LIVE REVIEW: Slayer @ Blackweir Fields, Cardiff

In the world of metal, you never really retire until you’re no longer on this earth. The return of SLAYER to the stage was met with, well let’s say a mixed reception. But as they’ve finally made their comeback on UK soil for the first time in six years, has their hiatus made them age like a fine wine? 

Well starting the days proceedings, a whopping 15 minutes after the gates open, HATEBREED play to an almost empty Blackweir Fields. If you’re not a vendor, member of security or one of the few people that managed to squeeze past through the queues and ran toward the stage, chances are you heard the echo of their set from the other side of the entrance. Kicking their set off with the ironically titled I Will Be Heard they pound their way through a further four songs that do get heads banging and the field warmed up with their giant inflatable balls of death. It comes to an end with Looking Down the Barrel Of Today before vocalist Jamey Jasta are told they need to leave the stage. And it’s not just there where the pathetically short sets end.

Rating: 6/10 

MASTODON take the stage with newly appointed guitarist Nick Johnston and it feels as though they’ve taken their leave faster than they appeared. While they do drop an undeniably great set filled with Black Tongue, Megaladon and Blood And Thunder, backed by a video wall featuring mind bending artwork only MASTODON can conjure, it almost feels wasted in a sense as MASTODON are a staple of early 2000s sludge work. Guitarist Bill Kelliher prowls the stage as vocalist/bassist Troy Sanders sounds fantastic and tears through the set. It’s just a shame it’s a laughably short set.

Rating: 7/10 

But there’s nary time for rest as after a quick drum change, ANTHRAX are welcomed to the field with a Blues Brothers intro tape to get the crowd going. The band walk out with vocalist Joey Belladonna fist bumping the crew on his way to the stage as the band bust into Among The Living, well the start of it any way. Even though they’re band number three out of five, ANTHRAX are the first band so far to get the crowd really moving. Caught In A Mosh gets the sea of people screaming, circle pitting and crowd surfing with guitarist Scott Ian doing his signature circle stomps in time with drummer Charlie Benante.

Bassist Frank Bello and Belladonna get down on their knees for Antisocial and Got The Time which elicit louder and louder singing from the crowd. As Indians closes their short set Belladonna gets down on the barriers to get up close with the crowd, running back and forth before the power goes out to which the crowd boos loudly. Fear not as Benante merely thinks the crowd isn’t war dancing hard enough. And even though they leave to chants of “one more song”, their four-song set comes to an end, but certainly giving Cardiff the spark that was needed to get everyone’s spirits up.

Rating: 9/10 

AMON AMARTH, so far, are the only band that feel like an actual set. Bringing their full production of inflatable statues, a horned-helmet drum riser and flames aplenty they show the crowd why they earned that Bloodstock headline slot. Opening with Guardians Of Asgard the band are as tight as can be. Until vocalist Johan Hegg decks it and sports a bloody elbow for the rest of the set. But he gets straight back up and tries his best to hold in his laughter for the rest of the song. Afterwards he quips “it’s not about how you fall, but how you pick yourself back up!” A blistering set later, filled with songs like Shield Wall, Crack the Sky and the catchy Put Your Back Into The Oar with rowing pits aplenty, they end with Twilight Of the Thunder God. Complete with Hegg brandishing his hammer, swinging it down and explosions ringing across the stage. As they leave the stage, a familiar sight appears.

Rating: 8/10 

That familiar sight? A huge curtain in front of the stage drops sporting ‘SLAYER’ in huge white letters. After waiting long enough we’re treating to a five-minute recap video package of SLAYER‘s career. As that ends, the curtain falls as Delusions Of Savior echoes through the speakers. Until it’s cut and we get the start to the set. South Of Heaven. It’s a spinetingling feeling seeing SLAYER back up on a stage in the UK again. Repentless hammers home the point that they haven’t lost any momentum from being away as it’s a tight and heavy continuation. Disciple creates more circle pits than you can count on three pairs of hands. God Hates Us All sports two elevated inverted Marshall stacks above the stage which are then set on fire to really hammer the point that God, in fact, does hate us all. It’s utterly relentless. 

As the previous sets were fairly short, AMON AMARTH‘s being the longest at nine songs, any fears that SLAYER wouldn’t get a full set are squashed as they melt Cardiff’s faces for 100 minutes of pure adrenaline. With a rare appearance from Spirit In Black, we get the classics we all desire. And a love ballad, actually. “This is where we play our love song” grins bassist/vocalist Tom Araya, as they then launch into Dead Skin Mask, complete with serial killer mugshots and grotesque imagery. 

Gary Holt, Kerry King, and Paul Bostaph are machines in their own right. Holt spends his times performing his guitar solos with his eyes closed, flicking picks at the audience and giving himself whiplash. When not stamping on his guitar pedals to make his guitar squeal in anguish, King prowls the stage covers in his signature chains while Bostaph  keeps the pace while trying to survive in the scorching heat of the flames. 

At the end of the set, Raining Blood and Black Magic are beautiful enough to get the show closed. But do you think they wouldn’t play Angel Of Death? The iconic riff opens as Araya actually does the high-pitched scream, sending the crowd into a frenzy. As the last note of the night rings out, the band take a bow, and their leave. Standing there with his classic Araya smile “we’ll see you again. Maybe…”. SLAYER aren’t just back, they’ve proved how much the metal landscape missed having them here.

Rating: 9/10

Check out our photo gallery of the day’s action in Cardiff from Abbi Draper-Scott here:

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