Editing Slayer (section)

{{Short description|American thrash metal band}}
{{About||the 1980s metal band originally named Slayer|S.A. Slayer|other uses|Slayer (disambiguation)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name              = Slayer
| background        = group_or_band
| image             = Slayer, The Fields of Rock, 2007.jpg
| landscape         = yes
| caption           = Slayer's original lineup, performing at the [[Fields of Rock]] in 2007. From left to right: [[Jeff Hanneman]], [[Tom Araya]], [[Kerry King]], and [[Dave Lombardo]].
| origin            = [[Huntington Park, California]], U.S.
| genre             = <!--Do not change genre without discussing on the talk page first.-->[[Thrash metal]]
| discography       = [[Slayer discography]]
| years_active      = {{hlist|1981–2019|2024–present}}<!--Do not remove "–present" until all of the band's shows have been played.-->
| label             = {{flatlist|
* [[Metal Blade Records|Metal Blade]]
* [[Def Jam Recordings|Def Jam]]
* [[American Recordings (record label)|American]]
* [[Nuclear Blast]]
}}
| website           = {{URL|slayer.net}}
| module            = {{Infobox
| child           = yes
| title           = '''Logo'''
| headerstyle     = background:#b0c4de
| data2           = [[File:Slayer wordmark.svg|150px]]
}}
| current_members   =
* [[Kerry King]]
* [[Tom Araya]]
* [[Paul Bostaph]]
* [[Gary Holt (musician)|Gary Holt]]
| past_members      =
* [[Jeff Hanneman]]
* [[Dave Lombardo]]
* [[Jon Dette]]
}}

'''Slayer''' is an American [[thrash metal]] band from [[Huntington Park, California]], formed in 1981 by guitarists [[Jeff Hanneman]] and [[Kerry King]], drummer [[Dave Lombardo]] and bassist/vocalist [[Tom Araya]]. Slayer's fast and aggressive musical style made them one of the "big four" bands of [[thrash metal]], alongside [[Metallica]], [[Megadeth]] and [[Anthrax (American band)|Anthrax]]. Slayer's current lineup comprises Araya, King, drummer [[Paul Bostaph]] and guitarist [[Gary Holt (musician)|Gary Holt]], who initially joined as a touring musician in 2011 before joining the band permanently after Hanneman's death in 2013. Drummer [[Jon Dette]] is a former member of the band.

In the original lineup, King, Hanneman and Araya contributed to the band's lyrics, and all of the band's music was written by King and Hanneman. The band's lyrics and album art, which cover topics such as [[serial killer]]s, [[occultism]], [[terrorism]], [[religion]], [[fascism]], [[racism]], and [[war]], have generated album bans, delays, lawsuits and criticism from religious groups. However, its music has been highly influential, being cited by many bands as an influence musically, visually and lyrically; the band's third album, ''[[Reign in Blood]]'' (1986), has been described as one of the heaviest and most influential thrash metal albums.

Slayer released twelve studio albums, three live albums, a box set, six music videos, two extended plays and a cover album. Four of the band's studio albums have received [[RIAA certification|gold certification]] in the United States. Slayer sold 5 million copies in the United States from 1991 to 2013, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The band has received five [[Grammy Award]] nominations, winning one in 2007 for the song "[[Eyes of the Insane]]" and one in 2008 for the song "Final Six", both of which were from the album ''[[Christ Illusion]]'' (2006). Slayer disbanded in 2019 following the conclusion of a year-and-a-half long [[Slayer Farewell Tour|farewell tour]], but has reformed to perform sporadic reunion shows since 2024.