Slayer to tour North America

by Maddie Levans

Announced on January 23, notorious heavy metal band Slayer has released the North America section of their final tour, alongside four other acclaimed metal bands: Anthrax, Lamb of God, Behemoth, and Testament. This will be their final tour, as the band is going into retirement after the tour concludes.

Formed in 1981 in sunny southern California, Slayer was formed by guitarist Kerry King, former guitarist Jeff Hanneman, former drummer Dave Lombardo, and vocalist Tom Araya. In 1983, after being spotted by a popular music journalist, the band began their rose to stardom. Their debut album Show No Mercy was released later that year, selling around 40,000 copies worldwide by 1985. Their first major album, Reign in Blood, was released in 1986, landing a spot on the Billboard hot 200 and reaching gold status. Since then, Slayer has been revered as one of the forefathers of modern metal music, alongside bands such as Metallica, Anthrax, and Megadeth.  

Senior Josh Allen was shocked to hear the news of the band’s retirement. “They are easily one of the best and most influential thrash bands of the 80s. They weren’t afraid to push boundaries with the themes in their music, they’re classic. I’m never not in the mood for some Slayer,” he said.

Senior James Perkins said that Slayer has always been one of his driving influences for his own music. He was attracted to the band’s raw, unbridled lyrics, his favorite song being “Chemical Warfare,” released on their album Show No Mercy.

Senior Jack Tibbett first started listening to Slayer after seeing his uncle post about them on Facebook. “They seemed cool.” “Slayer was important in developing metal as a popular genre in the United States,” he said, likening them to Metallica. “Even though their music can be seen as brutal and menacing, most of their riffs are very simple.”

Slayer will be stopping in PA twice this summer, once on June 4 in Reading and again in Burgettstown on June 9.