The 2010 Arsies: January 11, 2010

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January 11, 2010

Welcome back to the second full week of combat in the Arsies! We're off to a challenging start, pitting the latest offerings from Slayer and Shadows Fall against each other.
Today's a good example of why repeated listenings are so key to a proper determination of victory. On first listen, "World Painted Blood" and "Retribution" seem evenly matched. Both are fresh offerings from established bands, both feel like they're covering new territory, and both rock the fuck out. It's not until the third or fourth listens of each, however, until Shadows Fall slips away with the lead. More energy, more freshness, more cohesive ballsiness, and more headnodding that comes back to you well after the music's stopped. So, in another hard-to-predict outcome, Slayer cedes the field, and Shadows Fall moves on to the next round!
Tomorrow: Hatebreed vs Coalesce. Ugh. Really?

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