Formed: 1982
From:
Huntington Beach,
CA,
United States
Last Known Status: Active
Background
The thrash metal sound of Slayer was formed in Huntington Beach, CA in 1982. Comprising Tom Araya (bass, vocals), Kerry King (guitar), Jeff Hanneman (guitar) and Dave Lombardo (drums), they made their debut in 1983, with a track on the compilation Metal Massacre III. After that the rest has been history. The band played at breakneck speed with amazing technical precision, but the intricacies of detail were lost in a muddy production. Araya's lyrics dealt with death, carnage, Satanism and torture, but were reduced to an indecipherable guttural howl. But this chaos called music is what set the ways for Slayer and many bands to follow.
Through the years, Slayer has been hit with much controversy over their lyrics, including lawsuits. But through the years Slayer has managed to build a following from coast to coast. Slayer has played such tours as Monsters of Rock, Ozzfest, and recently toured the U.S. co-headling with Pantera.
Now almost 20 years later, Slayer is still playing just as hard as ever. Will Slayer ever stop? Not likely, considering they are keeping up with thrash bands half their age, after all they did start it!
Latest Slayer News
Below is our complete Slayer news coverage, including columns and articles pertaining to the band. Some articles listed may be indirectly related, such as side projects of the band members, etc.
Note: We began associating news directly with bands in late 2003. Therefore, earlier band news may not be listed on this page.
Displaying records 341 - 360 of 756 1 2 ... 16 17 18 19 20 ... 37 38 Last
OpEd
A Decade Of Metal In Review
On the 31 Dec 1999, no planes came crashing out of the sky, nuclear bombs went off or microwave ovens tried to eat anyone. However, times were about to change and in the metal scene change was already well underway. Let us take a stroll through the decade in metal that was.
Many of the 90s big names like Emperor and Pantera prepared to give their last venomous scream dying off in the wake of ever diminishing interest in the metal scene that had plagued the 90s. In the year 2000 a band named “Limp Bizkit” came out with an album called "Chocolate Starfish and the Hotdog Flavoured Water" and in a storm nu-metal took over the public perception of heavy music, changing the face of metal irreparably. Although nu-metal had already been pioneered by Korn, bands like Deftones, Disturbed, Mudvayne and Linkin Park all had breakout releases in 2000. More...
More Bands Confirmed For Graspop 2010
The organisers of Belgium's Graspop Metal Meeting festival has announced several more bands for this year's edition of the event. Among the latest acts are American thrash metal legends Slayer, British gothic metal veterans Paradise Lost, heavy metal icons Saxon and death metal legends Cannibal Corpse and Deicide. Also confirmed are Steel Panther, U.D.O., A Day To Remember, 36 Crazyfists, Atreyu, Between The Buried And Me, Unearth, Anathema and Rise To Remain. The festival will take place in the town of Dessel from June 25th - 27th.
The lineup is now as follows: More...
The Haunted Announces Two Headlining UK Dates
The Haunted has confirmed two headlining UK dates:
May 28 Sheffield, UK - O2 academy
Jun. 01 Hatfield, UK - The Attic
The Haunted will support the rescheduled Slayer dates in the UK. Dates for this tour is as follows:
May 26 Leeds, UK - o2 Academy
May 27 Glasgow, UK - Barrowland
May 29 Birmingham, UK - o2 Academy
May 30 Manchester, UK - Academy
May 31 Nottingham, UK - Rock City
Jun. 02 London, UK - The Forum
Jun. 03 London, UK - The Forum
Slayer, Megadeth American Carnage Tour Rescheduled
Slayer and Megadeth are thrilled to announce the new, confirmed routing for the American Carnage North American Tour, which will commence with the rescheduled Canadian Carnage East dates in Quebec City on Friday, July 23. Slayer will then head to Europe for a run of festival dates, returning to kick off the American Carnage leg in Albany, NY on August 11. American Carnage will play 26 dates across the United States and Eastern Canada up to the Labor Day weekend, ending in Portland, OR on September 4. Testament will be Special Guest on all shows. Tickets purchased for the American Carnage shows when they first went on sale late last year will be honored for these rescheduled dates.
Due to venue availability and other conflicts, the shows originally scheduled in El Paso, Houston, Nashville, Duluth, and Louisville cannot be rescheduled at this time, and ticket holders may obtain refunds at point of purchase. However, new cities have been added to the American Carnage itinerary, with dates now scheduled in Cleveland, Kansas City, San Diego, and Sacramento. The confirmed, complete itinerary is below.
The American Carnage Tour, originally scheduled to take place in January and February, had to be put on hold due to Slayer's vocalist/bassist, Tom Araya's ongoing, minimally-invasive treatments for what was diagnosed as a Cervical Radiculopathy, an occupational hazard for the rocker who is known for aggressively swinging his long mane of hair while performing. Right after the first of the year, Araya made the difficult decision to undergo a surgical procedure, called an Anterior Cervical Discectomy with Fusion, a relatively routine practice with an excellent recovery rate. That surgery took place early last week.
"The doctors said that Tom's surgery went very smoothly and was a resounding success," said Rick Sales, long-time Slayer manager. "He's home now, doing really well, and he said the numbness in his fingers had already diminished considerably."
Shortly after the surgery, Slayer's Kerry King received a text from Tom: "Awake and feeling good, actually whatever he did, it feels better."
The American Carnage Tour will mark the first time that Slayer, Megadeth and Testament will have toured the U.S. together since 1991's epic "Clash of the Titans" tour.
Slayer recently announced the rescheduling of its headline tour in the UK and Europe, and Megadeth and Testament are currently on tour together playing U.S. cities that will not be on the American Carnage itinerary.
The complete, confirmed itinerary for the American Carnage North American Tour are as follows: More...
Headline News
Judas Priest And AC/DC Win Grammy Awards
Two of the biggest names in hard rock and heavy metal walked away with Grammy awards last night as British metal legends Judas Priest picked up the award for Best Metal Performance, beating Lamb Of God, Megadeth, Ministry and Slayer, with their song "Dissident Aggressor," taken from their live album, "A Touch Of Evil: Live." Australian based hard rockers AC/DC also scooped the prize for Best Hard Rock Performance for their song "War Machine," which appears on their most recent studio album, "Black Ice" and the forthcoming "Iron Man 2" soundtrack. They were able to beat Metallica, Alice In Chains, Nickelback and Linkin Park in their category.
The Haunted Confirmed For Rescheduled U.K. Dates
The Haunted has been confirmed as support on the first run of rescheduled SLAYER dates in the U.K. on the following dates in May & June:
05.26.10 Leeds, UK o2 Academy
05.27.10 Glasgow, UK Barrowland
05.29.10 Birmingham, UK o2 Academy
05.30.10 Manchester, UK Academy
05.31.10 Nottingham, UK Rock City
06.02.10 London, UK The Forum
06.03.10 London, UK The Forum
Slayer Reveals Rescheduled Tour Dates
Legendary thrash act Slayer recently canceled their planned tour dates with Megadeth due to vocalist Tom Araya undergoing back surgery. Slayer has now announced a series or rescheduled European dates, with new North American dates to be announced in the near future. The currently confirmed dates are as follows:
05.26.10 Leeds, England o2 Academy
05.27.10 Glasgow, Scotland Barrowland
05.29.10 Birmingham, England o2 Academy
05.30.10 Manchester, England Academy
05.31.10 Nottingham, England Rock City
06.02.10 London, UK The Forum
06.03.10 London, UK The Forum
06.05.10 Nurburgring, Germany Rock Am Ring AlternaStage
06.06.10 Nurnburg, Germany Rock Im Park AlternaStage
06.07.10 Hamburg, Germany Docks
06.08.10 Bochum, Germany Ruhrcongress
06.12.10 Nickelsdorf, Austria NovaRock Festival
06.13.10 Munich, Germany Zenith
06.14.10 Cologne, Germany Live Music Hall
06.16.10 Warsaw, Poland Sonisphere Festival: Bemowo Airport
06.18.10 Zurich Switzerland Sonisphere Festival: Degenaupark
06.19.10 Prague, Czech Republic Sonishphere Festival: Prague Mimon Airport
06.24.10 Athens, Greece Sonishphere Festival: Terra Vibe
06.25.10 Bucharest, Romania Sonishphere Festival: La Katarg
06.27.10 Istanbul, Turkey Sonishphere Festival: Inonu Stadium
06.29.10 Milan, Italy Alcatraz
06.30.10 Milan, Italy Alcatraz More...
Slayer Reschedules U.K. Tour
American thrash metal giants Slayer have announced the rescheduled tour dates for their trip to the United Kingdom. The tour will kick off in Leeds at the end of May and finish with two shows in London in early June. The tour was previously rescheduled due to lead singer/bass player Tom Araya having to have surgery on his back, following several problems. The band will be touring in support of their latest studio album, "World Painted Blood."
Slayer Video Interview w/ Shockhound Posted Online
Kerry and Dave talk about being in the "Big Four," King's long-running beef with Dave Mustaine, and their favorite songs to play live in their video interview with Shockhound's "Alive and Killing."
Slayer Says "Hold On To Your Tickets"
Slayer tells fans to hold on to their tickets in their latest update:
"While Tom is at rest working on his recovery, the Slayer team is working hard to reschedule all postponed shows!
"For all your fans with tickets to the American Carnage, Canadian Carnage, and UK/EU shows:
Hold on to your tickets, more information will be coming your way!
"Thanks for all of your support."
Slayer Comments On Canceled Tour Dates
Slayer recently canceled their planned tour dates with Megadeth due to vocalist Tom Araya undergoing back surgery. Slayer has now issued the following update advising fans to keep their tickets as the dates are being reschedule:
"Hold on to your tickets. While Tom is at rest working on his recovery, the Slayer team is working hard to reschedule all postponed shows! For all your fans with tickets to the American Carnage, Canadian Carnage, and UK/EU shows: Hold on to your tickets, more information will be coming your way! Thanks for all of your support."
Headline News
Tom Araya To Undergo Back Surgery
"Tom gave various medical treatments more than a fair shot," said Slayer's manager Rick Sales, "but they just haven't handled the problem, so he's biting the bullet and is scheduled for back surgery at the end of this month."
This difficult decision made by the band's bassist/vocalist Tom Araya means the cancellation of Slayer's immediate tour plans that include the American and Canadian Carnage Tour dates that were set to kick off on January 18, as well as the band's UK/European headline tour scheduled for March and April. Booking agents for both Slayer and Megadeth are already hard at work rescheduling the tour dates; tickets already purchased for these shows will be honored at the rescheduled dates.
Araya began experiencing back problems while on the band's Australian/New Zealand/Japanese tour last October. In spite of his rapidly increasing pain and discomfort, he carried on with the tour, but immediately upon returning home saw an orthopedic specialist who diagnosed a Cervical Radiculopathy. Araya initially did not want to take the major surgery route, so the specialist recommended a series of minimally-invasive procedures. While those procedures have resulted in some improvement, Araya continues to deal with intermittent bouts of severe pain, numbness and muscle spasms. The surgical procedure that Araya will undergo, called an Anterior Cervical Discectomy with Fusion, is a relatively routine practice and the recovery rate is excellent.
Sales added, "As unfortunate as this is for so many people - the Megadeth and Testament camps, the concerts' promoters, and, of course, the fans - Tom's health is the number one priority, and this has to happen."
More Bands Confirmed For Sonisphere U.K.
The organisers of the British leg of the Sonisphere festival has announced five more bands for next year's edition of the event. Industrial metal legends Fear Factory will be on the bill for the festival as will Placebo, Papa Roach, Bring Me The Horizon and former Black Flag frontman Henry Rollins, who will be performing a spoken word set. Previously confirmed bands for the event include Anthrax, Slayer, Motley Crue, Iggy Pop and The Stooges, Alice Cooper, The Cult and headliners Iron Maiden and Rammstein. More bands are expected to be confirmed shortly. The festival will be held at Knebworth from July 30th to August 1st and anyone who purchases a ticket for the U.K. show before December 31st will receive a free ticket to the Sonisphere Festival in Poland, which features the "Big Four" of thrash metal (Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax and Slayer) as well as Behemoth and Mastodon.
Six Feet Under Posts New Cover Song Online
Tampa, Florida groove laden death metal band SIX FEET UNDER has posted the first single from their new cover album, "Graveyard Classics 3," on their MySpace page. The first track is a cover of Slayer's track "At Dawn They Sleep" off of the groups "Hell Awaits" album. "Graveyard Classics 3" will be released on January 19th 2010 through Metal Blade Records
Vocalist Chris Barnes comments on the track, "We chose the track ‘At Dawn They Sleep' to be the first single off of Graveyard Classics 3. We've wanted to do a Slayer song for a while and lots of our fans have been requesting that we do a Slayer song as well; ‘At Dawn They Sleep' really seemed like it would lend itself to our style. And to be honest I've always preferred the early Slayer stuff, ‘Hell Awaits' and prior. I think the production and song structure of their early recordings are raw and in your face, in a very dynamic way, and that's the type of band SFU is, so it seemed to fit on a bunch of different levels. We fucking love Slayer!" More...
Slayer Confirmed For Wacken Open Air 2010
American thrash metal legends Slayer are the latest band to be confirmed for next years edition of the Wacken Open Air, which will be held from August 5th -7th in Wacken, Germany. Other bands already confirmed for the event are Iron Maiden, Motley Crue, Cannibal Corpse, Arch Enemy and many more. Another band will be announced for the event tomorrow.
Megadeth Posts "American Carnage" Teaser Video
Slayer, Testament, and Megadeth will be kicking off their 26 date "American Carnage" North American tour on January 18th, 2010 in Seattle, WA. Members of all three bands have appeared in a promotional video clip for the tour, which can be viewed below.
The currently confirmed dates are as follows: More...
First Bands Confirmed For Swiss Sonisphere
The organisers of the Sonisphere festival in Switzerland have announced the first batch of bands that will perform at the event. The biggest news is that the festival will feature the "Big Four" of thrash metal, Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax and Slayer, along with two other huge names in heavy metal, Motorhead and Heaven & Hell. The event will take place on June 18th at Degenaupark in Wil/Jonschwil.
Breaking News
The "Big Four" Rumors are True
After much speculation, Sonisphere Festival has confirmed the Big Four (Anthrax, Slayer, Metallica, Megadeth) will finally play live again! The Big Four that popularized the thrash metal movement in the 80's have never been on the same stage at once, but now the bands will have the chance to finally do so in 2010.
Originally, just a huge rumor, it has finally been confirmed. After Dave Mustaine angered Metallica and Anthrax, hopes for a Big Four concert were not looking promising. However, Sonisphere Festival has just announced that on June 16th 2010, these thrash metal giants will be sharing the stage for the first time at the Bemowo Airport in Poland. It has also been updated that the Big Four bands will also make a second appearance in the Czech Republic, with more Sonisphere shows featuring the combo to be announced in the coming days and weeks.
"Who would have thought that more than 25 years after its inception, thrash metal's big 4 would not only still be around and more popular than ever, but will now play together for the first time...what a mindfuck! Bring it on!" says Lars Ulrich, the Drummer of Metallica. "It's about fucking time this happened. And it's about time the fans finally what they want. This is fucking awesome," says Kerry King of Slayer.
ANTHRAX guitarist SCOTT IAN agrees, commenting on the enormity of the announcement:
"People have been talking about these four bands playing together since 1984. That's twenty-six years of expectation!!! And the thing is, I believe not only will we live up to the expectations, we will shatter them!! No other four bands as influential as the four of us have ever done this. Imagine if The Beatles, Stones, The Who and Zeppelin had done shows? Or Sabbath, Priest, Maiden, Motorhead? Well, I may be getting into some rarified air here but as a fan, that's how big I feel this is."
The Big Four's appearance is only exclusive to Europe it seems for now. Stay tune for hopes of an appearance in America.
First Bands Announced For Sonisphere 2010
The organisers of the British leg of the Sonisphere festival has announced the event will be held once again at Knebworth next year and will feature headlining slots from Iron Maiden and Rammstein. In addition to this, Alice Cooper, Anthrax, Slayer, Iggy & The Stooges, Motley Crue and The Cult will all be making apperances at the festival, which will take place between July 31st and August 1st.
Speaking on the festival, Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian stated: "God-damn we couldn’t be more thrilled about being a part of Sonisphere 2010!!!! We are still buzzing from our insane show at Knebworth last summer and are drooling over the fact that we are a part of this history making festival!! What an amazing Xmas present for Anthrax and our fans. See you all very soon!!"
Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson says: "Knebworth has been the home of so many legendary concerts going back many years it really will be a privilege to play there. We enjoy the camaraderie of playing great festivals and are very much looking forward to getting back out to do some shows next summer and, as it will be over two years since we played the UK, we will certainly be looking to deliver a memorable and spectacular night for our fans!"
Rammstein say: "The great support that we’ve experienced from the UK fans has been beyond anything we expected. This will be the first time that Rammstein has appeared at a festival in the UK and we are looking forward to putting on a show that no-one will ever forget!"
Slayer To Play Halo 3 With Fans
Slayer will be playing Halo 3 in Slayer Mode with fans via Xbox Live on December 16th, 2009 starting at 7:00PM ET. An Xbox Live Gold membership is required to play. Send a friend request to the following Gamertags and be online half an hour before (6:30 P.M. ET) the Game with Fame session starts: SlayerKerry GwF, SlayerDave GwF. More information on the Slayer Game with Fame session can be found at this location.
Displaying records 341 - 360 of 756 1 2 ... 16 17 18 19 20 ... 37 38 Last