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Slayer
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Band · United States

Slayer

US thrash metal band

Formed in 1981

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Slayer is an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California, formed in 1981 by guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman, drummer Dave Lombardo and vocalist/bassist Tom Araya. Slayer's fast and aggressive musical style made them one of the "big four" bands of thrash metal, alongside Metallica, Megadeth, and Anthrax. Slayer's current lineup comprises King, Araya, drummer Paul Bostaph, and guitarist Gary Holt, who initially joined as a touring musician in 2011 before joining the band permanently after Hanneman's death in 2013; the drummer Jon Dette is a former member of the band.

In the original lineup, King, Hanneman, and Araya contributed to the band's lyrics, and all of the band's music was written by King and Hanneman. The band's lyrics and album art, which cover topics such as serial killers, occultism, terrorism, religion, fascism, racism, and war, have generated album bans, delays, lawsuits and criticism from religious groups. However, its music has been highly influential, being cited by many bands as an influence musically, visually, and lyrically; the band's third album, Reign in Blood (1986), has been described as one of the heaviest and most influential thrash metal albums.

Slayer released twelve studio albums, three live albums, a box set, six music videos, two extended plays, and a cover album. Four of the band's studio albums have received gold certification in the United States; Slayer sold 5 million copies in the United States from 1991 to 2013, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The band has received five Grammy Award nominations, winning one in 2007 for the song "Eyes of the Insane" and one in 2008 for the song "Final Six", both of which were from the album Christ Illusion (2006). Slayer disbanded in 2019 following the conclusion of their global farewell tour, but has reformed to perform sporadic reunion shows since 2024.

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Also in Français

Slayer est un groupe de thrash metal américain, originaire de Huntington Park, en Californie. Le groupe est formé en 1981 par les guitaristes Jeff Hanneman et Kerry King. Slayer est connu pour être l'un des groupes leaders du mouvement thrash metal, avec la sortie en 1986 de Reign in Blood, nommé « le meilleur album heavy de tous les temps avec Master of Puppets de Metallica » par Kerrang. Le groupe est considéré comme l'un des « Big Four » des groupes de thrash metal avec Megadeth, Anthrax et Metallica. Le 22 janvier 2018, les membres annoncent la fin du groupe avec une tournée d'adieu prévue.

Slayer est connu pour son style musical particulier, y compris pour les tremolo picking, les solos, la double grosse caisse et le chant hurlé. Les chansons du groupe et ses pochettes, basées sur des sujets tels que les tueurs en série, le satanisme, la religion, la guerre et la politique, ont entrainé des censures, des retards, des procès et de fortes critiques de la part des groupes religieux et du public. Depuis son premier enregistrement en 1983, le groupe recense deux albums live, un coffret CD, et onze albums studio (dont un album de reprises), et a vendu 35 millions de disques dans le monde. Le groupe est nommé deux fois aux Grammy Awards et est récompensé en 2007 pour leur chanson Eyes of the Insane, et en 2008 pour la chanson Final Six.

Slayer annonce une tournée d'adieu qui se déroule en 2018 et 2019, après quoi le groupe confirme son démantèlement. Son concert d'adieu se tient le 30 novembre 2019 à Los Angeles.

Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Discography

Albums

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EPs

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