LIVE: Slayer @ Washington Avenue Armory, 11/25/14

Photographs by Andrzej Pilarczyk

Furious and ferocious, a trinity of thrash titans roared into Albany’s Washington Avenue Armory just before Thanksgiving, and Nippertown metalheads in attendance had plenty to be thankful for.

With Steve “Zetro” Souza back at the microphone, Exodus kicked off the show with a rip-roaring half-hour set, before Suicidal Tendencies upped the ante – and the volume – with a 45-minute, high-wattage blast.

But it was Slayer, those kings of the metal mountain, that everyone was waiting for. It was the band’s first Local 518 performance since the death of co-founding guitarist Jeff Hanneman last year. But from the opening tear through the 2009-vintage “World Painted Blood,” it was clear that Slayer wasn’t about to disappoint the fans. Led by powerhouse riffmeister Kerry King and the thundering howl of bassist Tom Araya, the band burned white-hot throughout the hour-and-a-half relentless sonic assault. It was a beautifully brutal, ear-bleeding rampage.

SECOND OPINIONS:
Jay Saint G’s review and Jim Gilbert’s photographs at Upstate Live
Jim Shahen Jr.’s review at The Times Union

SLAYER SET LIST
World Painted Blood
Postmortem
Hate Worldwide
Die by the Sword
Chemical Warfare
War Ensemble
Mandatory Suicide
Necrophiliac
Spill the Blood
Hell Awaits
At Dawn They Sleep
Altar of Sacrifice
Jesus Saves
Disciple
Seasons in the Abyss
Snuff
Dead Skin Mask
Raining Blood
Psychopathy Red
South of Heaven

SUICIDAL TENDENCIES SET LIST
You Can’t Bring Me Down
Freedumb
War Inside My Head
Subliminal
Possessed to Skate
I Saw Your Mommy
Cyco Vision
Pledge Your Allegiance

EXODUS SET LIST
Black 13
Blood In, Blood Out
Blacklist
Bonded by Blood
The Toxic Waltz
Strike of the Beast