Thrash titans Slayer have just played their first live set since announcing their retirement more than six years ago. The band, whose last show was at The Forum in Inglewood, CA, on November 30 2019, returned to the stage with a headline set on the final day of this year's Riot Fest at Douglass Park in Chicago, IL.
Taking to the stage just after 8.30pm local time, Slayer opened their 20-song performance with the classic South Of Heaven, before proceeding with a career-encompassing set, from 1983's Black Magic – taken from debut album Show No Mercy – to Repentless, the title track of the band's final, 2015 album.
Slayer originally announced their retirement in January 2018 before embarking on a lengthy farewell tour, but confirmed their return in February of this year when they were also booked to headline this year's Louder Than Life festival alongside Slipknot, Mötley Crüe and Korn.
Slayer's next show is at Louder Than Life on September 27, with another date lined up at the Aftershock Festival in Sacramento, CA, on October 10, but no tour dates have been announced.
"It’ll be cool to get together with Tom Araya and spit some hate out at people," guitarist Kerry King told Classic Rock History earlier this year. "But don't get used to this being a yearly event."
The rain-affected Riot Fest, which was headlined by Fall Out Boy and Beck in addition to Slayer, also hosted performances by The Offspring, Public Enemy, Sum 41, Cypress Hill, St Vincent, Rob Zombie, Sublime, Lamb Of God and Mastodon, as well as a trio of final shows from SoCal punk legends NOFX.
See Slayer's full setlist and watch some video footage from their historic return below.
Slayer: Riot Fest setlist
South of Heaven
Reborn
Blood Red
Postmortem
Repentless
Payback
Temptation
Jihad
Seasons In The Abyss
Born Of Fire
War Ensemble
Hate Worldwide
Disciple
Dead Skin Mask
Hell Awaits
213
Mandatory Suicide
Raining Blood
Black Magic
Angel Of Death
