After announcing a final world tour yesterday (22 January), the thrash metal group have confirmed that they are disbanding after 37 years and 12 studio albums.
An Instagram post published today (23 January) reveals that Slayer “is coming to an end”. The caption reads: “Slayer will do one last concert tour around the globe to thank their fans for all the support over the years.” The post also announces their North American tour dates, for which tickets will go on sale this Friday (26 January). Lamb of God, Anthrax, Behemoth and Testament will join them on tour.
In 2016, co-founding guitarist Kerry King told KLAQ 95.5 FM that after the band’s eventual retirement, a reunion tour will not be considered. He said, “If I gear-down not to do this, I don’t want to come back and do it any more.”
“I don’t want to be that band that goes away and comes back, and goes away and comes back. I want to play until we’re done, and be done with it,” he added.
Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman first formed the band in 1981. In 2013, drummer Dave Lombardo was ousted from the group and Hanneman died age 49. The award-winning act’s highest charting release from their extensive ouevre is 2015’s Repentless, which sold 49,000 copies in the first week. Slayer are considered to be one of the most influential metal bands, and their most popular tracks include Raining Blood and Angel of Death.
Check out the Instagram post below, and revisit Crack’s Issue 55 cover story with Slayer.