Legendary 1980s metal band Slayer played an epic show in Cardiff, Wales on July 3 — their first show back in the United Kingdom in six years. The incredible concert comes just days before the band is set to open for the iconic Ozzy Osbourne-fronted band Black Sabbath for their history-making final show.
The thrash metal band — which is considered one of the core four groups in the subgenre, alongside Metallica, Megadeth, and Anthrax — put on a killer performance that included elaborate sets and backdrops depicting striking images and even burning crosses. The theatrics were on full display during this special gig, which marks their epic return to the United Kingdom for just a couple of select performances.
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One of those performances will be Black Sabbath’s “Back to the Beginning” final concert, which is set to take place at Villa Park in Birmingham, England on July 5.
The show has an utterly unreal list of bands and performers set to take the stage alongside Slayer in honor of Sabbath, including Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Tool, Soundgarden, Pantera, Gojira, Halestorm, Alice in Chains, Lamb of God, Mastodon, Rival Sons, Boys From Illinois, Anthrax, and Supergroup, which consists of several icons, including Steven Tyler, Slash, Chad Smith, and Fred Durst.
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Osbourne, 76, will also do a solo set ahead of Sabbath’s final set, which will consist of the original lineup of Osbourne, Tommy Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward. The next day, Slayer will go on to play their own show at the iconic Finsbury Park in London.
Slayer was formed in Huntington Park, California in 1981 by vocalist and bassist Tom Araya, guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King, and drummer Dave Lombardo. Hanneman died of liver failure in 2013. The band’s current lineup consists of King, 61, Araya, 64, Paul Brostaph on drums, and Gary King on guitar.
