Slayer 66 2/3: The Jeff & Dave Years. A Metal Band Biography.

by Ferris, D. X.

  Appendix C: Slayer, a Visual Progression

  Addendum: “It’s Time to Set the Record Straight,” or, “I Fucked Up”

  Annotated Works Cited

  (The print version has an index too)

  Gratitude

  About the Author

  This book begins with a variety of material to provide a useful background about the subject matter and the work that produced it. Context is important.

  But if you just want to read about Slayer and metal, click here to jump directly to Chapter 3, "Postmortem. Or, Hanneman Made the Difference."

  RAD PHOTOS MADE POSSIBLE BY UNDERWRITERS LIKE…

  In unlikely harmony, Slayer live at San Francisco’s Kabuki Theatre April 12, 1985, toward the end of a cross-country trek that included the legendary Combat Tour. Hanneman, left, in an Agnostic Front shirt. King, right, dressed in the Judas Priest tradition. Photo by Harald Oimoen.

  Methodology / Review of Literature

  Underlined text is hyperlinked to interesting material — video, articles, visual references, etc. I tried to provide useful material without linking to copyrighted properties. Because videos and web material are always going up and being taken down, sometimes I linked to general searches instead of going directly to the material being discussed. Hopefully, this approach will keep the hyperlink features functional in future years. Click away and have some multimedia fun.

  Interviews and quotes have been slightly condensed and edited for clarity — just like every interview you’ve ever read. But now it’s trendy to point that out.

  How is it possible to release a decent full-length book about Slayer just six months after Hanneman’s untimely demise? This project actually began in February 2013, when Lombardo and the band split. The initial idea was to write a short e-book that put the split in historical context; Lombardo had left twice before, and the rest of the band seemed like they were always picking on the guy. Events and momentum expanded its scope.

  The decision to quote Dave Lombardo's divorce records was not made lightly: His relationship with his ex-wife was, by far, the greatest source of tension in Slayer’s tumultuous history. Lombardo and the group have parted ways three times, and family issues accounted for at least one-and-a-half of them — especially his 1986 departure, which forever fractured his relationship with the rest of the group. Over the decades, when faced with the choice between his band and his family, Lombardo consistently chose family. So what was more important than the woman who was more important than Slayer?

  Some readers might criticize the decision to include so much personal information. Regardless, not only do the public records explain the divorce; they add new wrinkles to Lombardo’s third split with Slayer and his complicated relationship with the band. Via his publicist, acting manager, and attorney, I tried multiple times to contact Lombardo to get his comments about the allegations and statements in the court documents. He did not respond.

  Then, after my deadline, in November 2013, Lombardo contacted me and agreed to consider responding to some of the allegations from his ex. In the end, he did not address the individual claims, but he did make a blanket denial of them. When possible, I also presented his response from other records.

  At this crucial juncture in the group’s history, Slayer fans worldwide are asking why the most acclaimed and influential drummer in the history of metal is no longer playing with the greatest thrash band. Those court records provide some answers. And the requirements in his divorce settlement may well determine what choices he has to make in his future career as an artist. The story is incomplete without the records.

  I interviewed the original members of Slayer several times between December 2003 and 2010. For more up-to-date quotes, I scoured the subsequent years’ interviews from print, video, radio and the internet.

  For witnesses, affiliates and pundits like Metal Blade CEO Brian Slagel, former tour manager Doug Goodman, former Metal Blade executive William “DJ Will” Howell, early engineer Bill Metoyer, cover artist Albert Cuellar, longtime fan Howie Abrams, et al.: All new original research and interviews took place between March and November 2013. Interviews with Kurt Brecht, Katon W. De Pena, Gene Hoglan, and Dan Lilker were conducted in Summer 2007. The Mike Muir conversation took place in 2008. Those new, original quotes are attributed in present tense.

  This project draws on a great deal of archival material. It’s generally trashy to write in first-person. But due to the extensive bouncing back & forth from old quotes to new material, sometimes I make it clear when a subject said something to me.

  I tried using past tense for all quotations, and I tried other variations. It reads better this way. Trust me.

  In rankings and charts, capitalizing “No.” as an abbreviation for “number” is stupid, and I won’t do it.

  In all writing, a prevalent trend minimizes citation. In theory, maybe that practice saves space. And maybe it helps the flow of a sentence here and there. In practice, it’s shoddy and shady. When possible, this book identifies the author and publication/show/medium.

  Unless otherwise noted, all setlists are amalgams from Setlist.fmM-1, a crowdsourced website that collects data about concerts and bands. This kind of report is notoriously unreliable, so I usually present representative amalgamations from the period, rather than reprinting questionable set reports from individual dates.

  Slayer’s Billboard chart positions are from the magazine’s archivesM-2 at Billboard.comM-3.

  All notes and usage are formatted in A.P.E. style. I’m not worried whatever style you’re used to. You’re a smart person; figure it out.

  This book uses an easy-to-follow system for endnotes; it’s not strict MLA or APA, but those styles would have changed by the time you’re reading this, anyway. It’s aggravating to flip to the bibliography looking for note no. 9, and then to have to remember which chapter you’re in. And this book has a lot of chapters.

  Listen, I don’t care what your composition teacher told you: You’re allowed to use adverbs if you do it judiciously; there’s a huge difference between “very” and “partially.” Also, when it serves the story, it’s OK to use an occasional colloquialism or delayed construction. If you don’t like em-dashes, maybe you should quit reading now.

  This book could have more photographs, but those cost money, and you can find thousands of awesome Slayer pics online, free. The chapters include links to some images at their proper hosting sites. Visit this project’s social media pages, and I’ll curate more for you. This book does feature some images and photos that have practically never been seen before — but it has a lot more facts.

  Full disclosure: I write for Metal Sucks from time to time. This book cites the metal website and its writers with some frequency, but only because it’s a significant, consistently correct voice in the contemporary metal conversation. It’s an underwriter, but all the references were in there before I approached them. And I have done a little bit of work for Decibel, which I present as a definitive source of information and critical perspective. Because it is.

  While writing and researching this volume, I took a careful look at the existing literature on the subject.

  I revisited my previous book, 33 1/3: Slayer’s Reign in Blood (2008, Bloomsbury Academic), which profiles all the album’s players and documents the band’s time with Def Jam. It’s based on original interviews with the band, Rick Rubin, Russell Simmons, engineer Andy Wallace, cover artist Larry Carroll, photographer Glen E. Friedman, ex-Def Jam staffer George Drakoulias, and other witnesses, from former Def Jam soldiers to contemporary fans. It includes the only full profile of Wallace I’ve ever seen. I refer — and defer — to it with some frequency, but at least you’re not paying for the same stories twice. And I read the other major overviews of Slayer’s career:

  Gonzo metal journalist extraordinaire J. Bennett assembled two oral histories for Decibel: “Who’ll Stop the Reign?”M-4, a 2004 making-of piece about Reign in Blood. And “Seasons in the Abyss”M-5, a 2006 reca
p of the band’s career to that point. They’re the first pieces to chip away at the mystique that developed around the group between the end of the Seasons period and the 21st century. “Reign” features testimony from all four members of the classic lineup. “Seasons” includes the original quartet, plus Carroll, Paul Bostaph, Jon Dette, Hoglan, Friedman, Gary Holt, Bill Metoyer, Brian Slagel, and Dark Angel’s Jim Durkin.

  Prolific rock author Joel McIver wrote The Bloody Reign of SlayerM-6, a full-length biography of the band, second edition updated in 2010. It features original interviews and archival material from the majority of the figures in Slayer history, major and obscure. It’s heavy on the rock side, with Slayer associates including ex-Geffen Records chair Ron Fair, but doesn’t go as deep into the Def Jam stable.

  I cite some material from all of them, but I minimized the overlap between the five accounts. Collect the whole set. Seriously, they all deserve a read.

  In addition to McIver and Bennett’s recaps of Slayer’s career, some other recent pieces are remarkable:

  In 2013, before Hanneman passed, Decibel’s Chris Dick interviewed the original quartet and assembled the excellent “Chaos Rampant: The Making of Slayer’s South of Heaven.”M-7 Dick should transcribe everything from his notebook and publish it.

  In the months immediately following Jeff Hanneman’s death, Guitar World’s Jeff Kitts landed interviews not only with the surviving members of Slayer, but with Hanneman’s widow, Kathryn. He spun them together into the stunning “Reign Maker” for Guitar WorldM-8. It captures his bandmates’ first detailed reactions to Hanneman’s untimely demise. And it’s a heart-rending account of the Hannemans’ lifelong romance. The story reveals a side of Hanneman that few knew existed (this author included). Kitts, a gentleman and scholar, kindly assisted with this book, further communicating with Kathryn to identify the exact date and location of the Slayer concert where the Hannemans met.

  “And as far as people who truly knew Jeff,” notes Kitts, “trust me, Kathryn is the only one.”

  Jared Szubrycht’s Slayer - Show No Mercy (2006)M-9 was the first book about Slayer. I don’t cite it, because it’s not available in English, I don’t know any Polish, and my German isn’t that strong. The reviews I’ve read say it’s good.

  The sadly defunct fan site Slayerized.com included a database of the group’s tour history. It was an invaluable resource for this project. Though not quite complete — especially in the band’s early days — it was the most comprehensive record of the band’s touring history. It was supplemented with annotations, images, articles, and reviews. Webmaster Paul Slayerized discontinued it in November 2013. Paul maintained the site alone from 1997 through 2013, and his work incalculably enhanced this project.

  Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, I know, I know: This book has all this extra information that’s not directly about Slayer and metal. Slayer might be the ultimate thrash squad, but the band transcends the genre. This group didn’t happen in a vacuum.

  And, yes: Undisputed Attitude kicks ass. Deal with it.

  — Ferris, November 2013

  Slayer memorabilia. Top left: Slayer-Marilyn Manson backstage pass, 2007. Top right: press pass and lanyard from 2003 Jägermeister MusicTour, in which the band played Reign in Blood in its entirety. Bottom left: biohazard bag that contained promo copy of World Painted Blood, 2009. Bottom right: sticker by www.CarveSlayer.com. From the author’s collection.

  Chapter 1:

  Fuckin’ Slayer.

  Chapter 2:

  Intro: The Story So Far…

  Or

  What We’re Looking at Here

  Proceed directly to Chapter 3 if you want to read about how Slayer kicks all kinds of ass. (Just click here.)

  Before we get rolling on the metal thrashin’ madness, here’s some background information about why Slayer matters and the document you’re reading.

  In 2008, I published Slayer’s Reign in Blood, a book about Slayer and its signature album, Reign in Blood. It is part of the 33 1/3 series. 33 1/3 is a collection of music-related books. Each is by a different author, every one about a different classic album, from the Beach Boys to the Beastie Boys. Slayer belong in that elite company. Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King are the Lennon & McCartney of thrash metal.

  This book is the rest of the Slayer story, during the years Hanneman and Lombardo were in the band. It’s a prequel, sequel, companion, and update to my previous volume.

  Slayer was 33 1/3’s first full-on metal inclusion. And what a better album to start with?

  The people behind Reign in Blood became industry giants. The record was produced by Rick Rubin, former co-head of Columbia Records, who has worked with around 10% of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum’s inductee groups. Reign was engineered and mixed by Andy Wallace, who mixed Nirvana’s Nevermind and produced Jeff Buckley’s Grace. It was released on hip-hop stronghold Def Jam Records with the approval of Russell Simmons, a cultural mogul for the ages.

  And, of course, it was written and performed by Slayer, arguably the most essential — if not best — metal band of all time.

  Reign stands as the pinnacle of a movement and evolution. The thrash album redefined metal. It wouldn’t be accurate to say it unified the metal and hardcore punk-rock crowds. But no metal album did as much to open the channels between the two distinct cultures.

  And Reign remains a touchstone beyond the gates of metal. Like a documentary, my 33 1/3 book traces how the album was created. I discussed it with the people who made it happen, from the direct participants to the cover artist and the labelmates who promoted it. And the book collects testimony from many more fans all over the musical landscape.

  The album was not only influential, but its reach was far and enduring. A passage turned up on a Public Enemy album. The de facto title track inspired a cover version by Tori Amos, which in turn inspired a short story Neil Gaiman1-1, one of the more popular authors of our day.

  In short, 33 1/3: Slayer’s Reign in Blood identifies where and how Slayer — the lords of the perpetually ghetto-ized genre heavy metal — fit into the grand story of rock and roll. How did the album come together, how did it change music, and what does it mean? Four-dozen people weighed in on the subject.

  I interviewed the members of Slayer’s classic lineup between 2003 and 2010. Between 2004 and 2013, I talked to their peers, handlers, contemporaries, and successors. Since my Reign book appeared, piles of fresh material have accumulated — and I have read, watched, and listened to all of it I could find. So be ready for some fresh testimony from those who witnessed Slayer from near and far. You’ll hear from the people who rode the waves the seminal thrash bands set in motion — musicians like Gene Hoglan, Dan Lilker, Katon W. De Pena, and more. Of course, you’ll read more from the various members of Slayer. And, perhaps just as important, you’ll share the perspectives of the obscure-but-important people who helped make the group a force to be reckoned with.

  Compared to the Reign book, this is more of a biography of the band. But to a lesser degree, this companion piece attempts to do what the previous book did: Where does Slayer fit into rock history? What does the sadly lacking leadership of Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren have to do with Slayer’s career and Kerry King’s public persona? Maybe something. And what does it take to keep an art-based business enterprise running in the black, decade after decade? A few comparable contrasts underscore just how remarkable Slayer’s career is. Bear with me; it all ties together.

  The book 33 1/3: Slayer’s Reign in Blood is more accessible to the casual reader. It features more details about the Def Jam days and the exciting time surrounding the Reign album. If you want to read about the cover art or witness the hilarious story about rappers pretending to be Slayer, give it a look. If you want to know what was going on in Lombardo’s mind around those fateful weeks before he brought a knife to practice and quit the band, this book is for you. It features some outside testimony from other artists about what makes Slayer a remarkable group — bu
t not nearly as much as my previous piece.

  If you’re looking for details about the band’s gear, this book won’t help you. (Check out the Guitar World and Modern Drummer archives if that’s what you want.) It does include cursory accounts of the band’s entire discography. Future Slaytanic historians would do well to assemble a “Slayer in the Studio” book.

  I don’t cover the band’s singles and EPs; Joel McIver’s Slayer book documents them well.

  Slayer have everything they need to produce some truly worthwhile official documents. If they’re not sanitized like typical rock bios, sanctioned memoirs could provide the ultimate account of Slayer’s hazy history. Even after revelations from inside and outside the camp, Araya and Hanneman’s offstage lives remain mysterious, maybe moreso than the group’s inner workings. It would be fascinating to see a frank and open discussion of the band’s finances, periodic hiatuses, and surprisingly limited touring history. But Slayer, for all their amazing gifts, are not prolific storytellers, especially about their personal lives. That wall can be frustrating, but rock and roll is better when it’s mysterious.