Slayer debuts with career-high placement on Billboard's Top 200 album chart

September 21, 2015

Not bad for a 32-year old metal band, eh?

SLAYER'S 'REPENTLESS' MAKES CAREER-HIGHEST DEBUT ON BILLBOARD'S TOP 200 ALBUMS CHARTS

Repentless, the 12th studio album from the iconic thrash/metal band SLAYER and the first without beloved founding member Jeff Hanneman, makes the highest Billboard debut in the band's 32-year recording career, coming in at #4 on the Top 200 Album Charts and scanning 50,000 units. Slayer's Christ Illusion has been the band's highest debut, premiering in 2006 at #5.

Repentless, the band's first album produced by Terry Date (Slipknot, Soundgarden, Deftones), also lands at #2 on... Billboard's Current Albums, Top Rock Albums, and Hard Music charts.

Repentless now also holds the record as the band's career-highest chart debut in Germany (#1), Holland (#2), Australia (#3), New Zealand (#8), the UK (#11) and on the Japanese International Chart (#1), and bowed at #3 in Finland, # 3 in Canada, #4 in Belgium, and #5 in both Sweden and Greece. Additionally, the album debuted in the Top 10 in France (#7), Italy (#8), Hungary (#9) and Japan (#10).

"The entire Nuclear Blast global team thanks Slayer and their loyal fans everywhere for the tremendous first-week success for Repentless," said Gerardo Martinez, NB's General Manager, USA. "Slayer made an amazing album that stayed true to who the band is, and the fans' overwhelming response is proof of that."

"Repentless," the album’s first music video, made its premiere on the album's 9/11 release date and has since logged more than 1.9 million YouTube views and is north of two-million views on Slayer's Facebook page. The video was directed by BJ McDonnell ("Hatchet III"), filmed at the Sybil Brand women's prison in East Los Angeles, and features copious amounts of blood, grizzly murders, and cameo appearances by some of Hollywood's most recognized anti-heroes, including Danny Trejo ("From Dusk Till Dawn") and Tony Moran ("Halloween").

Repentless is Slayer's first release since 2009's Grammy-nominated World Painted Blood, and likely the most challenging album of the band's career. The album marks the first time Slayer has worked with producer Terry Date, drummer Paul Bostaph's return to the recording lineup since 2001's God Hates Us All, guitarist Gary Holt's first appearance on a Slayer album, and first release on Nuclear Blast. With Repentless, Slayer - Tom Araya/bass, vocals, Kerry King/guitars, Paul Bostaph/drums, and guitarist Gary Holt - continues to unleash its aggressive and focused sonic assault, remaining crushing and brutal, while steadfastly refusing to trade its musical integrity for any reason.

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