The war in Iraq has been pretty much inescapable as far as comment in the media is concerned for a long time now, and with new single ‘Eyes of the Insane’ Slayer (or ‘the mighty Slayer’ to give them their full moniker) throw in their 2 cents worth with a song exploring the effects of war from a soldier’s point of view.
With original drummer Dave Lombardo back in the fold, the song sees the band musically return to the thrash metal sound of the 80s that placed them high on the list in the pantheon of metal. Having spent most of the 90s lacking a great deal of critical success. It’s not Slayer at their heaviest but continues with the same formula the band has been using for over 20 years now. It’s a formula that has made them a legend in their genre so why change it? Power chords, riffs, shouty anti-’something’ (here war, elsewhere usually Christianity) lyrics and a complex and well executed solo extended solo are all present. As you would expect it is loud, fast and sonically aggressive.
As with a lot of metal, the lyrics could well have been scrawled on a Year 9 maths book, but in many ways the monosyllabic shouted delivery and stop start heavy guitar relay the themes of murder and confusion of war well. Repeated references to mutilation, torture and mental abuse reinforce this atmosphere and in a truly metal way it is, both musically and lyrically, a fairly successful exploration of shellshock and what it is like to be a soldier in the 21st century – a welcome change from Slayers usual material, God and the Devil.
The single is taken from their first studio album in five years 'Christ Illusion'. The album has been greeted as a return to form by fans and critics alike, and on the evidence of this single I am certainly not going to argue. For more information you can visit: http://www.slayer.net
