THE BEAST

photograph by Jimmy Hubbard

This doesn't even feel real. But it is. Slayer are reuniting this year.

The thrash titans, who famously retired in 2019, have been announced as the headliners of the 2024 Louder Than Life festival in Louisville, Kentucky, and Riot Fest in Chicago.

This is profoundly surprising news on multiple levels. Slayer embarked on their drawn-out farewell tour in 2019, and have made no indication that they ever planned to reform.

In fact, just earlier this month, guitarist Kerry King — who just launched his long-awaited, post-Slayer solo band — told Rolling Stone that he was almost positive he and Slayer co-founder Tom Araya would never get the band back together — at least not for many years.

"I can pretty much a hundred percent say no because I have a new outlet, and it's not Slayer, but it sounds like Slayer," King said of a potential Slayer reunion.

Clearly, the tables have turned. Slayer will be headlining Riot Fest on Sunday September 22nd and day two of Louder Than Life on Friday September 27th.

"Nothing compares to the 90 minutes when we're on stage playing live, sharing that intense energy with our fans," Araya said in a press release. "And to be honest, we have missed that."

King added his own enthusiastic message: "Have I missed playing live? Absolutely. Slayer means a lot to our fans; they mean a lot to us. It will be five years since we have seen them."

Check out the announcements below.

The lineup for this iteration of Slayer will be same configuration who put the band to rest in 2019: co-founders Araya and King, guitarist Gary Holt (also of Exodus) and longtime drummer Paul Bostaph. Via Revolver

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