Slayer is about to release a new album. The album will be their ninth studio album and entitled "World Painted Blood" (American Recordings/Columbia Records). If that isn't a Slayer name, I don't know what would be. Maybe, Carved Skin Leaking Blood.

Recording "World Painted Blood" was a unique experience for SLAYER who has historically begun the recording process with all songs written and fully rehearsed. This time, in part to make sure they could work with Fidelman, they had ideas, but did the bulk of writing and song development while in the studio. "Writing in the studio was a new idea for SLAYER," said Fidelman. "I think the fact that the songs were still new and fresh to them, and they hadn't been playing them for six months in rehearsal, kept the vibe and excitement in the studio very high."

"There are two principal music writers in this band, so you're going to get a combination of speed and heaviness," said Araya. "Kerry's writing is really aggressive and fast, while Jeff likes things to be fast, but with melodies and grooves. In making this album, we seemed to share the same vision from song ideas to titles; when we get together as SLAYER, it just happens, nothing is contrived, it's not thought out, we just do it, and we did that with this new album."

Will this album be as iconic as Reign in Blood or Seasons in the Abyss? I don't know, but it's Slayer, so I will give it a shot.