Slayer
02 Academy, Manchester
30 May 2010

It”s been an unfortunate fortnight for metal; with Dio”s passing, and Slipknot bassist Paul Gray”s untimely death, it”s also been an unfortunate couple months for Slayer frontman, Tom Araya whose repeated back surgery has prevented him and his boys from reaching UK shores — until tonight. The smell of booze and sweat pools the room as supporting act, The Haunted whet the crowd”s appetite for violence with an impressive drive of booming, hardcore thrash.

The monstrous Peter Dolving towers over the first few rows with his fists raised high in the air, yet there”s hardly any movement from the droves of anticipatory metal-heads who await Slayer with similarly clenched fists.

Making a ritual of saluting the audience with devil horns, these, like Slayer are metal-veterans whose fifteen years experience as a band make them more than qualified to support the Californian kings of thrash.

Though as a result of this prolonged period of time without the metal veterans, the UK has been awaiting Slayer for quite some time now, and there”s a mild indifference for the Swedish metallers during their 45 minute set.

Between The Haunted”s climax and the set up, ”SLAY-AH! SLAY-AH!” is broadcast around the room from the mouths of excited metalheads, and this is the case on several anticlimactic occasions before Slayer eventually shuffle on stage, proud, tall, with Araya beaming a smile that hardly leaves his grizzled face the whole night.

Slayer are a band that”ve seen it all — have inspired thousands — have found their way onto festival bills worldwide. Slayer are the definition of metal, and they”ve not much to prove.

Whilst it”s very evident their energy on stage has diminished over the years — King seems mainly to show off a few ”metal” glares to the audience and bob his head repeatedly, and Hanneman is a stagnant figure with a face almost concealed by hair — and whilst their backdrop; displaying their previous album covers, convulsing eyelids, and looped footage of frantic cells is borderline tasteless, Slayer live up to every expectation they”ve ever set.

From the opening notes of World Painted Blood and the 90 minutes of cataclysmic sweat inducing riffing that follow until Slayer”s anthem and final offering ”Angel of Death” in which the crowd overpower Araya with moshpit karaoke, as tumbling, half naked men rolling off each other into the barriers: Slayer are back, and let”s hope Araya takes care of HIS back!

Review by Danny Keightley