One of the greatest bands in the history of heavy metal, the thrash metal legends Slayer, just did their only Headlining show in the USA after 2019 at Hersheypark Stadium on September 20th, 2025. And the lineup for the night was the best in recent times. Exodus, Cavalera Conspiracy, Power Trip, Suicidal Tendencies, Knocked Loose - a treat for any metal heads. It was almost like a Metal festival and fans from all over the country and outside gathered to pay tribute to one of the big fours (or fives) of Thrash metal. First of the night was Exodus with their “Bonded by Blood” set - singing major songs from the iconic album. It is unbelievable that Gary Holt was to perform 2 sets that night, with the first and the last bands. With him, Tom Hunting, Jack Gibson, Lee Altus, and Rob Dukes put up the best start for the night. Next up, it was Cavalera Conspiracy performing “Chaos AD”. The Cavalera brothers - Max and Igor, who have been part of iconic Sepultura, and with them joined Max’s son Igor Amadeus Cavalera on Bass and Travis Stone on guitar. It was a striking presence with a wrapped up body haging on the stage. With songs like “Refuse/Resist” and “Territory,” the crowd was surely having the best time. Power Trip was next with their powerful crossover Thrash sound. One of the bands from the late 2000s who have definitely proved their presence in the Metal scene, Power Trip dominated the stage with their great numbers like “Executioner’s Tax (Swing of the Axe)”, “Hornet’s Nest”. They dedicated “Drown” and “Crucifixion” to their late vocalist Riley Gale. It was complete madness with Suicidal Tendencies up next. The band is one of the biggest influences of the California hardcore scene and are known to blend genres like Thrash, Hardcore, and Funk, showed the audience why they are important scince 1980. Mike Muir is a powerhouse, and joining him are Dean Pleasants and Ben Weinman on the Guitar, Tye Trujillo on the Bass, and Jay Winberg on the drums was literally non stop on stage. Special mention for Tye Trujillo, son of Rob Trujillo, was spectacular on the bass and it was amazing to see how he performed next to all these iconic musicians. Next up, it was Knocked Loose - the Metalcore band that is the youngest of the bands for the night- showed why they are considered to be one of the most famous and important bands from the current Metal scene. The beats were dropping like an earthquake on the field, and the band was undisputed on the stage. Bryan Garris’s voice is unbelievable with the heavy sound created by Isaac Hale, Nicko Calderon on guitar, Kevin Otten on the Bass, and Kevin "Pacsun" Kaine on the drums. They performed hits like “Suffocate”, “Don’t Reach for Me”, and more. Finally, it was time for the legends to arrive on stage. A big curtain was covering the stage with big letter - S, L, A, Y, E, R, and vidoes played on the side screen showing the history of the band. Finally, the curtain dropped with visuals on the LED screen in the back, and them came on stage - Tom Araya, Kerry King, Gary Holt, and Paul Bostaph. For the next hour and morE, it was the celebration, nostalgia, and ritual for one of the gretest bands of all time. Smoke and Fire created the atmosphere that goes with the songs that each and every fans knew and signing each words with the band. Looking at Tom and the way he was smiling at the audience, it was clear that they belonged to this stage at that moment. From 2019 to 2025, even though six years have passed, there has not been much change on the performance as they started the set with “South of Heaven”, then “Repentless”. As the pyrotechnics were creating the spectacle, Slayer proceeded with songs like “Born of Fire”, “Hell Awaits”, and “Seasons of Abyss”. Finally, the set came to an end with “Raining Blood”, “Black Magic”, and “Angel of DEATH”. We are not sure when we will be able to witness the band on stage again, but it was an experience of a lifetime for any fans, as we can see the disbelief in their eyes. A big shout-out to Damian Priest for hosting the show, and kudos to the management, organizers, and the venue for the successful execution of the show.
SLAYER
Knocked Loose
