Chicago’s Riot Fest was the host of many memorable moments, but it saved the best for last. Closing out the festival, metal legends Slayer put on their first show in five years — one that, until February, no one thought would happen.
Formed in 1981, Slayer was a pioneer of thrash metal and has been key to the development of more extreme genres, including death metal. Their landmark 1996 album, Reign in Blood, is one of the most acclaimed releases in metal, alongside a pretty consistently good 12-album discography.
Following their 2017 record Repentless, Slayer announced they’d be breaking up after one final tour, which ended in 2019. While no cause of the breakup has been revealed, it’s generally believed that the decision was made by vocalist and bassist Tom Araya. While some fans and even band members believed Slayer retired too early, it seemed that that would be the last we’d ever hear from the thrash titans.
Since then, things have been mostly quiet from the Slayer camp. In late 2023, Slayer guitarist Kerry King announced the formation of a new self-titled band, with their first album, From Hell I Rise, released in May 2024. Meanwhile, as a shock to fans, and even King, Slayer was announced as headliners for Riot Fest in Chicago, Louder Than Life in Louisville Kentucky, and later on Aftershock in Sacramento, California.
Very little has been said about the decision behind the reunion leading up to the show. King warned fans, “…don’t get used to this being a yearly thing” and has remained firm that a new studio album is out of the question. As the first show of Slayer’s small festival run approached, fans waited with bated breath for how the band would look and sound half a decade later.
Slayer, in turn, seems to have risen to the challenge. Kicking off with the slow build of “South of Heaven,” Slayer blasted through 20 of their most iconic songs, plus some fan-favorite deep cuts. Plenty of visual effects added appropriately dark visuals to the fearsome music. Despite the fanfare from fans, we still don’t have any more information about what the future holds beyond their shows at Louder Than Life and Aftershock.
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