For the record, I’m not a disciple in the Church of "F-in’ SLAYER!" The few albums I own are vintage live bootlegs or industry promos, yet I’ve seen the band more than two dozen times over the years, most of those during the 80s!

That said, this is not a typical balls out Slayer (s)platter: slower, with lots of ear candy (effects and noises accenting the guitar runs), right from the opening title track. Things pick up with the whammy bar heavy ‘Unit 731’. One of four cuts lasting less than three minutes (or half the length of their titular effort), the sound quality (oxymoron?) recalls the rawness of the early Metal Blade days.

Lyrically, there’s the well worn No-blood-for-oil ‘Americon’ (as in American con job), although Araya has said it’s his view of how the rest of the world sees the USA and could care less about that opinion. A wickedly intense ‘Snuff’ is about the film genre of the same name, while ‘Playing With Dolls’ begins as jangly guitar and loose high hat.

Basically, the album’s rebellion against religion and sociopathic behavior (but not of the explicit Cannibal Corpse/death metal’s step-by step instruction manual variety). Organized religion seems squarely in the crosshairs, take ‘Hate Worldwide’ (and to a lesser extent, the closing ‘Not Of This God’): "I’m a godless heretic, not a God fearing lunatic. That’s why it’s become my obsession, to treat God like an infection". Cross them off your Christmas card list!