Slayer

Active ·1981–present ·Huntington Park, United States ·95.0 Kaos ·Official site Thrash Metal

Current lineup

  • Kerry King Guitars 1981–2019, 2024–present
  • Paul Bostaph Drums 1992–2001, 2013–2019, 2024–present
  • Tom Araya Vocals, Bass 1981–2019, 2024–present

Short Biography

Formed in Huntington Park, California in 1981 by guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman, with Tom Araya on bass and vocals and Dave Lombardo on drums. Metal Blade released Show No Mercy in 1983; Hell Awaits followed in 1985. Reign in Blood, produced by Rick Rubin and out in October 1986, ran twenty nine minutes and reset what a thrash record could sound like, and the three albums after it, South of Heaven, Seasons in the Abyss and Divine Intervention, held the standard without repeating it. Hanneman contracted necrotising fasciitis in 2011 and died of liver failure in May 2013, with Gary Holt of Exodus covering his parts on stage from 2011 onwards. The band announced a final tour in 2018 and played their last show at the Forum in Los Angeles on 30 November 2019, then returned in 2024 for festival dates with King, Araya and Bostaph.

Read the full Slayer biography »

Timeline

Vocals Guitars Bass Drums Live only Split up
split up 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030

Discography

Year Title Type Kaos Score
2022 Damnation's Edge
 live —
2020 Darkness Reigns (Live 1992)
 live —
2019 The Repentless Killogy (Live at the Forum in Inglewood, CA)
 live —
2015 Repentless
 full length —
2009 World Painted Blood
 full length —
2006 Christ Illusion
 full length —
2003 Soundtrack to the Apocalypse
 compilation —
2001 God Hates Us All
 full length —
1998 Diabolus in Musica
 full length —
1998 Übernoise
 compilation —
1996 Undisputed Attitude
 full length (covers) —
1995 Serenity in Murder
 ep —
1994 Divine Intervention
 full length —
1994 Hell Awaits / Live Undead
 compilation —
1991 Decade of Aggression
 live 8.0/10
1990 Seasons in the Abyss
 full length —
1988 South of Heaven
 full length —
1986 Reign in Blood
 full length 9.5/10
1985 Hell Awaits
 full length —
1984 Live Undead
 live —
1984 Haunting the Chapel
 ep —
1983 Show No Mercy
 full length —

Reviews of Slayer

Slayer — Decade of Aggression 8.0

Slayer

Decade of Aggression

1991 · Thrash Metal · Live

The classic four's flight recorder, left unedited and still screaming.

Declan Rourke Oct 22, 2026

Slayer — Reign in Blood 9.5

Slayer

Reign in Blood

1986 · Thrash Metal

Under half an hour of floodwater, and the valley never dried out.

Saint Sylveszter Aug 25, 2026

Latest News

Kerry King Names the Second Album The End Of All Gods

Kerry King Names the Second Album The End Of All Gods

Nov 10, 2026
Kerry King Puts My War Out on 17 November

Kerry King Puts My War Out on 17 November

Nov 10, 2026
Slayer Open a Reign In Blood Shop for Three Days in Hollywood

Slayer Open a Reign In Blood Shop for Three Days in Hollywood

Nov 6, 2026
Dave Lombardo Says Nobody in Slayer Knew What Reign In Blood Was Yet

Dave Lombardo Says Nobody in Slayer Knew What Reign In Blood Was Yet

Nov 1, 2026
Slayer Play Reign In Blood Whole, Forty Years On, in Mexico City

Slayer Play Reign In Blood Whole, Forty Years On, in Mexico City

Oct 23, 2026
Kerry King and Tom Araya Will Host the Metal Station in Grand Theft Auto VI

Kerry King and Tom Araya Will Host the Metal Station in Grand Theft Auto VI

Oct 8, 2026

In the Magazine

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The Rivalries That Drove Thrash Metal

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The Best Thrash Albums of 1990

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Thrash Metal vs Death Metal

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The Top Heavy Metal Bands

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Guitar Hero and Power Metal: The Song That Crossed the Atlantic

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Deathcore Festivals and the Package Tours

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