The end of an era

I want to take some time away from the general topics at hand and talk about the end of an era. After thirty five years of insanity, and a right of passage for many metal heads over the years (including myself,)It's time to say goodbye to a genre defining insanity machine.  I am of course talking about the final show that Slayer played the other night in LA. I however did not make it to the show, but I was lucky enough to have seen them on the first leg of their final tour last year with Lamb of God, Testament, and Anthrax. That show was my ninth or tenth time seeing them over the course of my life, and it was a bittersweet moment for me. As one of the bands that helped to pioneer extreme metal, and was also one of the gateway bands for me to get into extreme metal. The raw energy they still captured, and the heart they still put into their show was incredible. They still brought to the table what captured my attention so long ago. Raw unbridled relentless energy.  The best part about their final set that I saw wasn't about the set list. Sure they played some show stoppers like Dittohead, Mandatory Suicide, Black Magic, Postmortem, Seasons in the Abyss, and Angel of Death (with a touching backdrop to Jeff Henneman.) The best part was being surrounded by my friends, my friends that went with me to war  at Slayer shows many times through out the years and lived to tell about it. Standing next to them, while we were taking it all in. 

See, when I was a kid (before the internet took off) you always heard wild stories while standing in line at concerts. About the sheer carnage, or violence at shows. People stage diving not off the stage, but off the balcony's. The commonality was that the craziest shit always happened at Slayer shows. Slayer fans were fucking crazy. Nailing their tongues to trees to win Slayer tickets during radio contests, carving Slayer into their arms, back and heads (which became famous due to the Serenity in Murder CD single artwork, and the Live Intrusion VHS.)  So when it was my first time going to see Slayer, it was a mixed bag of emotions and feelings. I was excited to see them, and I was also scared to death because you never new what was going to happen at a Slayer show, or if you were even going to survive. 

Some notable experiences were Seeing them at the Tattoo the Earth Festival in Boston outside while the sun was setting. One thousand water bottles flying in the air because of a massive water bottle fight the crowd was having. Seeing them at the Extreme Steel Tour and being part of a line of people that was rushing security to get down onto the floor. Watching the guys in front of the charge running down the stair case of the Worcester Centrum and leap down at least twenty stairs to tackle security so we could all make it down to the floor. Once we were on the floor seeing waves of people around the Centrum charging down the staircases and doing the same thing because being stuck in the seats at a Slayer show is NOT an option. Seeing them on the God hates the world tour shortly after 9/11 took place and spraining my ankle during Postmortum. How about the coincidence that their album God Hates Us All was released on 9/11. Watching them play the Reign in Blood album in it's entirety with their original line up. On their final run watching them break into the intro to Raining Blood for the final time brought a tear to my eye, and looking at my best friend with that look on our face that we will never see this song played again live. Sure, we may see some sub-par rendition of it played by a local band, but it's surely not going to be the same. Slayer always seemed to find a way to push boundaries, sonically, lyrically, and with their imagery. Always singing about the darker things in life. Slayer was not just a show, Slayer was a right of passage. 

It's hard to believe that a band that has been around for the entire duration of me being into extreme metal is finally done. As happy as I am that they get to stop the grind, and be with their families and take the time to do the things that they want to do, I am also saddened as a staple to the genre of music I was so heavily into is over. So, here is a thank you for all the wild times, and memories that you guys have provided over the years. They were some of the best times of my life and I wish you all the best in the future.Here is to all the insane stories I heard about Slayer shows as a kid. Here is to all the awesome people I met over the years at their shows, and their insane fan base across the world.  Here is to Gary Holt for having to fill in a massive roll for Jeff Henneman after his passing and doing so with grace. Here is to Tom Araya, who took the time on each night of the final campaign to stare out into the crowd and take it all in. I know you will miss it, you will miss the legions of fans across the globe that you amassed over the years. Last but not least...

FUCKING SLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLAYYYYYYERRRRRR!

Slayer- Angel of Death - November 30th , 2019. The Forum- Los Angeles, CA.