Oh boy! How I adore writing a review for a band whose name starts with S followed by an L, followed by an A, followed by an Y, followed by an E, followed by an R, followed by an excorcism for your sound system and soul. Slayer have always been faithful to their principles, their music and their fans. Christ Illusion is another proof of their loyalty and their supreme attitude towards the heavy metal community.

These guys seem to be totally pissed this time! As Tom Araya stated before the release  ...the album is going to be fast, heavy - maybe faster than anything we've done before. It's going to be brutal. It's what everyone expects from a Slayer record. People won't be disappointed. We're not going to come out with something completely different.  Well no one could possibly describe this album better than this clever Chilean guy!

The album is really tough mean and tight, and this is somehow expected since it was produced by Josh Abraham having Rick Rubin as the executive producer. It also overflows with aggression and energy and there are literally tons of wild, morbid riffing accompanied by truly insane Slayer horse screaming soloing plus unbelievable infamous lyrics! Dave's also finally back for good! His brilliant and genius drum playing really adds to the whole slaytanic architecture of aggression since he keeps the band on the edge all the time! Lyrically speaking the majority of the songs deal with war, religion, satanic stuff, policy, death, typically subjects as it is normally supposed to be for Slayer!

From the first pounding notes of Flesh Storm it's so fucking obvious that Slayer have remained faithful to extreme heavy metal headbanging! You must also note that this is the first studio album since the legendary Seasons In The Abyss that marks the reunion of the band's four original members. So now we really have another reason to cheer up with some tons of Heineken! The majority of the song writing is credited to Kerry King and this can lead your imagination about the demonic stellar sonic attitude of this album.

We must also point out the song Jihad which (written by Hanneman) is supposed to be about the 9/11 events. The song is written from the terrorist's perspective, and it is definitely going to raise a lot of problems and controversy for the band! But the song which really surprised with its musical but mostly with its lyrical context (and by the way the best song of the album in my opinion) is Cult for sure. Its lyrics make Deicide seem like a child in the kindergarden since its truly blasphemic and irreligious. Just imagine Tom repeatedly crying out I've made my choice, 666!.

Maybe this album could be described as the ideal combination of speed, old school Slayer containing some new metal or hardcore elements, a comparison though which can only be applied up to Divine Intervention I presume though. This album is filled up to its neck with aggression but sometimes it's hard to remember certain riffs or lyrics of the songs, compared let's say to some South Of Heaven songs for example.

Having Tom Araya recovered from his gall bladder surgery, the band now has launched the Unholy Alliance Tour spreading their message throughout the globe! Highlights of this album can be considered - amongst the other - the following ones: Flesh Storm , Eyes of the Insane or probably the new Mandatory Suicide, Jihad, Catatonic, and definitely the best track of this album Cult. If someone started listening to the archbishops of mayhem from 1990 and on and he would rate this album with a 4 out of 5 perhaps. But for me, even though I am truly into Tom, Jeff, Kerry and Dave I will give them a...