Are you listening to Slayer today? You should be! It’s 6/6/16, which is the 11th Anniversary of the International Day of Slayer. What is the International Day of Slayer? Well, it encourages Slayer fans to come together and listen to Slayer. That’s it – pretty simple, right? It began in 2006, or 6/6/06, which makes sense. The web site, a non-profit corporation in Wyoming, was launched in April of 2006. With Slayer’s Christ Illusion initially scheduled to be released on 6/6/06, that made sense. Unfortunately, due to the studio not being available, that album wasn’t released until August. However, that date was when the Eternal Pyre EP was released at Hot Topic stores. The two-song EP contained a song from the album, “Cult,” as well as a live version of “War Ensemble” and footage of them in the studio.
The web site appears to be dormant this year, with no update since last year’s announcement of it’s tenth anniversary. Slayer themselves are getting involved, however, offering deals on merch and the chance to see them at Bloodstock via their Facebook page. When looking for songs to play loudly, many fans will gravitate towards the holy trinity of their late ’80s and early ’90s output: Reign in Blood, South of Heaven and Seasons in the Abyss. They wouldn’t be wrong to do that, as that’s Slayer at their most ferocious. After the instant classic of Reign, they slowed things down on South of Heaven and Seasons combined the aggression of songs like “War Ensemble” with the almost doom-like melodicism of the title track. However, they’ve got 26 years of music to choose from that came after that, and there’s still some great music among it. So here’s our “final six” songs in honor of the holiday.
6) “Repentless” (Repentless)
[youtube]https://youtu.be/yjb0j9l1sz4[/youtube]
The title track to Slayer’s most recent album may not be the most original song the band has put out, but it is one of the bloodiest videos in recent history. The chaotic prision riot scenes fit as the perfect backdrop to this song. – Slayer fan and Big Brother 13 contestant Adam Poch
5) “Dittohead,” (Divine Intervention)
[youtube]https://youtu.be/P7vO5HS2MTc[/youtube]
Insanely fast, classic Slayer. I think Paul Bostaph is unfairly looked down on and included in a lot of those “only half of Slayer = not real Slayer” arguments from the denim vest contingent of the internet. The guy is equally tenured as Lombardo at this point, and “Dittohead” is a great example of the fact that no matter who’s currently in Slayer, how fast they’re playing is what matters most. – Nick DeSimone
4) “Serenity In Murder,” (Divine Intervention)
[youtube]https://youtu.be/SiupR-aRO4A[/youtube]
Divine Intervention was harshly judged at the time of its release because it suffered the pressure of high expectations to pass, or at least match, the previous work done by the band. Becoming the first single out of the record, “Serenity in Murder” slowly grew to be the favorite of many fans who were able to appreciate the mix of groove and speed of its riffs. Straight to the point, this song contains all you want from the band packed in just a couple of minutes and it should be appreciated for holding up the difficult test of time. – Alix Vallecillo
