Biography
The legendary trash metal group Slayer is considered a participant in the "big four" scenic "heavyweights" and along with Metallica, Megadeth and Anthrax represents the classic direction of Hevi. Despite criticism and prohibitions, the albums of the team received 4 platinum certificates and were nominated 5 times on Grammy, defeating in 2007 and 2008. Solucting 5 million copies around the world, in January 2017 Slayer announced the completion of a career and went to a farewell touring tour, which, according to preliminary data, should last until the end of 2019 - early 2020.The history of creation and composition
The history of the Slayer group began in California Huntington Park in 1981, when Kerry King (guitar), Jeff Khannenan (guitar), Dave Lombardo (drums) and Tom Araya (vocals, guitar) united together to play a cover version of the compositions promoted Hevi-metal groups.
Speaking at parties in small clubs of Los Angeles, the musicians who called themselves Slayer and created the logo of the Pentagram from crossed swords, produced a vivid impression, appearing on stage in suits with spikes and inverted crosses.
In 1983, during a speech on heating from the Bitch Group, a beginner team remarked Brian Steel, a music journalist who recently founded Metal Blade Records and engaged in the promotion of young performers.
After the backstage meeting, the businessman invited King and the company to participate in the creation of a collection of Metal Massacre III and submit to the public one of the few original compositions called "Aggressive Perfector". After the release of the plate, the song produced a furor in concerned circles, and, feeling the golden custody, Slagel offered a contract with his own label to the musicians.
Interesting is the fact that after the release of the debut album King joined the more popular Megadeth, and the team that was called Slayer was at risk of decay.
Fortunately, the founder guitarist decided that the rehearsals with Dave Mastein did not leave time for creativity, and, having wonted 5 concerts with the new team, returned to his own project and continued cooperation with Jeff, Dave and Tom.
And the following changes in the composition were associated with the nature of the drummer, throughout the career three times left and returned to the team. In two cases, the reasons served financial differences, and for the third time the problem arose because of his wife, who wished to accompany her husband in European tour.
At the same time, Slayer lost Jeff Khannenan, tragically died of liver cirrhosis on May 2, 2013. His song was posthumously included in the 2015 record and executed by the new Gary Holt Guitarist.
Music
The debut album called "Show No Mercy" was recorded at the end of 1983 on the savings of Araya and money taken in the duty at King's father. The project, accompanied by a club tour of California, made Slayer popular among metalwors and developed a circulation of about 20 thousand copies.
The profits received enough for the release of a three-haired EP "Haunting The Chapel", which was distinguished by a trash-oriented style and gloomy sound and determined the further direction of creativity of musicians.
After the national tour, Venom and Exodus Slayer entered the European level and took part in the festival of heavy sound in Belgium. Meanwhile, "Show No Mercy" continued to be sold well, giving the opportunity to start recording the 2nd full-length album.
Hell Awaits, finished in 1985, with the support of the producer of Ron Fair, became the most progressive project project and compared with the previous one consisted of long challengedly structured compositions dedicated to the topic of devil and hell.
Acquired success allowed musicians to get to the solid label Def Jam Records and write down the next studio album under the guidance of an experienced producer. Thanks to the influence of professionals, the style of the group has undergone changes and become different in short punk rock-compositions and clear arrangements in the Hardcore spirit.
The new format, first demonstrated on the Reign in Blood, helped the Slayer participants break into the Billboard 200 hit parade, but due to the theme of some songs the team was not allowed on the radio, limiting the spread of the 3rd studio album. However, the current situation did not interfere with King and colleagues to go to the world tour and visit America and Europe countries together with Overkill, Malice and W.S.P.
At the end of 1987, Slayer returned to the studio to collect together the material intended for the "SOUTH OF HEAVEN" record. The new job received a gold certificate in the United States and a mixed reaction of the public and critics: Some called the album "anxious and powerful", and others found it "truly offensive Satanian Chushye."
King, who considered the plate unsuccessful, insisted on the refusal of slow melodic compositions, and in the fall of 1990, the musicians finished work on the album "Seasons in The Abyss", which was a pulsating rhythm and crazy speed.
Advertising a new brainchild, Slayer starred in a video clip on the title composition, went to a tour called European Clash of The Titans and replenished with a disconsee a concert compilation confined to the 10th anniversary of the group.
In 1994, Guitarist Araya became interested in the theme of serial killers and wrote texts to the songs entering the album called "Divine Intervention". At the same time, the musicians became the third team speaking on the main scene of the Monsters of Rock festival and performed by the compositions of the Verbal Abuse, Dr. Know, And The Stoges, subsequently combined on the 1996 record "Undisputed Attitude".
In the late 1990s - early 2000s, Slayer was engaged in studio work and eventually presented the world albums "Diabolus in Musica" and "God Hates US All". Despite the difficulties in the production of the latter, the musicians rose to the 28th line of the Billboard 200 hit parade and were able to defend the original cover with the photographic image of the damaged bible-bled.
Immediately after the release, American Recordings has released a limited edition, where several DVDs were offered as bonuses, including a living concert in San Francisco, an interview and video clip on the Bloodline composition.
After these releases, the musicians went on tour and from 2002 to 2004 they gave more than 250 speeches, becoming chadliners of large music festivals, among which were H82K2, Summer Tour and Ozzfest. The interruption in the studio work went to Hannejan and other members of the group. With new forces, the musicians recorded the "Christ Illusion" album, which took off to the 5th place in American charts and implemented more than 62 thousand copies in the first week after the release.
The plate turned out so successful that according to the polls of the authoritative journal Kerrang! Slayer got into the symbolic hall of Hevi-Metal Fame. And at the 49th ceremony of awarding Grammy, the team was awarded for the best performance of heavy music, noting the video clip on the song "Eyes of the Insane".
In 2008, for the first time in the history of the Group, the question arose about the completion of the creative career. Despite the pessimistic mood of Araii, King persuaded the musicians to record at least 2 albums and spend some large touring tours. Following the planned plan, Slayer with Trivium, Mastodon and Amarth, united for the European tour called "The Unholy Alliance: Chapter III", and then became the chadliners of Mayhem and Canadian Carnage festivals.
On November 3, 2009, the Panel returned from a multi-day tour and after a small pause released the album "World Painted Blood", which gathered the elements of the theme and music of previous works. Then the performers from Huntington Park first performed on the same stage with Metallica, Megadeth and Anthrax, sending direct HD broadcasting a concert on satellite communications into the cinemas of America.
In 2011, Hanneman picked up an infection and dropped out of the creative process for a long time. Slayer played several concerts without a lead guitarist, but not to record a new record. Unfortunately, health did not allow Jeff to reunite with colleagues, and, writing a material for the 3 compositions of the planned album, the musician died.
Despite the tragedy, King, Araya and Bostaf continued cooperation and in 2015 completed work on the "REPENTLESS" album. Then, with the participation of a new member of the Gary Holt team and the support for Nuclear Blast, the musicians took the 17-day national tour, after which he left for Europe and Asia and North America to Europe and North America.
Slayer now
Until the beginning of 2018, the future of Slayer was in suspended state. In an interview, the musicians spoke about the mass of new material and readiness to cooperate and record new plates.
Against the background of such applications, information about the beginning of the farewell tour has become a surprise for fans and representatives of the musical press.
Speeches began with the North American continent and now continue on the territory of Australia and New Zealand. Without running out the exact date of completion of the tour, in 2019 the musicians plan to visit Japan, Europe and the USA.
Discography
- 1983 - "Show No Mercy"
- 1985 - "Hell Awaits"
- 1986 - "REIGN IN BLOOD"
- 1988 - "SOUTH OF HEAVEN"
- 1990 - "Seasons in the Abyss"
- 1994 - "Divine Intervention"
- 1998 - "Diabolus in Musica"
- 2001 - "God Hates US All"
- 2006 - "Christ Illusion"
- 2009 - "WORLD Painted Blood"
- 2015 - "REPENTLESS"
Clips
- "REPENTLESS"
- "PRIDE IN PREJUDICE"
- "Bloodline"
- "SEASONS IN THE ABYSS"
- "I HATE You"
- "EYES OF THE INSANE"
- "WORLD PAINTED BLOOD"