Slayer are downright exhausting -- always. So it almost goes without saying that God Hates Us All proves exhausting. It often sounds like a cacophonous blur, the sort of aural barrage that leaves your ears ringing at the album's finally concluding moment -- if you can endure the entire album in... [+] Expand

Slayer are downright exhausting -- always. So it almost goes without saying that God Hates Us All proves exhausting. It often sounds like a cacophonous blur, the sort of aural barrage that leaves your ears ringing at the album's finally concluding moment -- if you can endure the entire album in one listen, of course. But this is nothing new. Never once have Slayer toned down their brutal approach for anyone. Even when the band dabbled with slower tempos and melody back in the South of Heaven era, their intensity was nothing less than relentless. So, in a way, God Hates Us All shouldn't disappoint anyone, particularly anyone who enjoyed the band's preceding album, Diabolus in Musica. Like that album, God Hates Us All finds Slayer trying to make the most brutal music they possibly can -- songs as breathtaking in their attack as past classics like "War Ensemble" and "Angel of Death." And also like Diabolus in Musica, God Hates Us All rarely departs from the traditional hardcore-meets-thrash approach, never once attempting anything as accessible as "Dead Skin Mask" or "Spill the Blood." "Bloodline" is the biggest departure here, the only song that even flirts with melody or singing. Elsewhere, vocalist Tom Araya has never sounded more possessed, yelling and screaming the highly ideological lyrics. In fact, probably more than anything, it's Araya's manic performance that could make this the most exhausting Slayer album yet. And Matt Hyde's wall-of-noise production only strengthens this album's claim to that status. In the end, God Hates Us All isn't going to cause any debate, expect maybe where it ranks on the "Best Slayer Album Ever" chart. It's what you've come to expect from an album from them. And that's about the harshest criticism you can throw at this: nearly 20 years into their evolution, Slayer have abandoned the extravagancies and accessibility of their late-'80s/early-'90s work and returned to perfect the raw approach of their early years. A near flawless album like this only makes you wonder where the band goes from here and if Slayer still have the audacity to make another risky album like South of Heaven, even if that means losing some fans in the process. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide [-] Collapse

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