http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Music/Slayer

Showing no mercy since 1981.



From a lacerated sky,

Bleeding its horror,

Creating my structure,

Now I shall reign in blood!" "Raining Blood" "Raining blood,From a lacerated sky,Bleeding its horror,Creating my structure,Now I shall reign in blood!"

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One of the "Big Four" Thrash Metal bands, Slayer was formed in 1981 by guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman and drummer Dave Lombardo, later joined by vocalist/bassist Tom Araya. Deriving much of their sound from UK speed metal band Venom and focusing on dark, Satanic themes, they released their first album Show No Mercy in 1983. Due to its success, they were quickly pressed to make another album, which resulted in the Epic Rocking Hell Awaits.

However, Slayer hit gold in 1986 with the release of Reign in Blood (their first album produced by longtime collaborator Rick Rubin), which demonstrated the signature sound for which they have become known and featured their best-known songs, "Angel of Death" and "Raining Blood". The album has been recognized as one of the greatest heavy metal albums of all time. A couple years later, they released South of Heaven. This was met with mixed reviews. While some enjoyed the slower, sludgier style, others decried them for being Black Sabbath wannabes. However, they combined the best of both worlds with the 1990 release Seasons in the Abyss. Most fans tend to look down on the eleven year period when Divine Intervention and Diabolus in Musica were released. However, they gained mass controversy with the release of God Hates Us All (coincidentally released on Sept. 11th, 2001). With their 2006 release, Christ Illusion, more fans seemed to be warming up with them since they were returning to their thrash metal roots, a trend that continued with World Painted Blood in 2009 and Repentless in 2015

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As Metallica is with its fans, Slayer is with the general public. Much of the content of Slayer songs is quite dark, sometimes focusing on Satanic and anti-Christian themes, and sometimes focusing on the major problems with the world (war, terrorism, sectarianism, serial killers, etc.). Also, every single album cover can be described either as disgusting, unsettling, or horrifying. This has generated album bans and has led many Moral Guardians to decry the members of Slayer as Satanists. However, they fail to realize that vocalist / bassist Tom Araya is a Catholic and Kerry King (who writes virtually all the most stridently "Satanic" lyrics) is actually an Atheist. Despite writing these songs, King has constantly stated that he does not condone what the songs are about, instead likening them to horror movie equivalent entertainment.

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Many critics have called Slayer the world's first death metal band (indeed, Eric Cartman used their music to drive a giant hippie music festival out of South Park, as "hippies can't stand death metal"). While they did inspire many of the death metal bands of nowadays, they are strictly thrash metal. Slayer has even said that they do not support death metal and call it "cookie monster music". (Slayer's occult and satanic themes also mean that they are sometimes lumped in with the first wave of Black Metal, although as with death metal, they have little in common stylistically with the genre; however, many other first wave Black Metal bands, such as Mercyful Fate, also have little to do with modern black metal beyond the lyrics and image, so this categorisation is a bit more justifiable than calling them a death metal band).

In 2018, the band announced that they would go on one final world tour before breaking up. They played their last show on November 30, 2019 at The Forum in Inglewood, California.

Not to be confused with the Anime Slayers or the Vampire or the blonde girl.

Studio Albums:

Show No Mercy - 1983

Hell Awaits - 1985

Reign in Blood - 1986

South of Heaven - 1988

Seasons in the Abyss - 1990

Divine Intervention - 1994

Diabolus in Musica - 1998

God Hates Us All - 2001

Christ Illusion - 2006

World Painted Blood - 2009

Repentless - 2015

(Also included in the Slayer discography is an EP, Haunting the Chapel, released in 1984, and an album of Hardcore Punk covers, Undisputed Attitude, released in 1996.)

Current lineup:

Kerry King - guitars (1981-present)

Tom Araya - bass, vocals (1982-present)

Gary Holt: guitars (2011-present)

Paul Bostaph - drums (1992-1996, 1997-2001, 2013-present)

Former members:

Jeff Hanneman: guitars (1981-2013; died in 2013 of liver failure)

Dave Lombardo: drums (1982-1986, 1987-1992, 2001-2013)

Bob Gourley: drums (1983)

Gene Hoglan: drums (1983)

Tony Scaglione: drums (1986-1987)

Jon Dette: drums (1996-1997)

Pat O'Brien: guitars (2011)

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