In pictures: Slayer return to the stage at Riot Fest for their first show since 2019

Following 2019’s extensive The Farewell Campaign tour, last night Slayer returned to the stage for their first show since.

The thrash legends – completed by Tom Araya, Kerry King, Gary Holt and Paul Bostaph – headed to Douglass Park in Chicago with the likes of Fall Out Boy, The Offspring, Sum 41, NOFX, Taking Back Sunday and Cypress Hill for this year’s killer edition of Riot Fest, marking their first time onstage together in five years.

And as well as all their heavy classics, as you can see from the photos below Slayer also brought the fire for a spectacular-looking festival-closing show. After this they’ve got two more gigs in the calendar – at Louder Than Life and Aftershock – and then we just have to wait patiently to see if there’s anything else to come.

At the very least, Kerry will absolutely stay out on the road with his recently-launched solo project. “Was it inevitable that I would find myself back onstage?” he pondered to Kerrang! earlier this year. “Absolutely. Before Tom told me that he didn’t want to do this anymore, I’d never really thought about setting out to do something ‘solo’. But as soon as he did, I realised that I still had that desire to play, to create, to entertain.”

Swipe below to see the full Slayer gallery from Riot Fest.

And check out the full Slayer setlist:

Delusions Of Saviour (shortened)
1. South Of Heaven
2. Reborn (first time live since 2014)
3. Blood Red
4. Postmortem
5. Repentless
6. Payback
7. Temptation
8. Jihad
9. Seasons in the Abyss
10. Born of Fire
11. War Ensemble
12. Hate Worldwide
13. Disciple
14. Dead Skin Mask
15. Hell Awaits
16. 213 (first time live since 1998)
17. Mandatory Suicide
18. Raining Blood
19. Black Magic
20. Angel Of Death

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