RALEIGH — Thirty-eight years, 12 albums and 1 final tour.
An era of heavy metal comes to an end for Slayer.
The band’s legacy is timeless and surprisingly a family event. Young and old fans filled the PNC Arena in Raleigh, which speaks volumes to the level of inspiration they’ve passed down to the next generation.
What better way to end a final tour than to stack the lineup with bands like Primus, Ministry and Phil Anselmo & The Illegals? Each set amped up the crowd with classic songs like “My Name is Mud,” “Thieves” and “I’m Broken.”
The anthemic quality of these bands set the tone for the night and for once in 38 years, no one booed or chanted Slayer over the opening talent.
Finally, the lights went out, the curtain dropped, and Slayer took the stage with a deafening onslaught of riffs and double-bass drums more commonly referred to as the song “Repentless.” Pits broke out, crowd surfers breached the barricade and flames shot up from the stage.
You could feel the floor rumble and the bass hit your chest.
The crowd’s movement within the darkness looked like something out of a medieval battle movie. Frontman Tom Araya smiled at the chaos as the band continued their set with epic classics such as “Mandatory Suicide” and “World Painted Blood.”
The crowd showed respect with roaring chants of “Slayer! Slayer! Slayer!”
It’s hard to imagine this band will no longer tour. Slayer’s fan base continued to listen over all these years because this band refused to dilute their style for money and fame.
They are and always will be the ideal example within the metal genre.
