Slayer has announced two U.S. headlining dates tied to the 40th anniversary of Reign In Blood, with the album played front-to-back at both shows. One of them marks the band’s first Los Angeles appearance in seven years.
- 09/04 — Shakopee, MN @ Mystic Lake Amphitheater
- 11/13 — Inglewood, CA @ Kia Forum
A limited number of VIP experiences and curated Travel Packages for those journeying to see a show will also be available. The pre-sale details are as follows:
- Citi Presale: Tuesday, 4/21 at 12 pm Local Time
- Artist Presale: Wednesday, 4/22 at 10 am Local Time (PW: RIB2026)
- On Sale: Friday, 4/24 at 10 am Local Time
These are the only U.S. headline shows where Slayer will perform Reign In Blood in its entirety. Festival sets throughout the year will be different. Down, Suicidal Tendencies, and Hatebreed will support in Shakopee; Cannibal Corpse, Cavalera, and Crowbar will open the Los Angeles show.
Slayer‘s current lineup is the same one that closed out the band’s farewell run in 2019: guitarists Kerry King and Gary Holt, bassist/vocalist Tom Araya, and drummer Paul Bostaph. Their recent activity has included major festival appearances in the U.K. and Canada, an East Coast U.S. show at Hersheypark Stadium, and a six-song set at Black Sabbath‘s final concert, “Back To The Beginning,” on 07/05/2025 at Villa Park in Birmingham, England.
Reign In Blood came out on October 7, 1986, through Def Jam Recordings — the band’s first record with producer Rick Rubin. Kerrang! called it “the heaviest album of all time,” and it remains a defining record in the history of thrash and speed metal.
The album’s release was held up due to concerns over its artwork and lyrics. Opening track “Angel Of Death” — which documents the atrocities carried out by Nazi physician Josef Mengele at Auschwitz — drew accusations of Nazism, which the band consistently denied.
Former Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo shared his perspective on the album in a 2021 interview with Metal Injection: “I look at that album as a masterpiece. And it’s one of those albums that will stand the test of time. It’s brilliant. The fire, the energy that that album has. I don’t hear that in other records. I don’t know if it’s because I’m listening to a band that I was part of, but I have this perspective that’s objective.”
“But you know, it’s brilliant, and I’m very appreciative… I think that album will forever be like the epitome of thrash music and part of a historic time in music history… Slayer had a certain energy that’s unlike anything else. And so that definitely is for me one of the greatest metal records ever made,” he added.
