Slayer is grouped alongside Metallica, Megadeth, and Anthrax in the Big Four, the name given to the quartet which represents the best in American thrash metal. The four acts, which haven't always been simpatico with each other, performed together for the first time on June 16, 2010 in Warsaw, Poland, making it one of the definitive events in metal history.

The concert was deemed so successful, a live concert was released to theatres, followed by a 5-CD/2-DVD set. The event was re-staged April 23 in Indio, Calif., and will complete its run Sept. 14 at Yankee Stadium in New York.

The mid-point of a tour is when Kerry King finally gets in a guitar groove.

Not that fans would ever notice any rustiness from the goateed Slayer guitarist. He plays fast and technical enough to convince just about anyone of his immense ability, even when he hasn't found his tour legs.

King said he hopes to have a key piece of the Slayer puzzle back in action for Yankee Stadium: founding guitarist Hanneman, who is currently off the road due to a spider bite-induced bout of flesh-eating disease. He has been replaced in recent months by Exodus guitarist Gary Holt, whose band also opens for Slayer and Rob Zombie this week on the Hell on Earth Tour.
Nonetheless, the guitarist -- who has undergone skin grafts to repair the damage -- has Yankee Stadium in his sights. King said. "I know he's been playing, I know he's been writing. But that's far different than a Slayer stage. I know he wants to [come back for Yankee Stadium] but I also know he's not sure if he is physically capable of standing up there for an hour and 10 minutes. These are things we'll have to sort out between now and then."

Slayer has left little to question in terms of its legacy. The group has recorded 11 studio albums, a handful of which are deemed essential in the metal canon. Slayer's two recent recordings, 2006's Christ Illusion and 2009's World Painted Blood, are considered highlights of their catalogue, proof that the group has plenty left in the tank.
Slayer's tour with Zombie is the first between the two groups in over a decade, so fans can expect something special from both, according to King. The set by Zombie and his ghoulish group will be heavy on the props, which leaves little time for an extensive changeover between sets. Though it's a co-headlining tour, King has been told that Slayer will close most dates in Canada.

Slayer's Canadian tour dates include:
  • July 29, Saskatoon
  • July 30, Calgary
  • July 31, Edmonton
  • August 2, Victoria
  • August 3, Vancouver