Slayer Brings Fire and Fury to Final Florida Concert
Legendary thrash metal band Slayer is hanging it up after nearly 40 years of creating, recording, touring and everything else of being perhaps the biggest name in thrash metal. One of the most anticipated rock shows of the year made its way to the Coral Sky Amphitheater in West Palm Beach for their final performance ever in the Sunshine State.
For fans of Slayer, who over the years have seen a few lineup changes, as some key members of the band have come and go, it was a chance to connect with them for the final time. The farewell concert from the appropriately titled Final World Tour delivered everything that a true Slayer fan expected, from tons of ear-splitting guitar riffs to explosions of fire that could be felt halfway through the amphitheater. There was no doubt that Slayer wants to go out on top even though we all know they still have plenty of road miles left in them. It’s a chance to leave their legacy without being one of those bands that stayed too long at the party. If this is truly the end, then the final tour is indeed one that will be remembered as one of their best.
After all, four decades of performing the hardest rock in music can take its toll on you. The two remaining original members of Slayer are lead vocalist Tom Araya and guitarist Kerry King. Comparably young at 57, Tom Araya can still belt out some of the band’s best hits without skipping a beat. This concert proved that his vocal prowess is still strong. However, with some previous back issues, the days of four-hour headbanging shows are far behind him. Kerry King is 54, intimidatingly muscular and certainly not someone you want to challenge to a bar fight. King can still shred like he has since forming Slayer along with Araya, Jeff Hanneman and Dave Lombardo in 1981. When drummer Dave Lombardo left in 1992, Paul Bostaph, 55, joined Slayer as their permanent drummer. In 2011, guitarist Gary Holt joined Slayer to replace Jeff Hanneman, who became sick and later died in the summer of 2013.
Promptly taking the stage at 9:30 with a 11:00 self-imposed venue curfew meant that the band had to rip through a massive setlist of 20 songs. In fact, the band played all 20 songs in an hour and a half, meaning it was a non-stop thrash fest from the first guitar riff to the last cymbal strike that kept fans standing throughout the entire set.
A powerful headbanging lineup supported Slayer, as Cannibal Corpse kicked off the show with a high-energy set that got the mosh pit monsters thrashing early. Swedish Viking metalists Amon Amarth brought their own Viking ship as they set sail across the stage with an epic set, guitar squealing and drums pounding songs in a 30-minute set. Things got hard and heavy when Lamb of God took the stage. With mosh pits ablaze, lead singer Randy Blythe energized the crowd with his flying jumps and non-stop grinding throughout their set. The three openers clearly set the stage for what everyone was waiting for. The energy was flowing and ear drums ringing from nearly three and a half hours of the heaviest rock to hit Florida this year.
As the anxious crowd began chants of “Slayer, Slayer, Slayer,” the venue went dark as four spinning burning crosses were projected on the black curtain blocking the view of the stage. Once the five-pointed Slayer star logo appeared on that same black curtain, all hell broke loose. As the fans proudly raised their devil horns hands, the curtain dropped, revealing all members of Slayer in their positions with Araya, King, Bostaph and Holt poised and ready.
The band ripped through opener “Repentless” that set the masses on overdrive. It was clear from that moment on that Slayer was going to leave those who were there with the experience that they would talk about for years. At that point everything was on the table; there wasn’t anything or anyone going to hold them back from delivering what the fans demanded.
In sync with Araya’s belting out his music were the gas-fueled burning crosses and powerful fire, where the heat could be felt at least 30 rows deep. Not only did Slayer bring the metal heat, they withstood the flames that burned throughout their set. How they kept their cool on a hot summer night one can only wonder. The light show that accompanied the stellar sounds combined with fire made a scene permanently burned into the minds of those who were there to witness this epic event.
All four members tore through the setlist, leaving those behind who couldn’t keep up. The band blistered through fan-favorites hits like “Mandatory Suicide,” “Payback,” and “Hell Awaits.”
Those who were present for Slayer’s final Florida appearance witnessed a show for the ages. As the band closes out their remaining tour dates, they are leaving behind a lasting legacy in thrash metal that only one other band can claim similar success: Metallica. As the band blistered through their last song, “Angel of Death,” a smiling Araya gleefully thanked those who came and supported Slayer throughout their storied career. For the band it was time to move onto the next city; for the fans who witnessed an epic performance it was one that will be talked about long after Slayer fades off into the sunset.
Setlist: Repentless, Evil Has No Boundaries, World Painted Blood, Postmortem, Hate Worldwide, War Ensemble, Gemini, Disciple, Mandatory Suicide, Chemical Warfare, Payback, Temptation, Born of Fire, Seasons in the Abyss, Hell Awaits, South of Heaven, Raining Blood, Black Magic, Dead Skin Mask, Angel of Death
Alex Webster of Cannibal Corpse – Photo: Rick Munroe MFN
