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34 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Majorly underrated; bands change, people, February 8, 2005
O.K., so maybe Slayer aren't as good as they once were (purely because they're not as fast as they once were), but come on people. This C.D. is not bad. "God Hates Us All" is more brutal than their past few releases (probably Slayer's most brutal album since "Reign in Blood"), and the songs are longer, too.
Now, there is no denying the songs are slower than the Slayer that we knew in the '80's; but times change. Slayer can't keep making the same record again and again, or else they'd be criticized for doing that (just like some fans were dissapointed with "Divine Intervention," because they thought it was a "Reign in Blood" rehash.) Slayer needed to evolve and tweak their sound a little bit. But this is still Slayer: most of the songs here are still blindingly fast. The riffs just fly by, still as fast, if not faster than any other band, and ten times faster than any nu-metal band. Plus (if you think this album was influenced by nu-metal bands or other music that was popular at the time), I don't know any Korn or Linkin Park album that has guitar solos!
There's no denying the vocals have changed, too. Tom Araya's voice almost never changes throughout this album, and it can be, at times, a bit grating. But what else is he supposed to do? With music this loud, he can't switch to calm singing or metal crooning. Also, his voice is slower, but is that a bad thing? On this album (opposed to some of Slayer's previous albums) you can actually tell what he's saying most of the time. And even if Tom's voice does get irritating, there's enough ceiling shaking guitar work to make up for it.
Finally, can a band be fast and loud but not inspired? Yes, "God Hates Us All" is very loud. While playing this C.D., I couldn't hear anything else in the room until the last song ended; and then I could have sworn there was almost a ringing in my ears. But these songs are also very intense. To anyone who thinks this album is uninspired, I say listen to such tracks as "Disciple" and "Exile."
Highlights include:
"Disciple" has a driving bassline and, at it's pinnacle, is almost deafening. It's so fast, the twin guitar assault sometimes sounds like a cacophonous blur.
"New Faith", "Cast Down" and "Threshold" all start out with one guitarist playing a "chug-chug" riff, which is only audible in one headphone at first. Then, the second guitarist comes on and plays the same riff in the other headphone. "Cast Down" has a a section which has a bobbing beat and staccato vocals and I enjoy how "Threshold" chugs fast, pauses briefly, then chugs some more.
"Exile" begins with two lumbering riffs (one from each guitarist), in the middle has a guitar solo that goes up and down, and ends with crashing "boom-boom" sound. But this song is a personal favorite mostly because of the viscious lyrics. Tom, who is insanely and genuinely mad, yells phrases like: "Take a good look in these eyes, know that I'm the one that's gonna tear your f*ckin' heart out!"
"Seven Faces" and "Bloodline" are the only two really slow songs, but even they are faster than most songs in music today.
"War Zone" begins with machine gun/jackhammer riffs and drums.
"Payback" is one of the fastest songs on the record, but it's quite short.
Even though I like this album a lot, I can understand why old school Slayer fans would hate it (as it is not a good representation of the band). So if you're new to the band, check out this album first (AND LISTEN WITH AN OPEN MIND), then explore their earlier works. Try to enjoy the Slayer albums seperately, don't compare them. Also, love this album or hate it, you need to own it if you're a Slayer completist.
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19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A. Stutheit "andreaabs" is right, June 4, 2005
I agree with that guys review. Slayer has changed but its not the music at all, its Tom's voice. He cant scream like he use to, just listen to some concerts of the past few years. If this cd was released back after Reign in Blood, this would probably be the greatest thrash metal ever. This cd has amazing lyrics, the guitars are very heavy, Tom's voice is a little changed but its still an amazing cd. Id recommend this cd to all the people who think Korn, Limp Bizkit, Slipknot, and those types of bands are heavy and violent-this guys dont go soft, they just get more pissed off. I saw them in concert, and that was the first time they used the raining blood effect. Lets just say that changed my life forever, and my view on metal bands. Slayer releases album after album of great, heavy, violent music and very disturbing, imaginative lyrics. Long live the greatest metal band of all time , SLAYER
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15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The hardest Slayer album since... well... the last one, May 8, 2003
GHUA is not only one of the most extreme metal albums released in 2001, it is a jewel in Slayer's crown of brutality.Top notch riffing, melody and an exhausting vocal performance from Tom Araya combine with sharp production and result in an almost perfect thrash album. Once again, Slayer's lyrics strike the perfect balance between morbid humour and seriousness. Thematically, GHUA examines the pain and suffering a person goes through in their life and the question over whether life is worth living at all. God is presented as the ultimate sadist and the album touches on the hopelessness and helplessness everyone feels at onetime or another. I only have one complaint. The first four and last three songs are so good that the middle almost suffers in comparison. Now a song by song breakdown.
1.Darkness of Christ- An excellent intro track to the album. The words suggest that the world spins on a mantra of 'survival of the fittest'. N/A
2.Disciple- The first track is also the best. Paul's drumming is brutal and fast with enough rhythym changes in percussion and guitars to keep an audience interested after several spins.10/10
3.God Send Death- The opening is a melodic throwback to South of Heaven that twists into a straight out thrasher.9/10
4.New Faith- The grooviest track on the album and a welcome dose of comic relief comes about halfway through. Let the words 'I keep the Bible in a pool of blood' ring through the ages.9/10
5.Cast Down- A serious song about the despair of homelessness. The jilted drum part will throw you of balance while the guitars pull you in.9/10
6.Threshold- One of the weakest songs on the album, it should have been better. The guitar riff is cool but it never picks up any complexity. It feels like a half a song.7/10
7.Exile- Same problems as Threshold. Gets better as you listen to it more. 7/10
8.Seven Faces- The melodius beginning falls away to reveal a hideous scream and one of the best structured songs on the album. 'I live for the things that keep me hollow'.8/10
9.Bloodline- A lot of fun, South of Heaven style, and a good track for people new to Slayer. 9/10
10.Deviance- Same lack of depth that plagues Threshold and Exile. Could have been a classic with a little more work, but oh well. 7/10
11.War Zone- Ah, here we go. One of the fastest and hardest songs Slayer has ever made. If the brutality of war were ever captured and purified into a heavy metal thrash band, it would be SLAYER.9/10
12.Here Comes the Pain-This one challenges Disciple for title of best track on the album. Heavy Metal at its best. 10/10
13.Payback-A brutal closer. It doesn't have the staying power of some of the others but carries the classicly absurd chorus: 'Payback's a b*tch, motherf*cker!'. Beautiful.Overall this is one of Slayer's best and heaviest. Each album Slayer has released has kept getting better, and they were damn good from the start. Overall- 9/10
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