| SLAYER on CAPITAL CHAOS TV 1998 |
 |
SLAYER perform Bitter Peace & Death's Head on
the "Diabolus In Music" world tour @
Sacramento Memorial Auditorium 1998...also on
the bill were FEAR FACTORY, KILGORE & THE
COUNCIL...Slayer is an American thrash metal
band, formed in 1981 by guitarists Jeff
Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame
as a leader of the American thrash metal
movement with their 1986 release Reign in
Blood, which has been called "the heaviest
album of all time.The band is credited as one
of the "Big Four" thrash metal bands, along
with Megadeth, Metallica, and Anthrax.
Slayer is known for its musical traits,
involving fast tremolo picking, guitar solos,
double bass drumming, and shouting vocals.
The band's lyrics and album art, which cover
topics such as serial killers, Satanism,
religion and warfare have generated album
bans, delays, lawsuits and strong criticism
from religious groups and the public.
Since their debut record in 1983, the band
has released two live albums, one box set,
two DVDs, two EPs, and ten albums, four of
which have received gold certification. The
band has received two Grammy nominations,
winning one in 2007 for the song "Eyes of the
Insane", and headlined music festivals
worldwide, including Ozzfest, The Unholy
Alliance and the Download Festival.
http://slayer.net Early days (1981--1982)
Slayer formed in 1981, when guitarist Kerry
King met Jeff Hanneman while auditioning for
a band. The two recruited bassist and
vocalist Tom Araya, who had played with King
in a band called Quits, and drummer Dave
Lombardo who met King while delivering
pizzas. The band began playing cover versions
of Iron Maiden and Judas Priest songs at
clubs and parties in Southern California.
Early shows relied on a Satanic image, which
featured pentagrams, make-up, spikes, and
inverted crosses A rumor has the band
originally known as Dragonslayer, after the
1981 movie of the same name. However, when
King was asked "How did you come up with the
name Dragonslayer, King responded "We never
did; it's a myth to this day."
The band was offered to open for Bitch at the
Woodstock Club in Los Angeles, performing
eight songs — six being covers. While
performing the song "Phantom of the Opera" by
Iron Maiden the band was spotted by Brian
Slagel, a former music journalist who had
recently founded Metal Blade Records.
Impressed with Slayer's performance, Slagel
met with the band backstage and asked them to
record an original song, "Aggressive
Perfector"(sample (help·info)) for his
upcoming Metal Massacre III compilation. The
band agreed and the song created underground
buzz, which led to Slagel offering the band a
recording contract with Metal Blade.
http://myspace.com/slayer
Show No Mercy (1983--1984)
Without a recording budget, the band was
forced to self-finance its debut album.
Combining the savings of Araya, who was
employed as a respiratory therapist,[9] and
money borrowed from King's father,[2] the
band entered the studio in November 1983. The
album was rushed into release, hitting
shelves three weeks after tracks were
completed. Show No Mercy, released in
December 1983 by Metal Blade Records,
generated underground popularity for the
band, and they began their first national
club tour in 1984 to promote the album
traveling in Araya's Camaro towing a U-Haul
trailer.[2] The tour gave the band additional
popularity; sales of Show No Mercy reached
more than 20,000 in the US and another 20,000
worldwide.[8]
Slayer's Show No Mercy covered topics such as
Satanism, Hell, and the Devil.
Slayer's Show No Mercy covered topics such as
Satanism, Hell, and the Devil.
In August 1984, Slayer released a three song
EP, entitled Haunting the Chapel. The EP
featured a darker, more thrash-oriented style
than its predecessor, and laid the groundwork
for the future direction of the band.[10] The
opening track, "Chemical Warfare," has become
a live staple, played at nearly every show
since 1984. After the release of Haunting the
Chapel, Slayer made its live European debut
at the Heavy Sounds Festival in Belgium
opening for UFO,[11] returning to the US to
begin the Haunting The West Coast tour.[12]
Following the tour, King temporarily left
Slayer to join Dave Mustaine's new band
Megadeth.[13] Hanneman was worried about
King's decision, stating in an interview "I
guess we're gonna get a new guitar
player".[2] While Mustaine wanted King to
stay on a permanent basis, King rejoined
Slayer after five shows, stating Megadeth was
"taking too much of my time".[2] The split
caused a rift between King and Mustaine,
which evolved into a long running feud
between the two bands.[14] Following King's
return, the band embarked on the 1984 Combat
Tour, with Venom and Exodus, and released a
live album titled Live Undead in November.
[edit] Hell Awaits (1985--1986)
Slayer released its first live home video in
1985, dubbed Combat Tour: The Ultimate
Revenge. The video featured live footage
filmed at New York's Studio 54 club, on the
band's 1984 tour with Venom and Exodus. By
early 1985, Show No Mercy had sold over
40,000 copies,[8] which lead to the band
returning to the studio to record a second
full length album. Metal Blade financed a
recording budget, which allowed the band to
hire producer Ron Fair.
Released in September 1985, Slayer's second
full length release Hell Awaits expanded on
the darkness of Haunting the Chapel, with
hell and Satan as common song subjects. The
album was the band's most progressive
offering, featuring longer and more complex
song structures.[2] The intro is a backwards
recording of a demonic-sounding voice
repeating "Join us," ending with "Welcome
back" before the track begins.[15]
[edit] Reign in Blood (1986--1987)
Following the success of Hell Awaits, Slayer
was offered a recording contract with Rick
Rubin's newly founded Def Jam Records, a
largely rap-based label.[2] The band accepted
and with an experienced producer and major
label recording budget, the band underwent a
sonic makeover resulting in shorter, faster
songs with clearer production. Gone were the
complex arrangements and long songs featured
on Hell Awaits, ditched in favor of stripped
down, hardcore influenced song structures.[2]
The release of Reign in Blood was delayed due
to the nature of its artwork and lyrical
themes.
The release of Reign in Blood was delayed due
to the nature of its artwork and lyrical
themes.
Def Jam's distributor, Columbia Records
refused to release the album Reign in Blood,
due to its graphic graphic cover art and
lyrical themes.[2] "Angel of Death", detailed
the Nazi concentration camps and human
experiments conducted by Nazi physician Josef
Mengele. The album was distributed by Geffen
Records on October 7, 1986. However, due to
the controversy Reign in Blood did not appear
on Geffen Records release schedule.[2]
Although the album received virtually no
radio airplay, it became the band's first to
enter the Billboard 200, debuting at #94,[16]
and the band's first album certified gold in
the United States.[17]
In October 1986, Slayer embarked on the Reign
in Pain world tour, with Overkill in the US,
and Malice in Europe. The band were added as
the opening act on W.A.S.P.'s US tour, but
just one month in, drummer Lombardo left the
band: "I wasn't making any money. I figured
if we were gonna be doing this
professionally, on a major label, I wanted my
rent and utilities paid."[2] To continue with
the tour, Slayer enlisted Tony Scaglione of
Whiplash. However, Lombardo's wife convinced
Dave to return in 1987.[2] At the insistence
of Rubin, Slayer recorded a cover version of
Iron Butterfly's "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" for the
film Less Than Zero.[2] Although the band was
not happy with the final product, Hanneman
deeming it a poor representation of Slayer
and King labeling it "a hunk of shit", it was
the first songs to garner radio airplay.[2]
[edit] South of Heaven (1988--1989)
Slayer returned to the studio to record their
fourth studio album. To contrast the speed of
Reign in Blood, the band consciously decided
to slow down the tempo incorporating melodic
singing, rather than screaming. Hanneman
asserted; "We knew we couldn't top Reign in
Blood, so we had to slow down. We knew
whatever we did was gonna be compared to that
album, and I remember we actually discussed
slowing down. It was weird—we've never done
that on an album, before or since."[2]
1988's South of Heaven received mixed
responses from both fans and critics,
although it was Slayer's most commercially
successful release at the time, debuting at
#57 on the Billboard 200,[16] and the second
album to receive gold certification in the
United States.[17] Press response to the
album was mixed, with All Music Guide citing
the album as "disturbing and powerful",[18]
and Rolling Stone calling it "genuinely
offensive satanic drivel".[19] King says
"that album was my most lackluster
performance," although Araya called it a
"late bloomer" which eventually grew on
people.[2]
[edit] Seasons in the Abyss (1990--1993)
Slayer returned to the studio with
co-producer Andy Wallace in 1989, to record
their fifth studio album. Following the
backlash created by South of Heaven, Slayer
returned to the "pounding speed of Reign in
Blood", while retaining their new found
melodic sense.[20] Seasons in the Abyss,
released in October 1990, was the first
Slayer album to be released under Rubin's new
Def American label, as he parted ways with
Def Jam owner Russell Simmons over creative
differences. The album debuted at #44 on the
Billboard 200,[16] and was certified gold in
1992.[17] The title track, spawned Slayer's
first music video, which was filmed in front
of the Giza pyramids in Egypt prior to the
Gulf War.
Slayer returned as a live act in September
1990 to co-headline the European Clash of the
Titans tour with Megadeth, Suicidal
Tendencies, and Testament. With the
popularity of American thrash at its peak,
the tour was extended to the US beginning in
May 1991, with Megadeth, Anthrax and opening
act Alice in Chains. The band released a
double live album, Decade of Aggression in
1991, to celebrate ten years. The compilation
debuted at #55 on the Billboard 200.[16]
In May 1992, Lombardo quit the band due to
conflicts with other members, as well as
arguments over his wish to bring his wife on
tour.[21] Lombardo formed his own band Grip
Inc, with Voodoocult guitarist Waldemar
Sorychta,[22] and Slayer recruited former
Forbidden drummer Paul Bostaph to fill his
place. Slayer made its debut appearance with
Bostaph at the 1992 Monsters of Rock festival
at Castle Donington. Bostaph's first studio
effort was a medley of three Exploited songs,
"War", "UK '82", and "Disorder", with rapper
Ice-T, for the Judgment Night movie
soundtrack in 1993.[23]
[edit] Divine Intervention (1994--1995)
In 1994 Slayer released Divine Intervention,
the band's first record with drummer Bostaph.
The record became the band's highest charting
at that time, debuting at #8 on the Billboard
200.[16] The album featured songs boasting
about Reinhard Heydrich, an architect of the
Holocaust, Jeffrey Dahmer, "213" his
apartment number where he murdered, raped,
and tortured seventeen victims. Other themes
included murder, the evils of church, and the
lengths to which governments will go to wield
power, Araya's interest in serial killers
inspired much of the lyrical content.[9][24]
Music sample:
* "SS-3" (1994) (file info) — [Play
media] play in browser (beta)
o SS-3 is about Reinhard Heydrich,
an architect of the Holocaust. SS-3 refers to
the license plate number of the car he was
killed in.
o Problems listening to the file?
See media help.
Slayer geared up for a world tour in 1995,
with openers Biohazard and Machine Head. A
video of concert footage, Live Intrusion was
released, featuring a joint cover of Venom's
"Witching Hour" with Machine Head. Relations
between Slayer and Machine Head have since
badly deteriorated.[25] Following the tour,
Slayer were billed fourth at the 1995
Monsters of Rock festival, headlined by
Metallica.
[edit] Undisputed Attitude (1996--1997)
In 1996, Undisputed Attitude, an album of
punk covers, was released. The band covered
songs by Minor Threat, T.S.O.L., D.R.I.,
D.I., Dr. Know, Verbal Abuse and Iggy and the
Stooges. The album featured three original
tracks, "Gemini", "Can't Stand You", "Ddamm"
written by Hanneman in 1984--1985 for a side
project entitled "Pap Smear". Bostaph left
Slayer shortly after the album's release to
work on his own project, The Truth about
Seafood. With Bostaph's departure, Slayer
recruited Testament drummer Jon Dette, and
headlined the 1996 Ozzfest alongside Ozzy
Osbourne, Danzig, Biohazard, Sepultura, and
Fear Factory. Dette was fired after a year,
due to a fallout with band members; Bostaph
returned to continue the tour.[26]
A lawsuit was brought against the band in
1996, by the parents of Elyse Pahler, who
accused the band of encouraging their
daughter's murderers through their
lyrics.[27] Elyse was drugged, strangled,
stabbed, trampled on, and raped as a
sacrifice to the devil by three fans of the
band.[27] The case was unsealed by the court
on May 19, 2000, stating Slayer and related
business markets distribute harmful products
to teens, encouraging violent acts through
their lyrics,[27] and "none of the vicious
crimes committed against Elyse Marie Pahler
would have occurred without the intentional
marketing strategy of the death-metal band
Slayer".[28] The lawsuit was dismissed in
2001, for multiple reasons including
"principles of free speech, lack of a duty
and lack of foreseeability".[29] A second
lawsuit was filed by the parents, an amended
complaint for damages against Slayer, their
label, and other industry and label entities.
The lawsuit was dismissed; Judge E. Jeffrey
Burke stated "I do not consider Slayer's
music obscene, indecent or harmful to
minors."[29]
[edit] Diabolus in Musica (1998--2000)
Diabolus in Musica (Latin for "The Devil in
Music")[30] was released in 1998, and debuted
at #31 on the Billboard 200, selling over
46,000 copies.[31] The album received a mixed
critical reception and was criticized for
adopting characteristics of nu-metal music
such as tuned down guitars, murky chord
structures, and churning beats.
Blabbermouth.net reviewer Borijov Krgin
described the album as "a feeble attempt at
incorporating updated elements into the
group's sound, the presence of which elevated
the band's efforts somewhat and offered hope
that Slayer could refrain from endlessly
rehashing their previous material for their
future output.",[32] while New York Time's
Ben Ratliff had similair sentiments by saying
"eight of the 11 songs on Diabolus in Musica,
a few of which were played at the show, are
in the same gray key".[33] However, Adrien
Begrand of PopMatters said the songs "Bitter
Peace", "Death's Head", and "Stain of Mind";
"blow away anything that young pretenders
like Slipknot have put out."[34]
The album was the band's first with drop D
tuning, as featured on the lead track,
"Bitter Peace",(sample (help·info)) making
use of the musical range referred to in the
Middle Ages as the tritone or Devil's
scale.[35] Slayer teamed up with digital
hardcore group Atari Teenage Riot to record a
song for the Spawn soundtrack titled "No
Remorse (I Wanna Die)". The band later payed
tribute to Black Sabbath by recording a cover
of "Hand of Doom" for the second of two
tribute albums, entitled Nativity in Black
II. A world tour followed to support the new
album, with Slayer making an appearance at
the United Kingdom Ozzfest 1998 alongside
Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne, Foo Fighters,
Pantera, Soulfly, Fear Factory, and Therapy?.
[edit] God Hates Us All (2001--2005)
The original cover of God Hates Us All was
deemed "too graphic", so a slip-insert was
created to allow the album to be distributed.
The original cover of God Hates Us All was
deemed "too graphic", so a slip-insert was
created to allow the album to be distributed.
After delays regarding remixing and
artwork,[36] including slip covers created to
cover the original artwork as it was deemed
"too graphic", God Hates Us All was released
on September 11, 2001. The band received its
first Grammy nomination for the lead track
"Disciple", although the Grammy was awarded
to Tool, for "Schism".[37] Promotional
material announcing the album title and
release drew an unintended connection with
the September 11 terrorist attacks.
The attacks jeopardized the 2001 European
tour Tattoo the Planet originally set to
feature Pantera, Static X, Biohazard and
Vision of Disorder. Dates were canceled or
postponed due to flight restrictions, with a
majority of bands deciding to withdraw,
leaving Slayer and Static X remaining for the
European leg of the tour.[38] Pantera, Vision
of Disorder and Biohazard were replaced by
Cradle of Filth and other bands dependent on
location; Amorphis, In Flames, Moonspell,
Children of Bodom, and Necrodeath. Drummer
Bostaph left Slayer before Christmas in 2001,
due to a chronic elbow injury which would
hinder his ability to play.[39] Slayer's "God
Hates Us All" tour was unfinished so King
contacted original drummer Lombardo, and
asked if he would like to finish the
remainder of the tour. Lombardo accepted the
offer, and stayed as a permanent member.[39]
Slayer toured playing Reign in Blood in its
entirety throughout the fall of 2003, under
the tour banner "Still Reigning". Their
playing of the final song "Raining Blood"
culminated with the band drenched in a rain
of fake blood. Live footage of this was
recorded at the Augusta Civic Center in
Augusta, Maine, on July 11, 2004 and released
on the 2004 DVD Still Reigning. The band also
released War at the Warfield and a box set,
Soundtrack to the Apocalypse featuring
rarities, live CD and DVD performances and
various Slayer paraphernalia.
From 2002 to 2004 the band performed over 250
tour dates, headlining major music festivals
including H82k2, Summer tour, Ozzfest 2004,
the Download Festival and a European tour
with Slipknot. While preparing for the
Download Festival in England, Metallica
drummer Lars Ulrich was rushed to hospital
with a mysterious illness, and was unable to
perform.[40] Metallica vocalist James
Hetfield searched for volunteers at the last
minute to replace Ulrich; Lombardo and
Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison volunteered,
with Lombardo performing the songs "Battery"
and "The Four Horsemen".[40]
[edit] Christ Illusion (2006--present)
The album Christ Illusion was originally
scheduled for release on June 6, 2006, and
would be the first album with original
drummer Lombardo since 1990's Seasons in the
Abyss.[41]. However, the band decided to
delay the release of the record as they did
not want to be among the many, according to
King, "half-ass, stupid fucking loser bands"
releasing records on June 6,[42] although USA
Today reported the idea was thwarted because
the band failed to secure sufficient studio
recording time.[43] Instead, Slayer released
Eternal Pyre on June 6 as a limited-edition
EP. Eternal Pyre featured the song "Cult", a
live performance of "War Ensemble" in
Germany, video footage of the band recording
"Cult", and a five minute video of a Slayer
fan carving the band's name onto his forearm.
Five thousand copies were released and sold
exclusively through Hot Topic chain stores,
and sold out within hours of release.[44] On
June 30, Nuclear Blast Records released a 7"
vinyl picture disc version limited to a
thousand copies.[45]
Christ Illusion was released on August 8,
2006, and debuted at #5 on the Billboard 200,
selling over 62,000 copies in its first
week.[46] The album became Slayer's highest
charting, improving on its previous highest
charting album, Divine Intervention, which
had debuted at #8. However, despite its high
positioning, the album dropped to #44 in the
following week.[47] Three weeks after the
album's release Slayer were inducted into the
Kerrang! Hall of Fame for their influence to
the heavy metal scene.[48]
Slayer performing at The Unholy Alliance Tour
Slayer performing at The Unholy Alliance Tour
A worldwide tour dubbed The Unholy Alliance,
was undertaken to support the new record. The
tour was originally set to launch on June 6,
but was postponed to June 10, as Araya had to
undergo gall bladder surgery.[49] In Flames,
Mastodon, Children of Bodom, Lamb of God, and
Thine Eyes Bleed, Which features Araya's
brother Johnny Araya, were supporting
Slayer.[50] The tour made its way through
America and Europe and the bands who
participated, apart from Thine Eyes Bleed,
reunited to perform at Japan's Loud Park
Festival on October 15, 2006.[51]
The video for the album's first single, "Eyes
of the Insane", was released on October 30,
2006.[52] The track was featured on the Saw
III soundtrack, and won a Grammy-award for
"Best Metal Performance" at the 49th Grammy
Awards, although the band were unable to
attend due to touring obligations.[53] A week
later, the band visited the 52nd Services
Squadron located on the Spangdahlem U.S. Air
Force Base in Germany to meet and play a
show. This was the first visit ever to a
military base for the band.[54] The band made
its first network TV appearance on the show
Jimmy Kimmel Live! on January 19, playing the
song "Eyes of the Insane", and four
additional songs for fans after the show,
although footage from "Jihad" was cut due to
its controversial lyrical themes. Slayer
toured Australia and New Zealand in April
with Mastodon, and appeared at the Download
Festival and Rock Am Ring.[56] The band
planned to attend the Heineken Jammin'
Festival,[57] Switzerland's Greenfield
Festival, and a summer tour with Marilyn
Manson.[58] In May 2007, Blabbermouth.net
announced that a 'first English language
Slayer biography' was being written by
British author Joel McIver, although no
release date was announced.[59]
[edit] Influence
Slayer is credited as one of the "Big four"
thrash metal bands along with Megadeth,
Anthrax and Metallica, all of which rose to
fame in the early 1980s.[1] These four bands
have had a great influence on thrash and
death metal scenes. "Their downtuned rhythms,
infectious guitar licks, graphically violent
lyrics and grisly artwork set the standard
for dozens of emerging thrash bands, and
Slayer's music was directly responsible for
the rise of death metal" states MTV, ranking
Slayer as the sixth "greatest metal band of
all time,"[15] also ranking number 50 on
VH1's "100 Greatest Artists of Hard
Rock".[60] Hanneman and King ranked number 10
in Guitar World's "100 greatest metal
guitarists of all time" in 2004,[61] and were
voted "Best Guitarist/Guitar Team" in
Revolver's reader's poll. Lombardo was also
voted "Best Drummer" and the band entered the
top five in the categories "Best Band Ever,"
"Best Live Band," "Album of the Year" (for
Christ Illusion), and "Band of the Year."[62]
The band's 1986 release, Reign in Blood has
been an influence to extreme and thrash metal
bands since its release. The album was hailed
the "heaviest album of all time" by Kerrang!
Magazine,[3] a "genre-definer" by Stylus
Magazine,[63] and a "stone-cold classic upon
its release" by All Music Guide.[64] In 2006
it was named the best metal album of the last
20 years by Metal Hammer.[65] Richard
Christy, former member of Death was blown
away by Dave's performance on the album Reign
in Blood,[66] as was Cannibal Corpse drummer
Paul Mazurkiewicz.[67]
Drummer Lombardo has been an influence on
many modern metal drummers including Ray
Herrera of Fear Factory,[68] Pete Sandoval of
Morbid Angel,[69] former Cradle of Filth
drummer Adrian Erlandsson,[70] and Krisiun
drummer Max Kolesne.[71] Patrick Grün of
Caliban's inspiration to play drums came from
Lombardo,[72] with Jason Bittner of Shadows
Fall inspired by Lombardo's double bass,
utilizing double bass when starting his own
music career.[73]
[edit] Style
Early works were praised for their "breakneck
speed and instrumental prowess," combining
the structure of hardcore tempos and speed
metal the band released fast, aggressive
material.[1] The album Reign in Blood is the
band's fastest, performed at an average of
250 beats per minute.[74] The album Diabolus
in Musica was the band's first with drop D
tuning, God Hates Us All the first with drop
B tuning - utilizing seven-string
guitars.[75] All Music Guide cited the album
as "abandoning the extravagancies and
accessibility of their late-'80s/early-'90s
work and returning to perfect the raw
approach",[76] with some fans labeling it
nu-metal.[77]
Hanneman's and King's dual guitar solos have
been called "wildly chaotic,"[1] and "twisted
genius."[78] Drummer Lombardo uses two bass
drums, instead of the double kick which is
used on a single bass drum. Lombardo's speed
and aggression earned him the title of the
"godfather of double bass" by Drummerworld.
Lombardo states his reasons for using two
bass drums: "When you hit the bass drum the
head is still resonating. When you hit it in
the same place right after that you kinda get
a "slapback" from the bass drum head hitting
the other pedal. You're not letting them
breathe." When playing the double bass
Lombardo uses the "heel-up" technique,
angling his pedals.
Writing lyrics and music
Hanneman, King and Araya contribute to the
band's lyrics, and Lombardo, King and
Hanneman create the music. Araya's first
contribution to lyrical content was 1988's
South of Heaven, forming a lyric writing
partnership with Hanneman, which can
overshadow the creative input of
King.Hanneman states writing lyrics and music
is a "free for all"; "It's all just whoever
comes up with what. Sometimes I'll be more on
a roll and I'll have more stuff, same with
Kerry — it's whoever's hot, really. Anybody
can write anything; if it's good we use it,
if not we don't."
When writing new material the band writes the
music before incorporating lyrics. King or
Hanneman will use a 24-track and drum machine
to show band members the riff they have
created, and to get their opinion. Either
King or Hanneman and Lombardo will mention if
any alterations can be made. The band will
play the riff to get the basic song
structure, and figure out where the lyrics
and solos will be placed.
Feuds
As of 2007, Araya and King have an ongoing
feud with Dave Mustaine of Megadeth. It began
when Mustaine attempted to convince King to
stay with Megadeth rather than the "lame
spikes" and "eyeliner" with the "poseurs" in
1984. Mustaine proceeded to tell Araya he
liked it when he "sucked his dick" at the
1991 "Clash of the Titans" tour. Araya
rebutted calling him a "homo" on stage. Since
their falling out at the tour, King lashed
out at Mustaine in several interviews stating
he is a "cocksucker", "everybody hates him",
and he is a "dictator". Recently in
GuitarWorld.com's Dear Guitar Hero, King
"admires him to this day" but as a guitarist
even though he considers Mustaine as a
"hypocrite".
Relations between Machine Head and Slayer
deteriorated when King labeled Machine Head
as "sell-outs" after the release of its 2001
album Supercharger. King continued to
criticize the band stating "They're
responsible for rap-metal", "they fooled me
into thinking they're metal", "'they have no
integrity left." Machine Head front man Robb
Flynn stated King was not provoked, and these
comments had come from nowhere. Flynn, who
once idolized King rebutted "Oh, Mr. SUM 41
video has so much fuckin' integrity now!?
Shit?!" after King appeared in Sum 41's music
video "What We're All About", also stating
"King's eaten so many cheeseburgers his
brain's starting to clog up." However, on
June 16, 2007 Flynn reported that the two
sorted out their 'beef' at the Metal Hammer
Awards, at which Slayer won an award for
'Metal Icon'.
Controversy
The lyrics of "Angel of Death" were inspired
by the acts of Josef Mengele during World War
II
Slayer has been accused of holding Nazi
sympathies, due to the band's eagle logo
bearing resemblance to the Eagle atop
swastika, Schutzstaffel stickers on guitars,
and the lyrics of "Angel of Death". The
lyrics of "Angel of Death" were inspired by
the acts of Josef Mengele, the doctor who
conducted human experiments on Jewish and
Roma prisoners during World War II at the
Auschwitz concentration camp, and was dubbed
the "Angel of Death" by inmates. Throughout
their career, the band members were asked
about these accusations, and have stated
numerous times they do not condone Nazism,
and are merely interested in the subject.
Slayer's cover of Minor Threat's "Guilty Of
Being White" raised questions about a
possible message of white supremacy in the
band's music. The controversy surrounding the
cover involved the changing of the refrain
"guilty of being white" to "guilty of being
right", at the song's ending. This incensed
Minor Threat frontman Ian MacKaye, who stated
"that is so offensive to me".
In a 2004 interview with Araya, when asked,
"did critics realize you were wallowing in
parody?", Araya replied, "No. People thought
we were serious!...back then you had that
PMRC, who literally took everything to heart,
when in actuality you're trying to create an
image. You're trying to scare people on
purpose". Araya also denied rumors that
Slayer members are Satanists, but they find
the subject of Satanism interesting and "we
are all on this planet to learn and
experience".
The controversial cover of "Christ Illusion"
The song "Jihad" of the album Christ Illusion
sparked controversy among families of the
September 11 victims. The song deals with the
attack from the perspective of a religious
terrorist. The band stated the song is spoken
through perspective without being sympathetic
to the cause, and supports neither side.
Seventeen bus benches promoting the album in
Fullerton, California were deemed offensive
by city officials. They felt the Antichrist
and skull were inappropriate, and felt the
name "Slayer" pertains to a murderer. City
officials contacted the band's record label
and demanded that the ads be removed. All
seventeen benches were removed.
In India, the album was recalled by EMI India
after protests with Muslim and Christian
religious groups due to the nature of the
graphic artwork. The album cover depicts
Christ mutilated, missing arms and an eye, in
a sea of blood with severed heads. On October
11, 2006 EMI announced that all stocks had
been destroyed, noting it had no plans to
re-release the record in India in the future.
Main article: Slayer discography
Studio albums
* 1983: Show No Mercy
* 1985: Hell Awaits
* 1986: Reign in Blood #94 US[16]
* 1988: South of Heaven #57 US[16]
* 1990: Seasons in the Abyss #40 US[16]
* 1994: Divine Intervention #8 US[16]
* 1996: Undisputed Attitude #34 US[16]
* 1998: Diabolus in Musica #31 US[16]
* 2001: God Hates Us All #28 US[16]
* 2006: Christ Illusion #5 US[16]
EPs/Box Sets
* 1984: Haunting the Chapel
* 2003: Soundtrack to the Apocalypse
* 2006: Eternal Pyre
DVDs/Live CDs
* 1984: Live Undead
* 1991: Decade of Aggression
* 1995: Live Intrusion
* 2003: War at the Warfield
* 2004: Still Reigning
[edit] Band members
[edit] Current members
* Tom Araya - bass, lead vocals
(1981--present)
* Jeff Hanneman - guitar (1981--present)
* Kerry King - guitar (1981-present)
* Dave Lombardo - drums (1981--1986,
1987--1992, 2001--present)
[edit] Former members
* Paul Bostaph - drums (1992--1996,
1997--2001)
* Jon Dette - drums (1996--1997)
* Tony Scaglione - drums (1986--1987)
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