Music
The 11 best Slayer songs
Slayer are back. We round up the best tracks from the thrash legends ahead of their 2025 UK dates
When it comes to heavy metal, there are few bands that have left such an unshakeable imprint on its very foundations as Slayer.
Ferocious pioneers of a new level of speed, intensity, and aggression within the genre, over the last four decades the Californian trailblazers have dealt out some of the most blistering and controversial records in the game. One of the “Big Four” of thrash metal, they established the blueprint which many would argue still underpins the scene, with everything from their 1983 debut Show No Mercy to 2015’s swan song Repentless best summed up by an unwavering commitment to sonic brutality.
Fearlessly exploring the darker sides of human nature with a slew of nail-biting riffs and neck-snapping solos, the icons will return to UK soil in 2025. Six years after the completion of a lengthy farewell tour, founding members vocalist/bassist Tom Araya and guitarist Kerry King will be among their ranks as they cross the Atlantic once more, joined by former Exodus guitarist Gary Holt and drummer Paul Bostaph.
A band with a legacy unlike any other, as Slayer prepare for their biggest UK shows to date at Cardiff’s Blackweir Fields and London’s Finsbury Park, here’s a rundown of 11 tracks that have defined their legacy.
11. ‘War Ensemble’
(Seasons In The Abyss, 1990)
An absolute staple of the band’s live show since its release, there are few better examples of heavy metal reckoning with real-life horrors. Pushing aside the stereotypical stories of demons and bloodthirsty visions, the nightmares found within many of the tracks on Slayer’s fifth studio album are much more tangible. Delving into war, murder, and the flaws within humanity, it simply doesn’t get much more brutally ugly than ‘War Ensemble’. Rounding off with the gnarly line “The final swing is not a drill // It’s how many people I can kill”, they certainly weren’t messing around here.
10. ‘Piano Wire’
(Repentless, 2015)
One of the last compositions penned by the late, great Jeff Hanneman before his passing, ‘Piano Wire’ is a soaring highlight of the band’s final album. Though the guitarist doesn’t physically play on the record – with King handling all duties – Hanneman’s touches are all over it. Jagged, nightmarish riffs fuelling a twisted portrayal of human depravity, it’s a fittingly unhinged tribute to one of metal’s greatest players.
9. ‘Die By The Sword’
(Show No Mercy, 1983)
A fan favourite cut from Show No Mercy, ‘Die by the Sword’ is one of the most urgent calls to arms within the band’s repertoire. An ode to worshipping the Devil himself, filled with references to slaughter and sinister intentions, it’s about as Slayer as you can get. Its verses dip their toes into speed metal territory before the chorus chugs into full-throttle thrash – it’s easy to see how this one has stood the test of time.
8. ‘Hell Awaits’
(Hell Awaits, 1985)
If there’s one band that knows how to open an album, it’s Slayer. Dark, sinister, and wickedly technical, the title track of their pummelling second full-length is up there with their most ambitious. An intro that when played backwards reveals a demonic voice repeating the phrase ‘join us’, it’s a chilling beginning to the record’s descent into hell, giving us a taste of just how truly dark metal could get.
7. ‘Dead Skin Mask’
(Seasons In The Abyss, 1990)
From Satan to slaughter, there’s seemingly no subject dark enough to be deemed off-limits to Slayer, and this killer mid-album cut is a shining example. Written about the horrors committed by Ed Gein – an American murderer who snatched bodies from caskets, creating literal dead skin masks – it’s bursting with the evil, atonal shredding that has come to define thrash. Add in some speed metal bursts and the haunting voice of a child in the background pleading “This isn’t fun anymore, Mr. Gein”, and you’ve got a messed-up, riffed-up hit.
6. ‘Chemical Warfare’
(Haunting The Chapel, 1984)
A blistering fan favourite from the 3-track EP that followed Show No Mercy, there are few moments that showcase Slayer’s rapid-fire aggression quite like this. Recorded in a Hollywood studio with no carpet, it’s been said that drum maestro Gene Hoglan held Dave Lombardo’s kit together as he pummelled his way through the track, preventing it from sliding across the concrete. A razor-sharp introduction to some of the darker, thrashier markers of their sound that developed further down the line, it’s an absolute all-timer for a reason.
5. ‘Seasons In The Abyss’
(Seasons In The Abyss, 1990)
There are plenty of purists who would opt to shy away from the melody and mid-tempo grooves of Seasons In The Abyss, but album five proved there was much more to Slayer than just sheer brutality. One of their most epic, cinematic moments to date (partially inspired by the works of Stephen King), the album’s closer is a stunning study of a descent into madness and malevolence. A creeping dread pervading throughout, it’s as transcendent as it is terrifying.
4. ‘Disciple’
(God Hates Us All, 2001)
Calling out the idea of blindly following faith in any form, there are few things in this world cooler than Tom Araya’s throat-shredding screams of “God hates us all” driving this track forward. The most iconic cut on album nine (often considered a return to form for the thrash legends), it’s something that feels so quintessentially Slayer, but yet remains wholly unique. One of few real chant-along moments in their discography, it’s the type of song made for collective shouts of frustration in festival fields.
3. ‘Raining Blood’
(Reign In Blood, 1986)
Easily the most well-known track within the band’s discography, it’s a thrash metal classic for good reason. From its iconic opening riff to Lombardo’s whiplash-inducing drumming and the breakdown to end all breakdowns, it’s a total masterclass in summoning the apocalypse. One of the genre’s most enduring anthems, you just know that carnage will ensue whenever this kicks in.
2. ‘Angel Of Death’
(Reign In Blood, 1986)
It’s not heavy metal without a bit of controversy, and ‘Angel Of Death’ has been the centre of a lot of such talk. With a keen interest in World War II history, Hanneman penned the lyrics after reading about the abhorrent human experiments conducted by Nazi physician Josef Mengele, the album’s release subsequently delayed due to accusations of Nazi sympathising (a claim that has been repeatedly denied by the band throughout the years). Opening with a piercing scream from Araya before some monumental riffage courtesy of Hanneman and King, despite any drama, it’s an absolute classic of the genre. Fast, ballsy and straight to the point, there’s a reason this has become Slayer’s go-to set closer.
1. ‘South Of Heaven’
(South Of Heaven, 1988)
Masters of speed and destruction, South Of Heaven brought a pretty stark departure from the signature Slayer sound, slowing down the tempo and amping up the menace. An album that feels less like a vicious onslaught and more like an ominous presence stalking your every move, the haunting intro and creeping tempo of its opening title track make it one of the most sinister songs in the band’s arsenal. Spiralling further into eternal damnation as it edges closer to its eerie slow-building crescendo, there’s no finer demonstration of their ability to conjure pure evil.
