I have a lot of respect for Slayer. They stuck to their winning formula, didnt test their audience with an experimental or "more mature" album (when a band says that it means they suck, there is nothing they can do about it anymore and they will blame the listeners for "not getting it" ) and now they are going to quit before things go downhill...

way to end it with dignity and respect guys.... Hero tag indeed.

/meanwhile, metallica puts out an album with a hairy arsehole on it

Man, that sucks. They kicked my ass when I saw them a few years ago at Roseland so I'm kinda shocked they'd use the age thing, not like any of us care how old they are as they still absolutely destroy every venue they play.

That said, it'll be a sad day when they play their last show, but you better believe I'm gonna hit that tour up.

I posted this earlier in the redlit thread:

I have seen Slayer 6 times, got 3 picks from various shows, shook hands with Tom Araya, and even met Kerry King at a mall in Grand Rapids, MI. If the next tour is the last it would be nice to see them one more time.

They should have retired after this-
Tori Amos covers Raining Blood (new window)
I love Tori but it didn't work for me.

That's a shame; even pushing 50, they're better than the majority of what passes for metal these days. If the Stones can still be touring at 150ish years old, Slayer should be able to, also.

Buffy's a 50 year old man?

I was lucky enough to see Slayer's first show in Berkeley and many times after that. Hats off to them for never straying and getting out on top.

Good for them. They always seemed like smart guys.

I don't claim to be an expert on their music or anything, but I think you can make a pretty strong argument that Reign in Blood is one of the Top Ten best albums in the history of American rock music. Groundbreaking, unique, and influential.

I was utterly, completely blown away by that album when I first heard it. I never get sick of it. I'll still enjoy it when I'm 80.

H_is_for_Heretic: They should have retired after this-
Tori Amos covers Raining Blood (new window)
I love Tori but it didn't work for me.

I have no words to describe how much I hated this cover, with every fiber of my being.
and it is not because it is transformed into a slow ballad, id be fine with that but it is just meandering, unrecognizable and the singing is the worse part of it. she did much better with Depeche MOde

sigdiamond2000: Good for them. They always seemed like smart guys.

I don't claim to be an expert on their music or anything, but I think you can make a pretty strong argument that Reign in Blood is one of the Top Ten best albums in the history of American rock music. Groundbreaking, unique, and influential.

I was utterly, completely blown away by that album when I first heard it. I never get sick of it. I'll still enjoy it when I'm 80.

I first heard that album when I was about 12, and then went out and got everything that they had released to that point. This was 1991, so I got everything from Show No Mercy to DOA.

sigdiamond2000: I'll still enjoy it when I'm 80.

The ladies will love you in the retirement home....

Every time I've seen them they've blown my mind. They've always kept it real. Sad to see them hang it up though. No reason they couldn't keep recording stuff.

I saw them back in '86. Hard to believe they're still going & just as heavy.

mofroe: This was 1991, so I got everything from Show No Mercy to DOA.

DOA is farking amazing. I bought it after getting through bootcamp, it was great running music.

Slayer should have quit after 'Seasons in the Abyss'.

Slayer TO CONSIDER retirement.

Subby left out those bolded words

Kliffoth: Slayer should have quit after 'Seasons in the Abyss'.

Divine Intervention was fantastic

Kliffoth: Slayer should have quit after 'Seasons in the Abyss'.

Was that the one where she had to kill Angel, or the one where she dove into the dimensional vortex to save Dawn?

Evomreeracnikrafecin!

I don't know what to think. If I ever had mixed feelings about something, this would be it.

RocketRod


Ecnerefernikrafecin!!!

I think older guys actually rock harder. It's the crusty old biker thing. I'd love to see Slayer still doing their thing at 80.

That said, they'll never top the 80s triple crown of Reign in Blood - South of Heaven - Seasons in the Abyss. They keep at a winning formula, yes, but when you have new stuff that sounds just like the classic stuff, which are you going to listen to?

/Probably, they should retire from albums and just tour constantly
//One of the best live shows I've ever seen

The best metal band of all time, sub-genres be damned. But the time comes when all thoroughbreds must retire. I hope they go out with a blast. The only way to exit...

/Dave Lombardo, how the fark do you do that?

mofroe: Kliffoth: Slayer should have quit after 'Seasons in the Abyss'.

Divine Intervention was fantastic

south of heaven trumps all

My buddy saw Slayer a few years back. He saw Jeff Hanneman after the show and talked with him for a while.

He asked Jeff how he got into a band like that, how he played so long. He told my friend that he just always played, and as he got older, most people he knew just quit playing except him. He ended up finding other guys that kept playing, and then they eventually formed Slayer. My buddy said he seemed like a cool guy.

Henry Rollins on Slayer...

and takes a shot at Metallica in the process...

They will all get stir crazy and/or have their wives suggest a "reunion" tour to get them out of the house. They will probably record a CD to support because they are serious musicians and not some nostalgia act in their minds. The CD will kick ass and the world tour will be off the hook because they are Slayer.

Bands like Slayer just can't stay "retired", nor should they.

destitute college kid

I think older guys actually rock harder. It's the crusty old biker thing. I'd love to see Slayer still doing their thing at 80.

I came here to say This. Poison at 60, ridiculous. Slayer at 60, venerable.

That said, I tried getting into Slayer a few times. Listened to everything I could. Including SotA, I couldn't get into any of it. Thought the songwriting kinda sucked actually - no memorable melody or interesting progressions at all. And I love metal. But Metallica's St. Anger album was more listenable. And I hate St. Anger.

Just out of curiosity, what does age have to do with anything? If you're putting out a quality product, who gives a shiat?

jiaxiaobo:

I see your point, but the way I see it, Slayer are pretty straightforward and simplistic. Melody, technicality, complex progressions are good for some bands, but for Slayer they'd just get in the way. They've always been best when they keep it simple and direct - overwhelming, blasting power in 3-minute bursts. That's why Reign in Blood is their best.

SotA is their most melodic and musically complex album, but it still sounds a little like they're trying to ape Metallica at times. Even so, the best song on that album might be Skeletons of Society, and it has what, like three or four chords?

I used to think I liked heavy metal. Now I know I just like Slayer. One of the greatest of the great bands ever.

Farkomatic is right...Lemmy is still rocking it at 60+ and I dont think Motorhead will ever stop soon...I know he's invincible and everything but I could easily see Slayer last 10-15+ years and still be credible.

and destitute college kid Skeletons of Society is a wicked track but there's great stuff on Seasons...Hallowed Point, Dead Skin Mask, Born of Fire and War Ensemble come to mind..overall not their best album but tons of great riffs and solos going on.

I think Henry Rollins said it best: "Slayer's great because they're sticking to their story"...they've never really compromised in comparison to the other bands left from that scene..i mean, Undisputed Attiude is just a bunch of punk covers but it's great on it's own because it's Slayer.

Good. Now Kerry King can stop whining about Metallica's success.

/liked their music, hated his vocals

please say one last tour, please say one last tour, please say one last tour, please say one last tour....

OK, I'm a HUGE Slayer fan, but reading this thread I have to ask, What album is SotA, and What album is DOA?

Slayer always remained true to their origins. Metal. They are the epitome of the natural progression of metal. Yeah sometimes kerry king wails on the whammy bar a bit too much but overall,each of all their albums have a unique feel to them. Seasons in the Abyss, although a bit more mainstream was an incrdible album in terms of riffs and themes, (DEAD SKIN MASK) war ensemble is played at 220 bpm!
/SLAYTANIC WARMACHT!!!!!

dammit. WEHRMACHT.

oh yeah,
Brujeria ftw.

OMGlookatthat_HUGE_P_HOLE: OK, I'm a HUGE Slayer fan, but reading this thread I have to ask, What album is SotA, and What album is DOA?

Seasons of the Abyss

Decade of Aggression

/they'd actually been getting kind of nu-metal
//Kerry King is a redneck (that's bad, BTW)
///SOOOO good live

Slayer retiring? God really does hate us all.

Dee Snarl: OMGlookatthat_HUGE_P_HOLE: OK, I'm a HUGE Slayer fan, but reading this thread I have to ask, What album is SotA, and What album is DOA?

Seasons of the Abyss

Decade of Aggression

/they'd actually been getting kind of nu-metal
//Kerry King is a redneck (that's bad, BTW)
///SOOOO good live

That's the problem, someone's a moron.... it's Seasons IN THE Abyss
And Decade of Aggresion was a live box set. People. Please stop calling non studio albums "albums"

Every Slayer song charges at you like a loaded truck going 80 mph. I've never seen so many people get exhausted in the mosh pit 5 minutes into the show.

Personally, I really liked 'God Hates Us All.' I think that Paul Bostaph really shined through on that album. It seems that even Dave Lombardo likes playing those tracks.

Saw them last year, not that great to be honest, the drumming sounded like he was banging two metal sticks together...

The best description of Slayer I've ever seen was by Chuck Klosterman in his book Fargo Rock City:

"Slayer would be Spinal Tap if they possessed even an ounce of irony, but - as it is - they are the most serious band who ever lived. The result is absolutely punishing. Slayer is kind of like a guy who walks up to you in a bar and says he's going to rape your wife, burn down your house, shoot all your friends, cover your kids with acid, and then slowly starve you to death while rats nibble away at your emaciated flesh. Now, if this hypothetical guy is merely a drunken goofball, that kind of complex depravity seems hilarious (almost endearing). But if he's the one guy on earth willing (and able) to do all those things, you'd suddenly realize you're talking to the craziest, most sinister motherfarker who ever lived. Slayer is that guy."

And to think that this band was 5 seconds away from calling themselves "Dragonslayer"....

*shudders*

Years of complete asskicking with NO farking radio airplay.

SLAYER RULES.

I got into Slayer in the late 80s when a kid would come to the bus stop every day and all he'd ever say was "Slayer is bad." So I went out and got Reign in Blood on tape and it pretty much changed my life. 20 years later I'm not sure if it was for the better, but I still farking love Slayer.

Awesome only 25 years too late.