Two major institutions have teamed up to educate the public on an essential piece of human history. Of course, we're talking about the Smithsonian Institute's National Museum of History and SLAYER!!!

Yes, Slayer is now an instillation for one of the world's most important museums. The Smithsonian chose to include the genre of thrash metal in its Places of Musical Innovation video series, and what better act to educate the masses about thrash than Slayer, arguably the longest-running pure thrash metal band on Earth.

The installation is called Slayer and the Origins of Thrash. In the clip above, current Slayer members Tom Araya, Kerry King, Gary Holt and Paul Bostaph explain not only the history of Slayer, but the birth of thrash itself. The musicians talk about taking influence from Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, contributing "Aggressive Perfector" to the legendary Metal Massacre Volume III album and how the Bay Area of California became thrash's breeding ground.

Both history buffs and metalheads are sure to be fascinated by Slayer's testimony, which is incredible in-depth and informative. Tom Araya even explains the subtle nuances between different styles of headbanging. "Slayer is a lifestyle," says Kerry King. "It's not just a band, it's not just the music. To these kids coming to the show tonight, they're going to church."

Check out the Smithsonian's Origins of Thrash video starring the members of Slayer above!

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