A night of metal excellence as US thrash band Slayer says goodbye to its devoted fans

After decades as one of the world’s most loved metal bands, Slayer bid farewell to South Australia, supported by fellow big four legends Anthrax, with a killer show at the AEC Theatre.

Slayer: Picture: Supplied

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Slayer — Final World Tour

Supported by Behemoth and Anthrax

AEC Theatre, March 13

As a kid I used to love drawing the Anthrax logo on my school books.

I also used to draw the Metallica and Megadeth logos.

I never, however, drew Slayer logos on my books because my school was run by Catholic nuns and writing the word “Slayer” inside a pentagram of swords seemed like a good way of at least getting in trouble with the sisters and, at worst, condemning myself to eternal hellfire.

Slayer have always been the scariest of thrash metal’s big four — Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax — embracing satanic imagery and disturbing subject matter. Anthrax, on the other hand, have always been the most fun of the quartet, unafraid to inject some humour into a genre that takes itself pretty seriously.

That’s why a double bill featuring Anthrax and Slayer is always going to work — there’s something for everyone.

Firstly, the fact that Wednesday night’s show was moved from the main arena to the smaller AEC theatre was both disappointing and excellent.

Disappointing in that Adelaide couldn’t fill the big room for a bill featuring two of the best metal bands in the world (ably supported by Polish death metal act Behemoth). Excellent in that the smaller theatre meant a sold out crowd and a far more intimate experience.

New York’s Anthrax, who have been through a number of line-up changes over the years, are back to Joey Belladonna on lead vocals and Scott Ian on lead guitar and it just feels right.

The band was tight as a drum for the Adelaide show, ripping through a fairly short but impactful set packed with classics.

Caught in a Mosh, Got the Time, I Am the Law and Antisocial were all highlights, but the best moments were probably a pitch black crowd singalong intro to an epic Be All And End All and the closing Indians.

“We’ve been coming to your city since 1990!” Ian tells the crowd during a break in the middle of Indians.

“And some of you tonight are not having as much fun as you should be having! This is the WAR DANCE!” he yells before the song resumes, and the punters react by whipping up a mosh pit frenzy.

After a short interval and beer break the black t-shirted masses filed back into the theatre to be met by a screen featuring projections of inverted crucifixes and pentagrams. Yep, this must be a Slayer show.

The band takes to the stage — frontman Tom Araya looking fit and trim and guitarist Kerry King still looking like he could win a fight with a bear.

The two core members are joined by Paul Bostaph on drums and Gary Holt on guitar and launched into an epic 20-song set as a fitting goodbye to their Adelaide fans.

You don’t so much listen to a Slayer show as experience it. It’s loud, brutal and unrelenting.

The first fire kicks in during Mandatory Suicide — huge pyrotechnic blasts of flame that can be felt at the back of the room. How the members of Slayer haven’t all just caught fire is a mystery.

Payback is a sonic blast of thrash awesomeness, and it’s followed by deadset classic Seasons of the Abyss.

Dead Skin Mask is an obvious crowd favourite, and there’s so much fire during Hell Awaits that you have expect the MFS to turn up at any moment.

Raining Blood almost brings the roof down, and Angel of Death features a backdrop tribute to departed guitarist and key songwriter Jeff Hanneman, who died in 2013.

Slayer’s energy is astounding. Araya and King are both well into their 50s but they maintain a level of intensity that would ruin some musicians half their age.

The night ends with a touching tribute from the band to its fans, who must be among the most devoted and loyal in all of rock music.

Araya, King and band all stand edge of stage and let the crowd say their own goodbyes, soaking up the love for what seems like minutes.

Araya, who’s kept the banter to a minimum all night, takes to the mic.

“Thank you,” he says softly.

“Goodnight. We’re gonna miss you guys.”