Slayer announced their reunion on Wednesday (Feb. 21), the thrash metal pioneers set to play this year’s Riot Fest in Chicago and Louder Than Life 2024 in Louisville, Kentucky — both in September — and metal fans are shocked, bewildered, curious and surprised.
Indeed, for the first time since Slayer played the last note of the final concert of their supposed farewell tour at the end of 2019, Slayer are coming back to the stage. That includes guitarist Kerry King, who recently launched his new solo band. The reunion lineup of Slayer will be the same as their final 2019 lineup.
“Nothing compares to the 90 minutes when we’re on stage playing live, sharing that intense energy with our fans,” Slayer bassist-vocalist Tom Araya said in a press release on Wednesday.
READ MORE: See the Full Band Lineup for the Louder Than Life Festival 2024
“And to be honest, we have missed that,” he added.
King said, “Have I missed playing live? Absolutely. Slayer means a lot to our fans; they mean a lot to us. It will be five years since we have seen them.”
“FUCKING SLAYER IS BACK!!!,” one excited fan posted on X (formerly Twitter) immediately following the breaking news. “I find a sudden Slayer reunion right after Kerry King’s solo project a little weird buuut I’ll take it,” another added. “Someone must have paid top dollar for that Slayer reunion, evil has no boundaries when big comedy sized cheques are involved,” a more monetary-minded listener reacted.
And there’s more. See a whole bunch of Slayer reactions below. (Also, we guess this wasn’t exactly true?)
Slayer Reunion Reactions – Feb. 21, 2024
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Gallery Credit: Loudwire Staff
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