If you were tired of listening to “Implode” and “When the Stillness Comes,” you’re about to get a little more Slayer in your life. The title track to the band’s forthcoming Repentless album will be digitally released this Friday (19). Also today, the band released the cover artwork to the album, due out on September 11. As drawn by Brazilian artist Marcelo Vasco, it’s actually a pretty badass album cover. It references a handful of other Slayer albums: The Christ Illusion version of Jesus is hanging (literally) in the upper left hand of the cover. There’s also the sword Slayer logo of Hell Awaits and the overall Heironymous Bosch-like hellscape in the background while a Jesus portrait is in the foreground.
“We had a number of submitted ideas for the cover artwork,” said Araya, “and we felt Marcelo’s was the best. We made some suggestions and the result is an awesome album cover.”
As far as the title track you’ll be hearing on Friday, Kerry King says the song is a tribute to guitarist Jeff Hanneman. “I call it the ‘HannemAnthem,'” he says. “It’s my perspective of Jeff’s perspective, it’s what I think… if Jeff wrote a song for himself, ‘Repentless’ would be it.” You can read the lyrics to the song here, but here’s an excerpt:
Meanwhile, of all the bands to play annual music festival Bonnaroo, Slayer stuck out like a sore spiked armguard among the likes of Mumford & Sons, Kendrick Lamar and Florence & the Machine. All reports from those in attendance said the band turned in an inspired set. However, it’s unlikely that many seeking the jamminess of My Morning jacket or the twee pop of Belle & Sebastian were won over the band’s set. However according to Noisey, there was some guerilla marketing going on for the band, with no less than two sets of porta-potties decorated with their name. Let’s see an Alabama Shakes fan do that!
