Slayer - Would You Go This Far To Show Loyalty...

Slayer is an American thrash metal band, founded in Huntington Park, California in 1981 by Tom Araya (bass guitar, vocals), Kerry King (guitars), Jeff Hanneman (guitars) and Dave Lombardo (drums). Lombardo had left the band to explore varied drumming styles, notably his work in Mike Patton's Fantômas. He was replaced by Paul Bostaph. In 2001 Dave Lombardo returned to the drum stool. Hanneman and King are the group's main songwriters.

Slayer (along with Metallica, Anthrax, Megadeth and others) are often credited with creating American thrash metal by speeding up the sound of New Wave of British Heavy Metal bands like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Venom. Slayer were also great fans of hardcore punk, influenced by the likes of Minor Threat, Dead Kennedys and Misfits, and borrowed some of that music's emphasis on extremely fast tempos in many of their songs.

Slayer was formed in 1982 in Huntington Beach, CA, by guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman; also recruited were bassist/vocalist Tom Araya and drummer Dave Lombardo. The band started out playing covers of Judas Priest and Iron Maiden songs, but quickly discovered that they could get attention (and fans) by exploiting threatening, satanic imagery. Slayer was invited by Metal Blade's Brian Slagel to contribute a track to the Metal Massacre, Vol. 3 compilation (a series that also saw the vinyl debuts of Metallica and Voivod); a contract and debut album, Show No Mercy, followed shortly thereafter. While Slayer's early approach was rather cartoonish, their breakneck speed and instrumental prowess were still highly evident. Two EPs, Haunting the Chapel and Live Undead, were released in 1984, but 1985's Hell Awaits refined their lyrical obsessions into a sort of concept album about damnation and torture and made an immediate sensation in heavy metal circles, winning Slayer a rabid cult following.