SLAYER has introduced headline performances confirmed for the U.S., Canada, and the U.Ok., marking the band’s first U.Ok. and Canadian concert events in six years. The U.Ok. and Canadian dates will see SLAYER headlining at among the nations’ greatest venues, together with the 35,000-capacity Blackweir Fields in Cardiff, London’s 45,000-capacity Finsbury Park, and the 100,000-capacity Pageant D’été De Québec in Canada.
Along with the band’s worldwide headline dates, SLAYER will assist rejoice BLACK SABBATH‘s unimaginable profession at SABBATH‘s sold-out “Again To The Starting” ultimate live performance, set for July 5 at Villa Park in Birmingham, England. The “Again To The Starting” live performance will mark solely the third time SLAYER has shared a stage with BLACK SABBATH, following Ozzfest in 1998 and in 2004.
“I’m a SABBATH fan, and doing this present is an honor,” mentioned SLAYER bassist/vocalist Tom Araya. “I used to be hanging out with my brother and his buddies throughout my junior yr in highschool, and we’d play SABBATH on a regular basis, so I’m an enormous fan. BLACK SABBATH had been the originators, folks name them ‘the godfathers of steel music.’ I feel it is going to be a tremendous expertise, from the start to the tip. I am actually, actually honored to be part of this, it is going to be nice.”
“I keep in mind once we performed with BLACK SABBATH at Ozzfest in 2004,” added SLAYER guitarist Kerry King. “It was when Rob Halford got here again to JUDAS PRIEST and we had been third on the invoice. You could not give me a greater invoice; I will always remember that. Because it stands now, SLAYER performs a handful of gigs a yr. However that is how vital this SABBATH date is, and it is nice we are going to get to play an extended set for our followers in Cardiff and London on this go to too. Being on the sabbath invoice means the world to me, as a result of these are my über heroes. And to know that their camp thinks sufficient of us to supply us a spot is flattering and humbling.”
The confirmed SLAYER 2025 live performance dates are as follows:
July 3 – Blackweir Fields, Cardiff, Wales, UK
Lineup:
SLAYER
AMON AMARTH
ANTHRAX
MASTODON
HATEBREED
NECKBREAKKER
July 5 – Villa Park, Birmingham, UK
“Again To The Starting” with BLACK SABBATH, METALLICA, GUNS N’ ROSES, TOOL, PANTERA, ANTHRAX and plenty of others.
July 6 – Finsbury Park, London
Lineup:
SLAYER
AMON AMARTH
ANTHRAX
MASTODON
ANTHRAX
NECKBREAKKER
July 11 – Pageant D’été De Québec – Québec Metropolis, Quebec, Canada
Direct assist: MASTODON
September 18 – Louder Than Life @ Highland Pageant Grounds, Louisville, KY
In a latest interview with Australia’s Metallic Roos, King spoke about SLAYER‘s future plans, following the band’s two pageant appearances in September and October after a five-year hiatus. He mentioned: “We’re by no means gonna tour once more. We’re by no means gonna make a document once more. Mark my phrase: we’re by no means gonna make a document once more, we’re by no means gonna tour once more. As a result of that was the very last thing. We mentioned [back in 2018], ‘That is our ultimate tour.’ It took 5 years for us to return and say, ‘Hey, this is a few exhibits, five-year anniversary.'”
Elaborating on the importance of SLAYER‘s comeback dwell performances greater than 4 many years after the band’s formation, Kerry mentioned: “I feel it is actually cool. A variety of followers are into it. There’s gonna be haters who say, ‘Oh, they retired.’ Yeah. No matter. That is all about celebration. Say a child was 10 years previous once we retired. Now he is 15, 16. [It’s his] first alternative to see us. I feel that is vital.”
King additionally touched upon the truth that SLAYER‘s reunion exhibits had been introduced simply a few weeks after he went public with the main points of his new solo band and debut solo album. He mentioned: “The [SLAYER] announcement timing was not my favourite, however my band was doing its factor. The festivals SLAYER agreed to play, they wished to launch [the information about us playing there], they wished to announce [it]. So, the timing wasn’t in my favor, however all the pieces went [as it did], and right here we’re in Australia [with my new band] kicking ass.”
Kerry mirrored on SLAYER‘s two reunion performances final fall — on September 22, 2024 on the Riot Fest in Chicago, Illinois and on October 10, 2024 on the Aftershock pageant in Sacramento, California — throughout a latest interview with Brian Slagel, CEO of Metallic Blade Information, for the lately launched “100 Songs That Outline Heavy Metallic” podcast. Concerning how he felt going into the Riot Fest gig, King mentioned: “It is sort of like once we did the primary ‘Large 4’ present, I mentioned, ‘That is gonna be actually cool for the followers, and it will be good to see the fellows.’ And that is about all I gave it. However then we truly performed the present and a handful extra exhibits, and I mentioned, ‘ what? That is actually cool for me.’ And I did not count on that. And I did not count on that once we did the Chicago present [SLAYER at Riot Fest]. I went with the very same thought. I am, like, ‘That is gonna be actually cool for the followers, particularly followers that had been too younger to see us.’ And I hit the stage and I obtained goosebumps. I am, like, ‘That is manner larger than I ever gave it credit score for.’ … [And] we have got loads of historical past in Chicago too, so for the reunion present to be there, it was fairly epic. And the response was excessive. It was manner overwhelming.”
At Riot Fest and Aftershock, SLAYER ran via a 20-song set that included opener “South Of Heaven”, “Seasons In The Abyss”, “Angel Of Demise”, “Hell Awaits”, “Raining Blood” and the title observe of SLAYER‘s ultimate album, “Repentless”.
SLAYER was additionally scheduled to play on the Louder Than Life pageant in Louisville, Kentucky on September 27, 2024, however that efficiency was canceled because of extreme climate.
The lineup for SLAYER‘s comeback was the identical because the one which final toured in 2019: King and drummer Paul Bostaph, together with Araya and guitarist Gary Holt.
King‘s debut solo album, “From Hell I Rise”, got here out in Could 2024 through Reigning Phoenix Music.
Picture credit score: Ryan Segedi