The good news is that Slayer [ tickets ]'s original lineup--Tom Araya (vocals, bass), Kerry King (guitar), Jeff Hanneman (guitar) and Dave Lombardo (drums)--is back for the first time since 1990's "Seasons in the Abyss."

The not-so-good news is that "Christ Illusion" doesn't rank among Slayer's best works. It's still better than what you'll get from just about any other band working in the speed-metal game. But it's not as good as "Seasons in the Abyss" or other previous Slayer triumphs like 1985's "Hell Awaits" or, especially, 1986's "Reign in Blood."

One thing is for sure: King and Hanneman still deliver the goods. Their leads take on a variety of forms on this album, recalling the immortal Tony Iommi on "Flesh Storm" and Slash on "Skeleton Christ." They even conjure up memories of surf-guitar god Dick Dale, crossed with a little Eddie Van Halen, on "Catalyst."

Likewise, Lombardo and Araya remain the heaviest of rhythm sections. Araya channels some Geezer Butler on "Black Serenade" and "Catatonic." And Lombardo certainly puts the speed in this metal, seemingly hitting more beats in a single song than some drummers do during entire careers.

The weakest link on this album is Araya's vocals. All the ranting and raving over the years has definitely caught up with the singer, and his voice isn't nearly as strong as it once was.

Plus, lyrically speaking, this album is spotty at best. The menacing lyrics come across as downright cartoonish at times. Most of the songs on this album were written by King, who goes for shock value over depth with decidedly mixed results.