"This isn’t just a return; it’s a resurrection." Slayer just showed Aftershock festival why they're still the undisputed kings of thrash metal with a devastating headline set for the ages

Tom Araya on stage.

Speaking to the Los Angeles Times over the summer, Slayer co-founder and guitarist Kerry King conceded that his band’s 2019 retirement was indeed premature. “I wasn’t ready to hang it up,” he stated, while adding that Slayer had exited on a high note. “We won the Super Bowl and we left. That’s pretty cool.” Fast forward five years and Slayer’s retirement proved to be only a hiatus. After their highly-anticipated reunion at Chicago’s Riot Fest last month, tonight they headline the first night of the Aftershock Festival, in Sacramento, California. It would have been their third and final show — for the foreseeable future — but the aftereffects of Hurricane Helene forced them to cancel their headlining slot at Kentucky’s Louder Than Life Festival. But tonight there’s no stopping this juggernaut. The weather is perfect, and it feels like every living soul at Aftershock has converged on the festival’s main stage to witness history. From the sprawling grass pitch in front of the Jack Daniels stage, to the grassy knolls stretching out to the festival gates, the sheer volume of bodies is staggering.

A montage of archival footage plays on the colossal screens flanking the Aftershock stage, until finally the iconic array of white crosses slowly inverts and then Slayer’s infamous logo blazes into view. The raging horde of over 30,000 erupts into raw, unfiltered chaos. It’s as if no time has passed since their 2019 farewell. But tonight is different. This isn’t just a return; it’s a resurrection.

Slayer waste zero time storming into South of Heaven, every note dripping with venomous intent. Tom Araya sounds utterly terrific; his piercing howl cuts through the night like a sharpened blade, while the scything precision of King, guitarist Gary Holt and drummer Paul Bostaph is terrifying. There’s no easing into this. Slayer have come to reclaim their throne, and the crowd is ravenous for it.

There’s a reverence in the air that goes beyond fandom—this is worship. A gobsmacked legion of artists look on from the side as pyro, smoke, and flame cannons erupt across the stage; but none of it holds a candle to the music itself. Slayer don’t need gimmicks. They are the spectacle.

The setlist is pure carnage: Payback, Jihad, Seasons In The Abyss and Disciple incite primal frenzies from the masses. Dead Skin Mask echoes through the night, its sinister lullaby hypnotizing the sea of black shirts. With each song, the momentum builds, the intensity never dipping for a second.

When they finally close with a thunderous trifecta — Raining Blood, Black Magic and Angel of Death, the atmosphere becomes almost surreal. This goes beyond nostalgia or legacy. Slayer are back and they’re as devastating as ever. Over four decades in, they haven’t just reclaimed their place atop metal’s pantheon—they’ve reminded us why they will forever be its reigning gods. This was spiritual. This was war. Three full days of Aftershock lay before us, and every single band has now been put on notice.

Slayer Aftershock 2024 setlist

1. South of Heaven
2. Reborn
3. Blood Red
4. Postmortem
5. Repentless
6. Payback
7. Temptation
8. Jihad
9. Seasons in the Abyss
10. Born of Fire
11. War Ensemble
12. Hate Worldwide
13. Disciple
14. Dead Skin Mask
15. Hell Awaits
16. 213
17. Mandatory Suicide
18. Raining Blood
19. Black Magic
20. Angel of Death