As the lights went down and the intro track Delusions Of Savious blared through the speakers, a projection of spinning crosses appeared on a silkscreen at the front of the stage; Las Vegas fans realized this was their last chance. With that, the screen fell and the band already in position, kicked off the night with Repentless. Their set was a full-metal assault of their nearly 40-year long history, complete with a backdrop that referred to the artwork of every album cover in the band’s discography. Slayer charged through hit after hit such as Disciple, Mandatory Suicide, Seasons In The Abyss and South Of Heaven in front of practical wall pyrotechnics and overseeing ferocious mosh pits erupt in front of them.

Something is humbling about the finality of this tour. After witnessing the last time Kerry King will be ripping through complex riffs and solos as Tom Araya bellows lyrics of horror and warfare. The band’s enormous influence has been unmistakable on the modern Metal landscape. There is something remorseful about hearing War Ensemble or Dead Skin Mask being performed live for the last time.

Ultimately the night came to its apex crescendo on Angel Of Death, whipping the crowd into one last fever pitch before the end. The band now heads off to Los Angeles, and then retirement. SO LONG SLAYER!

Slayer Set list

• Delusions of Saviour
• Repentless
• Mandatory Suicide
• World Painted Blood
• Postmortem
• Hate Worldwide
• War Ensemble
• Stain of Mind
• Disciple
• When the Stillness Comes
• Born of Fire
• Payback
• Seasons in the Abyss
• Jesus Saves
• Chemical Warfare
• Hell Awaits
• South of Heaven
• Show No Mercy
• Raining Blood
• Dead Skin Mask
• Angel of Death

The History Of Slayer

Slayer was one of the most notable, prominent, and extreme thrash metal bands of the 1980s. Their graphic lyrics dealt with everything from death and dismemberment to war and the horrors of hell. Their full-throttle quickness, wildly chaotic guitar solos, and compelling musical chops painted an effectively chilling sonic experience for their obsessive chronicling of the dark side; this communication aided Slayer’s music arguably hold up better than the remaining Big Three ’80s thrash outfits (Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax).

Naturally, Slayer stirred up quite a bit of discussion over the years, with rumors flying about Satanism and Nazism that only added to their character. The band put out some high-quality records, including one certain classic (Reign in Blood), and saw the number of naysayers and detractors shrink as their influence on the developing death metal scene was steadily and respectfully accepted. Slayer survived with the most vitality and the least compromise of any pre-Nirvana metal band, and their passion inspired similar responses from their devoted fans.

Metal Massacre, Vol. 3Slayer was formed in 1982 in Huntington Park, California, by guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman; also recruited were bassist/vocalist Tom Araya and drummer Dave Lombardo. They started out playing covers of Judas Priest and Iron Maiden songs but quickly realized that they could get attention (and fans) by exploiting threatening, Satanic imagery. The band was asked by Metal Blade’s Brian Slagel to contribute a track to the Metal Massacre, Vol. 3 compilation (a series that also saw the vinyl debuts of Metallica and Voivod); a contract and debut album, Show No Mercy, followed shortly thereafter.

While Slayer’s early strategy was rather cartoonish, their breakneck speed and instrumental prowess were still highly evident. Two EPs, Haunting the Chapel and Live Undead, were released in 1984, but 1985’s Hell Awaits refined their lyrical obsessions into a sort of concept album about damnation and torture and made an immediate sensation in heavy metal circles, winning Slayer a rabid cult following.

A New Era For The Thrash Metal Icons

Master of Puppets Def Jam co-founder Rick Rubin took a liking to the band. He signed them to his label, and contributed the first clear-sounding production heard on any Slayer album for the stripped-down Reign in Blood. Due to the graphic nature of the material, CBS refused to distribute the album. This garnered a great deal of publicity for the band; eventually, Geffen Records stepped in. Combining Slayer’s trademark speed metal with the tempos and song lengths (if not structures) of hardcore, along with the band’s most disturbing lyrics yet, Reign in Blood was an immediate classic, breaking the band to a broader audience, and hailed by some as the most celebrated speed metal album of all time (some give the nod to Metallica’s Master of Puppets).

South of Heaven frustrated some of the band’s hardcore followers. As Slayer fortuitously broke out of the potential stylistic straitjacket of their status as the world’s fastest, most extreme band. Drummer Lombardo took some time off and was briefly replaced by Whiplash drummer Tony Scaglione. Lombardo soon returned to the fold. Released in 1990, Seasons in the Abyss was well-received in all respects, incorporating more of the classic Slayer intensity into a more commercial — but no less uncompromising — sound. “War Ensemble” and the title track became favorites on MTV’s Headbanger’s Ball, and Slayer consolidated their position at the forefront of thrash, along with Metallica. Following the release of the double-live album Decade of Aggression, Lombardo left the band again and formed Grip Inc.

Judgment Night Slayer remained quiet for a few years; the only new material released after 1990 was a duet with Ice-T. Which was recorded for the Judgment Night soundtrack on a medley of songs by the Exploited. After leaving the Forbidden, Bostaph signed on as the new drummer for 1994’s Divine Intervention. Which was released to glowing reviews. Thanks to the new death metal movement, which drew upon Slayer and particularly Reign in Blood for its inspiration, Slayer were hailed as metal innovators. The album was a massive success, debuting at number eight on the Billboard album charts.

Undisputed Attitude Bostaph left the band to concentrate on a side project. Named the Truth About Seafood and was replaced by ex-Testament drummer Jon Dette. This album consisting mostly of punk and hardcore covers. Bostaph rejoined Slayer in time to record 1998’s Diabolus in Musica. The band reunited with Def Jam for 2001’s God Hates Us All. Again in 2002, Lombardo rejoined the band once more. In 2004, they unleashed the four-disc anthology Soundtrack to the Apocalypse.

Followed by an album of all-new material, Christ Illusion, in 2006. After a relentless tour and festival schedule in 2007 and 2008, Slayer emerged from the studio with World Painted Blood in 2009. In 2010, they appeared with Metallica, Megadeth, and Anthrax on Big 4: Live from Sofia, Bulgaria. On May 2, 2013 Slayer guitarist and co-founder Jeff Hanneman died of liver failure at a Los Angeles hospital; he was 49 years old.

The Loss Of Hanneman Was A Hard Hit But Slayer Persists

RepentlessKing and Araya refused to let their friend’s death deter them from carrying on with Slayer. So they set out to work writing a new album. Lombardo was kicked out of the band for the third time. Bostaph came back on board. Exodus’ Gary Holt, who had filled in for Hanneman when he was seriously ill with narcotizing fasciitis in 2011. Eventually joined as his permanent replacement. The album was eventually finished in 2015 and titled Repentless. Three tracks, “When the Stillness Comes,” “Implode,” and the title cut — which King dubbed a “Hannem Anthem” in tribute — were released as digital singles throughout the spring and summer. Repentless appeared on September 11 through Nuclear Blast and debuted at number four on the Billboard 200.

The band toured for over two years around the world before returning home. Which is where they intended to start working on a new album. However, plans for this 13th album were eventually scrapped and, in 2018, Slayer announced what would become their farewell tour. Once again traversing the globe, their final trek extended into late 2019. To commemorate the historic milestone, the band released a special concert film, The Repentless Killogy. This paired a short movie with a full performance filmed in 2017 at the Los Angeles Forum.