Slayer have officially reunited and announced their first shows, which will take place later this year at Riot Fest and Louder Than Life Festival. Slayer played their final show at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif. on Nov. 30, 2019, but they’re officially back, and Tom Araya, Kerry King, Paul Bostaph and Gary Holt make up the lineup. Riot Fest is set to take place in Chicago, Ill. from Sept. 20 through the 22, and it will mark Slayer’s return to the stage after nearly five years.
The thrash legends also one of four headliners set to perform at Louder Than Life, which will take place over four days from Sept. 26 through the 29 at the Highland Festival Grounds at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, Kentucky. Slipknot, Motley Crue and Korn are the other three headliners for the event. So far, these are the only Slayer performances that have been announced, so it’s unclear whether they’re going to tour or release new music again. Their last album, Repentless, came out in 2015. King recently announced his new solo band and his first album, and also shared that he hadn’t spoken to Araya since their final show in 2019. However, it seems that has changed.
Slayer has had issues with drummers in the past, having gone through 3 during their tenure starting off with original drummer Dave Lombardo leaving the band twice due to issues with finances and later due to wanting to be with family, the second time being in 1992. He was replaced with Paul Bostaph who himself left in 2001. Slayer asked Dave if he wanted to play a few gigs with them, which led to him joining full time and stayed till he as fired in 2013. Once again he was replaced by Paul. Also they lost founding member guitarist Jeff Hannemann in 2011.
In early 2011, Hanneman contracted necrotizing fasciitis on one of his arms, which was reported to be due to a spider bite while he was in a hot tub of a friend. He had surgery which led to a few weeks recovery but then Hanneman died of liver failure on May 2, 2013, in a Southern California hospital near his home. The official cause of death was announced as alcohol-related cirrhosis. For a while the band did not know if their fanbase would approve a change but eventually Exodus guitarist Gary Holt, who had filled in for Jeff when he was ill, was announced as a full time member. Repentless, the band’s twelfth studio album, and so far final abum, was released on September 11, 2015.
Despite the long farewell world wide tour, and most fans feeling like it was the last we would see of the band, we now get this announcement. Since the end of the tour Tom Araya has stayed out of the spotlight, not attending events or giving interviews. Recently Kerry King had announced his solo album and band, so this comes a s surprise.