Slayer - "Christ Illusion" (CD/DVD Reissue with Bonus Tracks)

(Ed. Note--Audiversity is very pleased to kick off this week by introducing the newest writer to our music nerdery team. The former Review Editor for Punk Planet (R.I.P.) and an expert on all things metal, deviant and sinister, Mr. Dave Hofer is here to add a little more chutzpah to our weekly content. As a near perfect introduction, Supreme Overlord Hofer is debuting with a review of what may be the quintessential metal band, Slayer. We are ecstatic to have Dave aboard as our newest Audiversitarian, and hope you will share our excitement in the further diversification of our content.)











Slayer - Black Serenade (alternate version, American 2007)

Slayer - Christ Illusion (CD/DVD Reissue with Bonus Tracks) / American

Slayer is one of those bands that only seem to release new albums so they can tour and play a handful of new songs mixed in with a high percentage of older, classic material. Summer of 2006 brought us the band's ninth studio album, Christ Illusion, and as is the norm these days, summer of 2007 delivered a reissue of the same album, but with (gasp!) bonus material! Christ Illusion is already a great thrash album that gets the job done: it placates Slayer fans until the band can come through their town and lay waste to whatever venue they're booked in.

There's really not a lot to speak of here. The Christ Illusion reissue features two bonus tracks, only one of which is previously unreleased. "Final Six," the until-now unheard song, was left off of the album due to incompletion because of bassist/vocalist Tom Araya's gall-bladder surgery. Seriously. "Black Serenade" should look familiar, because it's already on the album. This version is slightly different: some arrangement changes that make little—if any—difference unless both versions are listened to back to back.

The DVD packs a little more punch, but not a lot. First up is a five-minute "documentary" of Slayer on tour, which is little more than quickly-edited scenes of them playing live in Florida and Australia (and also some shots of them sitting on couches backstage) set to the tune of "Jihad" from Christ Illusion. The footage is cool enough, unless you've seen their live home videos Live Intrusion, Still Reigning, and War at the Warfield, or have ever listened to their double-live album, Decade of Aggression. The most clever part is a shot of a "No Crowdsurfing" sign, and then shots of people crowd-surfing anyway.

Next is the video for "Eyes of the Insane," also from Christ Illusion, which is neat and all, but I've already seen this for free numerous times after I taped it off of Headbanger's Ball onto my metal-video VHS tape. Finally is a live clip of "South of Heaven," recorded in Vancouver, British Columbia, which is a teaser for Slayer's fourth live home video! Good lord. It's cool seeing the lights that project inverted crosses onto their giant backdrop and all, but enough with the live footage already.

Here's an idea: the Slayer box set sucked. It was filled with rarities I could give a shit about (a live performance of "Bloodline" from ESPN France?) Why don't you release a proper double-DVD set with a full-length documentary about life on the road with Slayer (much like any of Pantera's immensely entertaining home videos), couple it with a bonus DVD of all the Slayer videos, which are never aired on TV, and offer a deluxe version of that with a CD or two of rarities?

Here's this entire review in a nutshell: the bonus features aren't worth it if you already own Christ Illusion. The fancy cover art may be fun to look at while stoned, but the "documentary," the different version of "Black Serenade," and the live version of "South of Heaven" are good for one, maybe two spins, tops. You'll probably want to listen to "Final Six" a few times because it's a good song, but it's not spend-an-additional-15-dollars good.