Talkin' Slayer: A Metal Podcast and Half-@ssed Audiobook

Talkin' Slayer, Episode 61: Report From First Reunion Show @ Chicago Riot Fest. Plus Details on Canceled Second Show.

Ferris saw the first Slayer reunion show. Which, as it turned out, was the only reunion show in September. He tells you all about it, blow by blow. Sights, sounds, sensations and smells from the pit.

DEEZ NOTES

Spotify playlist of the songs from the Chicago Riot Fest set. 
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/25pzlaEgB0TiVLvsVhfyXl?si=3d7929dd6ce8470a

YouTube playlist of the entire Chicago Riot Fest show. I tried to strike a balance between video & sound quality. And I used multiple songs in video when possible, to minimize interruptions.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAnZUI4s4LrJOCLv-vrUC-QBQa9ZCQgaV

The entire Chicago Riot Fest set, in one video, from different angles, but with janky sound:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccORQoZex_I

"Raining Blood" — watch at 1:18, for when stage pyro repeatedly falls uncomfortably close to Tom:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJlPDGfczlA

The official Riot Fest photo gallery from Slayer day:
https://riotfest.org/2024/09/23/riot-fest-2024-sunday-photo-gallery/

Ferris' fan photos from Slayer's set:
https://www.instagram.com/slayerbooks/

If ya have a minute, please take the Slaytanic Surveys. AND tell your friends about the survey. Post it. Pass it around. The more the better.

1) The Slaytanic Survey (Round 2): Please tell us about your favorite songs and albums:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7YRH76S⁠⁠

2) The OTHER Slayantic Survey (Round 1): Who is Slayer's MVP? What was their best tour? Do you see the reunion coming? What's your LEAST favorite record? And...? Tell us here:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/S9729MV

Today’s topic is Slayer and branding. Ferris talks about what Slayer means, and what it’s worth — to the band, to brands, and to us fans. This is some Thrash 101 talk, but you get advanced metrics & rock theory, too.

Do you wear the mark? Who sells more T-shirts... Slayer, the [Rolling] Stones, the Foo Fighters, or Metallica? Do the Foo Fighters rock or suck? How is Reign in Blood selling these days? Has the thrashiest Big Four Thrash B[r]and sold out? We look at some numbers and render judgment.

Right before Slayer return for their hotly anticipated reunion shows and sell a barge load of T-shirts, the most high-profile Slayer product is… a series of cooler and refrigeration products with Slayer’s name, logo, and artwork on them. Does this partnership enterprise make sense?

Business & branding writer Cheryl Wischover interviewed Ferris for her article “Slayer Sells Out?", for the Whatever Nevermind Substack. Click here to read it.

Longtime listeners may recognize some of tonight's points. For newcomers, the show covers some basic Slayer & heavy metal 101. But this week also features new original research, thoughts, and commentary on our metal heroes — and what it takes to make a dollar and a cent in the music game in 2024.

This is another unusual episode. Talkin’ Slayer is generally a weekly podcast. And it is mostly about the history of the band, based on original interviews and extensive archival research. Ferris usually reads a chapter or two or three from his book Slayer 66 2/3: A Metal Band Biography, which has a ton of sick photos and graphics, and is cheap online. So is the other book he wrote about the band, which is an entire freakin’ book about Reign in Blood. It’s not expensive. People like it.

Talkin' Slayer will return next week, with a report from Slayer's first reunion show at Chicago's RiotFest.

DEEZ NOTEZ… as referenced in the show:

IF YOU'RE NEW, PROBABLY SKIP THIS EPISODE AND LISTEN TO THESE ONES INSTEAD

Talkin’ Slayer Episode 6, "And the Saga Begins." The episodic chronological story of Slayer starts here

Talkin’ Slayer episode 57: I review a Kerry King / Mastodon concert

Talkin’ Slayer episode 55: I discuss the Kerry King album

Please take the Slaytanic Surveys. AND tell your friends about the survey. Post it. Pass it around. The more the better. They're easy and fast.

1) The Slaytanic Survey (Round 2): Please tell us about your favorite songs and albums. ⁠⁠

2) The OTHER Slayantic Survey (Round 1): Who is Slayer's MVP? What was their best tour? Do you see the reunion coming? What's your LEAST favorite record? And...? Tell us here.

Images and video of CARVE SLAYER

The story of the man who carved Slayer into his forearm for Divine Intervention.

...and video of it.

The best Carve Slayer stickers, in many styles and languages.

The second-most infamous image of Slayer carved into human flesh, by Claire & Jeremy Weiss.

There's a photo of SLAYER carved into the back of a bald head, but it's clearly fake.

Talkin' Slayer is deeply researched, written, rehearsed, lightly edited, and member-supported, with some production value.

Click here to check out Ferris' Slayer books here.

Click here to see Ferris' other books at ⁠Amazon. ⁠

Talkin' Slayer is deeply researched, written, rehearsed, lightly edited, and member-supported, with some production value.

#Slayer #FooFighters #Metallica #RollingStones #Igloo #RiotFest #DaveGrohl

This week's topic: Acid Reign frontman/Talking Bollocks host/Motörcast host/all around standup guy Howard "H" Smith interviews Talkin' Slayer host D.X. Ferris about this show, Slayer, Kerry King, organizational harmony, and what it's all about. This is mostly a behind-the-scenes look at the show, where it came from, and how it happens. And, of course, they talk about Slayer, Kerry King, and more.

Click HERE to support the show via Patreon or a one-time donation.

DEEZ NOTEZ… as referenced in the show:

Talkin' Slayer on the Instagram

The Talking Bollocks internet talk show programme. As of this writing, H’s latest guest is Yngve Anderson of Rat Lord & Blood and Command..

Talking Bollocks on Apple

Talking Bollocks on Spotify

“Slayer Sells Out?”… The article Cheryl Wischhover and Fawnia Soo Hoo wrote, where I answer some questions about Slayer the band and Slayer the brand. More about this next episode.

IF YOU'RE NEW, PROBABLY SKIP THIS EPISODE AND LISTEN TO THESE ONES INSTEAD

Talkin’ Slayer episode 6: And the saga begins: The episodic chronological story of Slayer starts here

Talkin’ Slayer episode 57: I review a Kerry King / Mastodon concert

Talkin’ Slayer episode 55: I discuss the Kerry King album

Also, please take the Slaytanic Surveys. AND tell your friends about the survey. Post it. Pass it around. The more the better.

1) The Slaytanic Survey (Round 2): Please tell us about your favorite songs and albums. ⁠⁠

2) The OTHER Slayantic Survey (Round 1): Who is Slayer's MVP? What was their best tour? Do you see the reunion coming? What's your LEAST favorite record? And...? Tell us here.

Talkin' Slayer is deeply researched, written, rehearsed, lightly edited, and member-supported, with some production value.

Click here to check out Ferris' Slayer books here.

Click here to see Ferris' other books at ⁠Amazon. ⁠

Talkin' Slayer is deeply researched, written, rehearsed, lightly edited, and member-supported, with some production value.

WE ARE BACK! I saw Kerry's band and Mastodon live in Cleveland Friday. And here's what I thought about it.

More new episodes are coming soon. Plus plenty of reruns after that.

DEEZ NOTES:

Click here to see some photos and video from the show:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/pic-n-nat-from-9-109914077

As mentioned in the episode... This is my 2011 interview with Brann Dailor, for Alternative Press.

https://www.altpress.com/mastodon_brann_dailor_interview/

Here's Ferris talking Talkin' Slayer on the Talking Bollocks podcast show program with Howard "H" Smith:

Apple:

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/episode-253-talking-bollocks-talkin-slayer-with-dx-ferris/id796637733?i=1000663909472

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/69Kqw3zBCyPhLdSdrB8W95?si=3e9b34a9ae784b17

Free listeners miss every other episode. If you want full access to every chapter/episode, you can subscribe here: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/slayerbook/membership⁠

Or if you would rather pay a one-time fee or donate to the virtual tip jar... you can do that too. Click that link for details.

If you haven't, please take the Slaytanic Surveys. AND tell your friends about the survey. Post it. Pass it around. The more the better!

1) The Slaytanic Survey (Round 2): Please tell us about your favorite songs and albums. ⁠https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7YRH76S⁠

2) The OTHER Slayantic Survey (Round 1): Who is Slayer's MVP? What was their best tour? Do you see the reunion coming? What's your LEAST favorite record? And...? Tell us here: ⁠https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/S9729MV

Talkin' Slayer is deeply researched, written, rehearsed, lightly edited, and member-supported, with some production value.

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL DAY OF SLAYER. This episode features the origin story for this heavy metal holiday. And it also covers Christ Illusion... how the classic lineup got back to the business of making new music.

This is a rerun, but if you're not a Patreon supporter, you haven't heard it before. FARGIN' SLAYERRR!

Free listeners miss every other episode. If you want full access to every chapter/episode, you can subscribe here: https://www.patreon.com/slayerbook/membership

Or if you would rather pay a one-time fee or donate to the virtual tip jar... you can do that too. Click the link for details.

DEEZ NOTES:

If you haven't, please take the Slaytanic Surveys. AND tell your friends about the survey. Post it. Pass it around. The more the better!

1) The Slaytanic Survey (Round 2): Please tell us about your favorite songs and albums. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7YRH76S

2) The OTHER Slayantic Survey (Round 1): Who is Slayer's MVP? What was their best tour? Do you see the reunion coming? What's your LEAST favorite record? And...? Tell us here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/S9729MV

Slayer’s “Eternal Pyre” EP, featuring “Cult,” “War Ensemble” live, and in-the-studio/behind-the-scenes footage:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44tcKdhlsJ4

Three clips from 2007 rehearsal, centered mostly on Jeff:

“Supremist,” 2007 rehearsal:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUSP8wOZs_4

“Ghosts of War,” 2007 rehearsal:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pi8SkdJ4aAk

“Jihad,” 2007 rehearsal:
ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4Ao4rr8DGk

Official video, “Eyes of the Insane”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhwRunMCNAo

“Cult” live on the Henry Rollins Show, 2006:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZSbIwE_BKM

“Disciple,” unaired clip from the Henry Rollins Show, 2006:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wufl37-lKVI

Slayer interview on the Rollins show:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwvq7pZd7qo 

Unholy Alliance tour video 2006, General Motors Place, Vancouver Canada. Slayer & Mastodon and…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilSTILZY3ZU

My Spotify playlist of the all-Kerry songs from Christ Illusion:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/10JGYS25ef6n2rEr3lHbIw?si=4b186f646f5d4325

Does Christ Illusion hold up? Tim Bianconi from Inside the Vinyl revisits it, as part of his Lost Classic series:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24Vf4RvSn-c

Today's topic is my long review & analysis of the Kerry King album From Hell I Rise. More important, what do YOU think about it? Tell me in the comments. I really want to hear what yiz think.

Show notes follow, after these updates.

Free listeners miss every other episode. If you want full access to every chapter/episode, you can subscribe here: https://www.patreon.com/slayerbook/membership

Or if you would rather pay a one-time fee or donate to the virtual tip jar... Following are links to support the show — and, in return, you can get things like bonus episodes, the audiobook edit of the show, CARVE SLAYER stickers and more:

1) You can make a one-time donation via ko-fi.com/slayerbook. You can make a one-time payment with PayPal, Venmo, or a credit card.

2) Same deal: You can PayPal some gratitude to the show at paypal.me/slayerbook.

DEEZ NOTES:

If you haven't, please take the Slaytanic Surveys. AND tell your friends about the survey. Post it. Pass it around. The more the better!

1) The Slaytanic Survey (Round 2): Please tell us about your favorite songs and albums. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7YRH76S

2) The OTHER Slayantic Survey (Round 1): Who is Slayer's MVP? What was their best tour? Do you see the reunion coming? What's your LEAST favorite record? And...? Tell us here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/S9729MV

Kerry King "Toxic" video, which kicks ass eventually: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2TmL78eHg0

Kerry King band album review: Kory Grow of Rolling Stone says: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/kerry-king-from-hell-i-rise-review-1235022884/

Kerry King band album review, video: Our bud Keefy at Ghost Cult says: https://youtu.be/ahPsvCEFAJo

Kerry King band album review: Metal Sucks says: https://www.metalsucks.net/2024/05/17/review-kerry-kings-from-hell-i-rise-is-too-familiar-for-its-own-good

Kerry King band album review: For a UK perspective, the Moshville Times says: https://www.moshville.co.uk/reviews/album-review/2024/05/album-review-kerry-king-from-hell-i-rise/#google_vignette

Talkin' Slayer is (normally) deeply researched, written, rehearsed, lightly edited, and member-supported, with some production value.

See Ferris' Slayer books: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SlayerBio.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Look at Ferris' other books at Amazon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.amazon.com/stores/D.-X.-Ferris/author/B001JS65YC⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Get fresh content on the Insta: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram.com/SlayerBooks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

#KerryKing

#FromHellIRise

#Slayer

#TalkinSlayer

Take TWO Slayer surveys if you have a couple minutes, please. They're simple, it's fast... all you have to do is click answers for nine questions in each survey.

1) The Slaytanic Survey (Round 2): Please tell us about your favorite songs and albums. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7YRH76S

2) The OTHER Slayantic Survey (Round 1): Who is Slayer's MVP? What was their best tour? Do you see the reunion coming? What's your LEAST favorite record? And...? Tell us here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/S9729MV

Today's topic is the end of Slayer's Final World Tour (TM)... That and the leadup to & aftermath following the band's hazy demise. Slayer existed opaquely, and it perished opaquely. Here is what we know.

This was once the final chapter in the epic saga of Slayer.

But now it's not.

However... today's episode is the end for most listeners, but not for all. Support the show and never miss an episode. Sign up at Patreon.com/SlayerBook .

Regardless, don't cancel that subscription. There is more to come in the next few months...

VIRTUAL TIP JAR:

Season 1 is almost done, and we are passing the hat. Following are links to support the show — and, in return, you can get things like bonus episodes, the audiobook edit of the show, CARVE SLAYER stickers, and more:

1) Make a one-time donation via ko-fi.com/slayerbook. You can make a one-time payment with PayPal, Venmo, or a credit card.

2) Same deal: You can PayPal Team Ferris some gratitude at paypal.me/slayerbook.

3) If you want to sign up as a monthly supporter for the final episodes, and maybe stay on board for Season 2 In the Abyss: All-Killer-Zero-Filler Reruns... you can learn more at Patreon.com/SlayerBook.

And/or buy Ferris' books at 6623Press.com.

DEEZ NOTES, as referenced in the show:

"Fortified With Ashes," the title track of the lastest EP by Talkin' Slayer house band Chupacabra. This is the non-Slayer tune that pops up about midway thru.

https://chupacabrametal.bandcamp.com/track/fortified-with-ashes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvb380cJwLg

Select citations and endnotes from chapter 66.6: “It’s Over, Johnny.”

666-1. “Here Is the Setlist for Slayer's Final Show.” Kerrang online. December 1, 2019. https://www.kerrang.com/here-is-the-setlist-for-slayers-final-show

666-2. YouTube has plenty of great video from the final concert. These clips of the end are my favorites:

“Slayer - last concert Los Angeles - Angel of Death & Slayer says Goodbye.” It’s shaky yet awesome amateur footage from the front row. Posted 1 December 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1YfWHIjBOg

“Angel of Death (FINAL SONG / FAREWELL SPEECH).” Zoomed footage from the cheap seats. Posted 1 December 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5pkbA1t2E4

666-6. Araya first posted the image of the classic Slayer lineup with Trump on Trump’s inauguration day, 20 January 2017. Over 100,000 fans liked the first post. That initial post soon disappeared. The second Trump photo stands at an untitled Instagram post, on the official Slayer account, @slayerbandofficial, 24 January 2017, which identified it as from being from Tom: https://www.instagram.com/p/BPqUjICAi8d/

Araya explained, “I thought it was funny,” followed by language with a conservative bent: “I was amazed at the comments about the picture. Some positive. Some negative. More amazing was in 2 hours there was 10,000 likes. I never would have guessed that there where so many snowflakes commenting their distaste for the new president. Woke up the next morning and found someone had deleted the post. Can someone please explain why?”

This quotation features Araya’s post with modified grammar and punctuation, for clarity and courtesy.

Keep in mind: In Slayer’s 1996 cover of 80s punk nugget “Superficial Love,” Tom changed an anti-Reagan line to “President Clinton can suck my motherf@ckin’ d!ck” — which he’s allowed to do. And while I’m defending his right to voice his opinions, let’s also be clear: I don’t agree. Which doesn’t matter.

Talkin' Slayer, Episode 45... Repentless & the Retirement Announcement

Today’s topics are 1. Slayer’s final (?) album. And 2. whether or not the band actually SAID they were totally retiring and would never play again when they announced a "final world tour," way back in 2018.

The weekly podcast Talkin' Slayer has four more episodes left, folks. And free listeners only hear half of those. To get every episode, including the ones you missed, sign up at ⁠⁠Patreon.com/Slayerbook⁠⁠. Packages start at less than $1 per episode.

DEEZ NOTES

"Atrocity Vendor," original 2010 version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8TTQmnehJM

"Atrocity Vendor," 2015 version from Repentless: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIYbtDgoxGE

"Piano Wire," Jeff's last contribution to the catalog: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvRWOCygwNY

Slayer, "Implode," early version from 2014: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0gVs_UcxKY&list=RDk0gVs_UcxKY&start_radio=1

Slayer, album version of "Implode": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdHP5jiR4D0

"You Against You" unofficial lyric video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UuHHaSt-d8 Once again,

Kerry on Dave's final, fireable offense: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/BEhzyPUVoBY

"You Against You" soundcheck live from Chicago's Riviera, 2016: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4LLs7O5Q_I

Official interview with the band... Gary Holt about Repentless, what he played, and how he played it. Plus the rest of the band on recruiting Gary. Includes some succinct, emotional commentary from Tom: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c332223oass

Metal Hammer's Slayer: The Repentless Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdYkCUp14EY

Loudwire talks to Tom about pros and cons of touring:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_r8uIqPyI8

Dean Delray talks retirement tours and Slayer on this week's Let There Be Talk, at the 30:00 minute mark:

The Talkin' Slayer podcast program show is written, deeply researched, lightly edited, and mostly rehearsed, with some production value.

Host D.X. Ferris is an award-winning writer. He has worked for Rolling Stone, Alternative Press, The AV Club, and Decibel magazine. He is a fan. He has opinions. He is the author of something like nine books, depending how you count them. Two are about Slayer. The first one is an entire book about the classic thrash album Reign in Blood, which is part of the fairly prestigious 33 1/3 book series.

His bigger Slayer book, though, is the 2023 update of the full-on band biography "Slayer 66 & 2/3: A Metal Band Biography, POSTMORTEM Edition." (This is the third edition; it was previously known as "Slayer 66 & 2/3: The Jeff and Dave Years....").

And that book is mostly what he'll be talking about when we're talkin' Slayer. Most episodes are audio adaptations of chapters from that book. Some have original and/or bonus material.

Ferris' Slayer books at Amazon: 

⁠SlayerBio.com