Heavy Metal Legends Slayer Announce Split and Farewell Tour

Tom Araya and Kerry King of Slayer. Photo by RMV/REX/Shutterstock (8966516ay)

Heavy metal legends, Slayer, announced that the bend is finishing their 37-years long career after a global farewell tour which will take place in the summer of 2018. So far only the dates for North America part of the tour have been announced, with shows for the rest of the world also planned. Lamb of God, Anthrax, Behemoth, and Testament will serve as supporting acts.

“The age of Slayer, one of the greatest thrash/ metal/punk bands of this or any age, is coming to an end.” the band wrote on their official Instagram profile. “Slayer will do one last concert tour around the globe to thank their fans for all the support over the years.”

The band also summarized their career into impressive numbers which include 12 studio albums, multiple live recordings, compilations, live video and two box sets, playing nearly 3000 concerts in all corners of the world, receiving countless awards including five Grammy nominations and two Grammy awards, to make the sting from their split hurt a bit more.

You can check the Slayer’s full announcement and farewell tour dates below.

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After making some of the most brutal, breathtakingly aggressive, all-hell’s-a-breaking-loose music ever created, being one of the four bands that defined an entire musical genre and being the band that other heavy acts are measured against and aspire to…after nearly 37 years, releasing 12 studio albums, multiple live recordings, compilations, live video and two box sets, playing nearly 3000 concerts in all corners of the world, receiving countless awards including five Grammy nominations and two Grammy awards, Gold records and other accolades…having its own exhibit in the Smithsonian Institute, gracing hundreds of magazine covers, experiencing the devastating loss of a founding brother, and even appearing on “The Tonight Show,” the age of Slayer, one of the greatest thrash/ metal/punk bands of this or any age, is coming to an end. Slayer will do one last concert tour around the globe to thank their fans for all the support over the years. N. American tickets public on sale Friday, Jan. 26 at 10AM local.  Ltd Slayer onstage + meet & greet + exclusive merch packages at slayer.net. MAY 10 Valley View Casino Center, San Diego, CA 11 FivePoint Amphitheatre, Irvine, CA 13 Papa Murphy’s Park at Cal Expo, Sacramento, CA 16 PNE Forum, Vancouver, BC 17 South Okanagan Events Centre, Penticton, BC 19 Big Four, Calgary, AB 20 Shaw Centre, Edmonton, AB 22 Bell MTS Place, Winnipeg, MB 24 The Armory, Minneapolis, MN 25 Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, Chicago, IL 27 Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre @ Freedom Hill, Detroit, MI 29 Budweiser Stage, Toronto, ON 30 Place Bell, Montreal, PQ JUNE 1 Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, CT 2 PNC Bank Arts Center, Holmdel, NJ 4 Santander Arena, Reading, PA 6 Riverbend Music Center, Cincinnati, OH 7 Blossom Music Center, Cleveland, OH 9 KeyBank Pavilion, Pittsburgh, PA 10 Jiffy Lube Live, Bristow, VA 12 VUHL Amphitheater, Virginia Beach, VA 14 PNC Music Pavilion, Charlotte, NC 15 Orlando Amphitheater, Orlando, FL 17 Smart Financial Centre, Houston, TX 19 The Bomb Factory, Dallas, TX 20 Austin 360 Amphitheater, Austin, TX

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While it is a bit popular to organize farewell tours these days, most acts still commit to making music even after that. For Slayer, as it turns out, the end really means the end.
Formed in 1981 by guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman, Slayer bought the fans with their fast and aggressive music becoming hugely influential for other members of the heavy metal genre. Some of the bands which cited Slayer as their main influences include Bullet for My Valentine, Slipknot, Cannibal Corpse, Pantera and System of a Down.

The band is a part of thrash metal’s “big four” which also includes Metallica, Megadeth, and Anthrax.