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SLAYER

- 1981
COUNTRY:
UNITED STATES
GENRE(S):
THRASH
SIMILAR BANDS:
SODOM, MEGADETH, SCARRED, DEATH MECHANISM, METAL CHURCH, APOCALYPTICA, DEW-SCENTED, LEGION OF THE DAMNED, FORBIDDEN, WITCHERY
Slayer is an internationally-renowned American band in the Big Four of Thrash metal, along with Metallica, Anthrax and Megadeth.
TORPEDO - 20.12.2023
Formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981, Slayer is considered one of the pioneers of the Thrash Metal genre.The band was born from the union of four musicians: Kerry King (guitar), Jeff Hanneman (guitar), Tom Araya (vocals, bass) and Dave Lombardo (drums).

The band's first album, "Show No Mercy", was released in 1983. Slayer had been spotted by Brian Slagel, a former music journalist who had just founded Metal Blade Records, and signed to the label. The band's image at the time leaned heavily on satanic themes with pentagrams, make-up, spikes and inverted crosses. The album was well received, selling over 40,000 copies worldwide.

"Hell Awaits", released two years later, featured more experimental, technical music and longer songs. Although it didn't enjoy the same commercial success as the first album, it's still considered a must-have for Thrash Metal and Slayer.

It was with the release of "Reign in Blood" in 1986 that Slayer achieved Thrash Metal legend status. Hailed as one of the genre's greatest albums of all time, with its aggression, relentless speed and direct, powerful production, the album entered the Billboard 200 at number 94 and was certified gold in the USA.

Slayer's success continued with a string of hit albums. First came "South Of Heaven" (1988), a transitional opus that received a lukewarm reception, sandwiched between two memorable works, followed by the modern "Seasons In The Abyss" (1990), which reached number 44 on the Billboard 200, "God Hates Us All" in 2001, angrier and more chaotic than ever, and finally "Christ Illusion", released in 2006 and selling over 60,000 copies in its first week.

In 2008, the first signs of weariness began to appear. The band began to question themselves, especially Araya, who couldn't see himself performing and producing albums indefinitely. A year later, Slayer released "World Painted Blood" (2009), their most controversial album. Combining the brutality of their latest productions with the heaviness and melodiousness of older albums such as "South Of Heaven" and "Seasons In The Abyss", Slayer revisited all the elements that had built their identity, at the risk of cutting themselves off from some of their fans. 

2011 was a complicated year for the band. Hanneman was plagued by a flesh-eating bacterium, and his health declined rapidly. Slayer replaced him on the tour that followed, and on April 23, 2011, he played his last two songs as a guest at the American Big 4 concert in California.

In 2013, Lombardo left the band for the last time following salary disputes, and Hanneman died on May 2 of the same year. In 2015, Slayer released their thirteenth and last studio album to date, "Repentless", a solid Thrash record that stands as a testament to the band's enduring savoir-faire. A farewell tour was organized in 2018, starting in the United States and continuing in 2019 in Australia and Japan. Although rumors of a reformation have regularly surfaced, the members of Slayer have confirmed that the band has definitively disbanded, and that there will be no more albums or tours.

More informations on http://www.slayer.net
DID YOU KNOW?

According to Lombardo, the band was originally going to be called Wings of Fire, but then changed its name to Slayer.

In 1992, Dave Lombardo left Slayer to form his own band: Grip Inc. then returned to the group 9 years later in 2001, only to be fired in 2013.

Slayer was ranked by MTV as the sixth greatest metal band of all time.

Jeff Hanneman, Kerry King and Tom Araya all have Funko Pop doll in their likeness released in 2020.

PLAYLIST
 
 
5 LAST LINKED REVIEWS
SLAYER_Repentless
Repentless (2015)
4/5
4.8/5
NUCLEAR BLAST / THRASH
SLAYER_God-Hates-Us-All
God Hates Us All (2001)
4/5
4.3/5
AMERICAN RECORDINGS / THRASH
SLAYER_Seasons-In-The-Abyss
Seasons In The Abyss (1990)
5/5
4.2/5
AUTRE LABEL / THRASH
SLAYER_South-Of-Heaven
South Of Heaven (1988)
4/5
4.5/5
DEF JAM RECORDINGS / THRASH
SLAYER_Reign-In-Blood
Reign In Blood (1986)
5/5
4.5/5
DEF JAM RECORDINGS / THRASH
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