Slayer- still killin’ ’em three decades later

During the ’80s, Def Jam was known for developing the most unique artists in Hip Hop. Looking back on those early days, they broke the mold after bringing talent such as The Beastie Boys, LL Cool J, Public Enemy, Slick Rick, and others to the world. In 1986, mastermind Rick Rubin raised the bar further by signing thrash metal act Slayer. That was my first introduction to the band. Def Jam’s brand was so strong then that they were able to convince an unworldly, inner-city sixteen year old kid from the Bronx projects, who grew up on soul, disco, and emerging Hip Hop to give this long-haired, metal crunching band from Cali a shot. This was quite an accomplishment, because the band’s image, sound, and sinister lyrics were world’s away from the urban slang-laced content typical for the label and totally unfamiliar to their audience. Due to this new aligning with a rap label, on the flip side, Rubin could have angered the band’s followers who first learned about them on Metal Blade Records- a label known for hard edged music. Def Jam fans could have been scared away since this was far from an inner city vibe. Regardless, the band prevailed, going on to sell millions of units with Def Jam. As a kid, I gave Slayer a shot too, and it stuck. Shortly afterwards I met Josh Silver who was later to start Type O Negative, and then I became further immersed in and realized my passion for the hard sounds of metal, but that’s a different story. I digress.

Rick Rubin took a leap when he signed Slayer to a rap label, that risky move made all the difference. The band formed in 1981, nearly three decades later, Tom Araya, Jeff Hanneman, Kerry King, and Dave Lombardo are still cranking out their killer sound to the masses of loyal fans globally. Rick eventually split from Def Jam- ironically, in part, because he was reaching too deep in regards to creativity, however, upon his departure, he brought Slayer with him over to his Def American label. Years later, Rick’s brand and reputation as a music aficionado and producer extraordinaire is impeccable. He’s a highly sought after producer in all genres- from country to metal. Early Def Jam, under the guidance of Rick Rubin took a leap and followed passion. Today, that passion continues to resonate, and speaks many tongues, one of those is that of Slayer. The band is still killin’ ’em after all these years, most recently headlining The Jagermeister Tour with Anthrax and Megadeth. During their stop at Hard Rock Live, from the crowd’s reaction and my first hand account, I can confirm, they rocked hard at Hard Rock.

Don’t miss the interview with Dave Lombardo from Slayer. He talks about the band and surviving in the current state of the music industry. Recalls his early work with Rick Rubin, and he also gives advice to artists of all genres.

Check out the new photos from headlining act Slayer on the Jagermeister Tour’s stop:
(The curtain drops on the Jagermeister Tour.)

The remaining dates for the tour are:
10/06/2010 1ST MARINER ARENA BALTIMORE, MD
10/08/2010 NASSAU VETERANS MEMORIAL COLISEUM UNIONDALE, LONG ISLAND, NY
10/09/2010 TOYOTA PAVILION @ MONTAGE MOUNTAIN SCRANTON, PA
10/10/2010 LC PAVILION COLUMBUS, OH
10/12/2010 FREEDOM HALL LOUISVILLE, KY
10/14/2010 WAR MEMORIAL COLISEUM FT WAYNE, IN
10/15/2010 DELTAPLEX GRAND RAPIDS, MI
10/16/2010 EAGLES BALLROOM MILWAUKEE, WI
10/19/2010 E CENTER SALT LAKE CITY, UT
10/20/2010 THE PEARL LAS VEGAS, NV
10/21/2010 GIBSON AMPITHEATRE