The American thrash band, Slayer, was formed in 1981 in Huntington Park, California.  They started out, performing at clubs and parties, covering Judas Priest and Iron Maiden music.  They built their image around Satanic images, using pentagrams and dark makeup to make an impression.  

Slayer

We survived a Slayer crowd every night for about 50 days and thought we could do about anything after that.

The Early Years

The American thrash band, Slayer, was formed in 1981 in Huntington Park, California.  They started out, performing at clubs and parties, covering Judas Priest and Iron Maiden music.  They built their image around Satanic images, using pentagrams and dark makeup to make an impression.  

Slayer was offered the opportunity to open for the heavy metal band, Bitch, at the Woodstock Club in Los Angeles.  They were noticed by Brian Slagel of Metal Blade Records, who arranged a private audition.  The band performed one of their original songs, and they were asked to record the single, Aggressive Protector.  The song became an instant underground hit and they were awarded a recording contract.

Building a Niche

Slayer's debut album, Show No Mercy was, by necessity, a low budget album.  They scraped together money to rent studio time, and released the album three weeks after the singles were finished.  Commercial sales were moderate, but the band built an immediate underground fan base.  This was solidified by the national club tour that followed the release of the album.  Not long after the tour ended, they launched the Combat Tour with Venom and Exodus.

After Hell Awaits in 1985, Slayer released a string of four albums from 1986 to 1994, all of which certified gold in commercial sales.  The success of these albums is due, in part to the recording contract and budget granted them from their new label, Def Jam Records.  The latter two were recorded on the American Record label.  They toured aggressively, sometimes alone, sometimes with other bands.  Critics were torn; they seemed genuinely impressed with their music, but somewhat horrified by their satanic undertones.

What's Next

Five more albums were released from 1996 through 2009.  They were not the commercial successes their predecessors were, but their base of fans are loyal and passionate; they devoured everything Slayer released.  Their 2009 album, Wood Painted Blood, was the final album in their contract, and at the time of its release, they were unsure if they would continue to record.  However, if a break-up is to occur, it will have to wait until the end of their current North American and European American Carnage Tour in which they are currently performing with Megadeth and Testament.

Slayer is also scheduled to perform at the Wacken Open Air Festival, in  Schlesswig-Holstein, Germany, this summer.  This is one of the biggest annual heavy metal festivals of the year, with over sixty acts on the agenda.  

Did you know . . .

1. One leg of the American Carnage tour with Megadeth and Testament had to be postponed due to a back injury sustained by Slayer's bassist, Tom Araya.

2. Slayer has won two Grammy Awards for Best Metal Performance:  2007's  Eyes of the Insane and Final Six.

3. The single, Angel of Death, about the Nazi experiments of Josef Mangele, has sparked concerns that the band members are Nazis.  This rumor has been dispelled by members repeatedly.

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