Slayer Shreds Sky High at London's Finsbury Park

After what was easily one of the greatest shows in metal and rock history on the previous day, with Back to the Beginning, only another incredible lineup had to show up in London for those who didn’t manage to attend. And that’s not an easy feat, but not a challenge to Slayer and the lineup they brought to Finsbury Park: Neckbreakker, Hatebreed, Mastodon, Amon Amarth, Anthrax and Slayer headlining.

Unfortunately, due to traffic and train issues, we couldn’t catch Neckbreakker and Hatebreed, but from some reports of friends, the two started with the heaviest sets on a scorching heat, proving they were worthy of being part of a lineup like this.

Mastodon

Mastodon followed, bringing their signature blend of progressive complexity and sludge heft. The skies opened just as they broke into “Blood and Thunder” bringing a fitting and cinematic rain to the show. Newcomer Nick Johnston slotted in seamlessly beside Bill Kelliher, trading solos with precise flair as the rain wasn’t enough to stop the mosh pitters, but gave them some well deserved refreshment. Even without Brent Hinds, the band sounded cohesive and commanded attention from every corner of the park.

Anthrax

Anthrax hit the stage under an uneasy calm, with some sound issues affecting the start of the performance. Yet within minutes, Scott Ian’s riffs roared back to full volume on “Caught in a Mosh” and the band reclaimed control (just not of the massive moshes that were forming). Joey Belladonna stole the front of the stage, arms outstretched as the crowd mirrored his every call. The guitars rang out again, proving that the technical hiccups could not dull a veteran performance.

When “Antisocial” kicked in, the pit splintered into dozens of smaller circles, each one a miniature representation of chaos (and I’m sure some bloody noses as we could see them later on too). Then came “Got the Time” — a track whose tempo feels like a sprint yet never sacrifices groove. As the final note rang out, Bello’s bass pulsed through the air like a heartbeat, reminding everyone that this was more than nostalgia. It was proof that thrash can still evolve and excite forty years in.

Their setlist was a masterclass in pacing and power. “Indians” carried the weight of closing their set, bringing decades of history without feeling antiquated; every chant of the title became a collective statement of defiance against both sound gremlins and the looming summer drizzle.

Amon Amarth

Although Anthrax carries years on their belt, there was still one more act before the legendary Slayer: the Vikings of Amon Amarth. With a stage design worth of a headlining act, they brought huge Nordic statues and at the centre, a piece of a longship, fitting of their almost theatrical concerts.

The crowd that survived the Anthrax moshpits continued and more and more people kept coming closer to the stage, as the band kicked it off with “Guardians of Asgaard,” going through a consistent setlist with hits like Crack the Sky, and the always long waited “Put Your Back Into The Oar,” making it easy to find many groups of people sitting down and rowing as if they were part of the longship that Amon Amarth was leading to Valhalla. Although the band didn’t have all the extra members on stage that play more into the scenario and antics, that was nothing to put the crowd down.

Slayer

Then came Slayer. To the crowd’s amusement, before the band entered, the banner with the band’s logo failed to fall, and when the team tried to fix it, it snapped, leaving the surprise out of the plans. Nobody seemed to be sad, as they just wanted to see Slayer come to the stage. Unfortunately, due to those technical issues, it took them a bit longer, which left us questioning if it would cut their set short. Tom Araya’s bass thudded through the speakers, Kerry King and Gary Holt unleashed a barrage of riffs and Paul Bostaph’s double-kick fired like artillery. The curtain incident was the perfect omen for a set that would tear down any boundary between stage and audience (and wasn’t cut short).

Sound had its moments of rebellion early on, with Gary’s guitar almost muted and Scott’s vocal wash bouncing from speaker to speaker. But once levels settled, the album-deep assault of “Repentless,” “Disciple” and “War Ensemble” hit with merciless precision. Flames licked the edge of the stage during “Jihad” as the pit churned into a single living organism, bleeding yet unbowed. Also now we could confirm more noses bleeding and people flying across the huge crowd on bold and long crowd surfing waves.

Slayer’s highlight was the expected “Raining Blood.” The red glow from the pyro burst through the mist and sweat, just before “Angel of Death” came to close the night.

It was one of the events where you barely saw anyone leaving before the end of the songs and when it was time to leave you’d see hordes of sweaty and happy metalheads going across the park into their homes before the most metal weekend London has seen was over.