Watch Slayer Perform First Live Show in Five Years at Riot Fest

Slayer performed their first live show in five years over the weekend, returning in top form at Chicago’s Riot Fest. The heavy metal band’s last concert was at the Forum in Los Angeles on Nov. 30, 2019 as part of their farewell tour.

In February, two weeks after guitarist Kerry King said a reunion was unlikely, the metal legends announced they would return this fall for a couple of headlining festival gigs. Riot Fest marked the official reunion of quartet — bassist/singer Tom Araya, guitarists Kerry King and Gary Holt, and drummer Paul Bostaph — who will also play Louisville’s Louder Than Life on Sept. 27.

During their set at Riot Fest, Slayer showcased 21 songs, including favorites like “Raining Blood,” “Angel Of Death,” and “South Of Heaven.”

“Nothing compares to the 90 minutes when we’re on stage playing live, sharing that intense energy with our fans, and to be honest, we have missed that,” bassist/singer Tom Araya said in a statement about the reunion, while King added, “Have I missed playing live? Absolutely. Slayer means a lot to our fans; they mean a lot to us. It will be five years since we have seen them.”
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News of the Slayer reunion came shortly after King — on the precipice of his own solo album — told Rolling Stone that he didn’t foresee the group coming back together for the foreseeable future.

“Will Slayer tour again? I’m pretty sure that’s not going to happen. Could Slayer play a show again? I’m sure there’s a scenario,” King said, adding that he hasn’t spoken to Araya since that final show. “Am I looking for it? No, I’m just getting ready to start my career. So if that happens, it happens. But I’m going to be doing this for the next 10 years at least.”