. The rest of the song is decent, and the solos on these albums aren’t exactly distinguishable but capture the essence of Kerry’s wah soaked guitar. This song is short and sweet, and is so easy to listen to. Also, during the re-recording of this song the band added even more “pizzaz” according to Kerry, which makes a statement of the song quality.

    Then we have the Atrocity Vendor, with one of the best drum intros in the album, which is so hard to pull off. The drum roll and the riff really set up this song well, but then it kind of goes back into the sound of this album. A decent track.

    You Against You, the big single off of this album. I must say this is a good track, although I hate the video that came with it, which sort of trivialises the reputation Slayer built in their early years. The solo in parituclar has some of the most extreme guitar effects I’ve ever heard, going into excessive wah and insane shredding. Just a great song to use as the single. For me the actual sniging and writing is mediocre, which is sort of a shame, because it had the potential to be great. They needed a clearer direction for the song, to really get a nice feel for what it was going for.
    The ending track, Pride and Prejudice, this song stands out as the best song on the album, for me narrowly tied with Piano Wire, the riff is super solid, but the whole song feels well DEFINED for me. The lyrics had focus, the instrumentals had a feel, and I think it turned out great. Ends the album on a high!

    The songs all sound moderately similar on this album, which isn’t too different from their earlier records, which has insane praise. The redundancy of the lyrics and at times the lack of memorability of the guitars lower the experience. But this album was great on the whole. Very easy to listen to, and has so much replay value.

    So why was it so poorly received? It was doomed from the start: it was never going to be the next South of Heaven, or Disciple. The mediocre moments in the album don’t kill it for me, but I can see why Slayer really needed to make this stuff a bit more memorable, if they wanted to please the fans. Maybe a few more moments like the breakdown in Reign in Blood, or the scream in Angel of Death, that works so well with their style.

    This was not Slayer’s passion project; this was just another addition to their discography. I doubt they went into the studio with very high ambitions, but in the end they did come out with some solid Slayer tracks.

    And for the record, this is a lot better than Dystopia and probably what Hardwired will be, I think Slayer have a great mature sound.
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  6. Mar 26, 2016
    6
    There were many doubts about this album from the day Jeff Hanneman left us. He had been the Nazi warfare-obsessed punk-influenced private manThere were many doubts about this album from the day Jeff Hanneman left us. He had been the Nazi warfare-obsessed punk-influenced private man to the more publicly outspoken, more straight ahead metal Kerry King. The two proved a lethal furious combination that would further the brutality of thrash metal and go on to influence death metal. However, this release sees the late Jeff replaced with Gary Holt from fellow thrash metal band Exodus. Now, Gary is a fantastic guitarist in his own right, but his style is not the same as Jeff. Jeff and Kerry were near-opposites and that's why there was such a great chemistry on the classic albums, but both Kerry and Gary are into straight up brutal metal riffs, resulting in a more uninspired atmosphere. Kerry tried so hard to convince us that Slayer would in no way be faltered by recent lineup changes (drummer Dave Lombardo got the sack two years ago and was replaced by the returning Paul Bostaph, who can still drum like an animal) or the fact that this album wasn't recorded as a cohesive whole as it was recorded between shows and mini-tours unlike previous albums. However, this clearly had a negative effect on the final result, it sounds disjointed at times and less cohesive than an album should. There are a few good Slayer tracks to be found here, though, namely the title track (written from Jeff's life perspective, a fitting tribute), Implode and Piano Wire (the only song here written by Jeff before his passing), so it's not quite the car crash many were expecting, but it's also hardly the rise from the ashes that other bands are lucky enough to have after losing a key member (take ACDC's Back in Black, for example).
    If you're a Slayer fan, you'll get some enjoyment out of this, if not, then Reign in Blood/Seasons in the Abyss are better starting points for anyone trying to get into their music.
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  7. Sep 24, 2015
    5
    its ok................................................................................................................................................

See all 9 User Reviews