Live Report: Slayer give a monster performance for their final Irish show

The first day in November saw legions donned in black make their way for the 3Arena, in what was to be the biggest metal event of the year. After 37 years of bringing their demonic and relentless metal to the masses, Slayer are hanging up their hats (and spikes). It is usually the case that a band of similar age embarking on their final tour will appear somewhat jaded, and enter a territory of nostalgia provision - this is not the case with Slayer. The band sound as ferocious as ever, with a stellar line up along to support.

Proceedings kick off with Obituary taking the stage, igniting the first of the night’s many circle pits. The Floridian death metal veterans blasted through their set, finishing with ‘Slowly We Rot’ to much appraisal. The venue is packed out by the time Anthrax take the stage, with guitarist Scott Ian leading the charge. Much like Slayer, the energy of their live performances has delineated Anthrax through the years - earning them their title among the ‘Big 4’ of thrash. Playing fan favorites Anti-social, Madhouse and Indians, they vacate the stage leaving a much appeased crowd.

Lamb of God take the stage with the brooding and brutal ‘Omerta’, with guitarist Willie Adler falling on his backside - which he laughs off with enjoyment from much of the front row. A testament to the mans skill if anything, not missing a note during the momentary blunder. The onstage animation of frontman Randy Blythe is mesmerising, duly eating up the scenery with his signature growls. “No incidents this time thankfully,” Blythe states at one point, making reference to Lamb of God’s last visit to Dublin in 2015, where he was assaulted by a gang of youths on the Samuel Beckett Bridge. Finishing with ‘Redneck’, the sense of anticipation for Slayer is almost tangible.

Kicking off the European leg of their last trip around the block, Slayer arrive with enough firepower to storm the Bastille. Putting use to the term ‘going out with a bang’, the band have added copious pyrotechnics to their show - elevating the already manic crowd into a frenzy. The circle pits are non-stop as Slayer work through their catalogue. Bashing out hits from every album, from ‘Show No Mercy’ to 2015’s ‘Repentless’. Frontman Tom Arya is in his element, sporting his signature sinister smile at the sight of the many hysteric moshers. Gary Holt does his predecessor proud during blistering performances of ‘Mandatory Suicide’ and ‘Black Magic’.

It’s a rarity for a band to have such an extensive canon of work without any dilution of ferocity in their sound. Each song is as unrelenting in its’ pace as the last - exactly what’s to be expected at a Slayer show. However it’s somewhat bittersweet to hear songs like ‘War Ensemble’ and ‘Seasons in the Abyss’ played for the last time, still sounding as good as ever. Finishing with an encore of fan favourites ‘South of Heaven’, ‘Raining Blood’, ‘Chemical Warfare’ and ‘Angel of Death’, Arya bestows a simple ‘thank you’ to the Dublin crowd - who walk away with much gratitude. Thank you Slayer.