Slayer - Repentless (Nuclear Blast) 2015
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Being Slayer’s first record since Jeff Hanneman’s death in 2013, Repentless raised the question of whether the band was able to maintain their identity after losing what many considered to be their main creative force.
This concern is only natural given that Hanneman crafted the majority of the band’s most iconic songs, and although King was responsible for writing most of ‘94’s tech-masterpiece, Divine Intervention, his creative input for the band has never been as strong or engaging ever since the release of that record. However, it’s clear that King recognized the importance of having to deliver a doubt-shattering record to prove that Slayer could still continue without its former members, and Repentless is the embodiment of that statement. It might not be the strongest record the band has ever released, but breakneck ragers like “Repentless”, “Take Control”, and other more obscure cuts such as “When The Stillness Comes”, the Hanneman-penned “Piano Wire” and punishing closer “Pride in Prejudice” show that Slayer still know how to conduct their business despite their losses.
Given current circumstances, Repentless came out as a pretty solid Slayer record, but on the downside the innovation factor is practically non-existent. King could have stirred up the waters had he given Gary Holt free reign to write some material, but ended up delivering something that can be considered more of a sequel to 2004’s Christ Illusion rather than a truly unique record exploring the full possibilities of the Araya, King, Holt and Bostaph line-up.