Fire, metal and denim – three ingredients for a great night out.

Support act Anthrax delivered a high speed set covering most of their hits and a selection of tracks off their latest offering.

They were super tight, and vocally Joey was on top of his game. Tonight though, was all about the headliner.

Most metal acts mellow over time, or decline in regard to their playing or vocal abilities.

Not so with Slayer. Almost 40 years of touring, and 12 studio albums later and they still deliver a brutal live performance.

I saw these guys at the larger venue next door to last night’s show back in ’94 when I was 16, and I walked away with the same smile on my face this time around.

The setlist tonight was fairly formulaic, with many classics interspersed with some of their newer post 2000 tracks – which allowed the mainly older crowd some respite throughout the night.

The closing six tracks of the night were what we all had come to see and love from Slayer, comprising the best cuts from their biggest records – ‘Reign in Blood’, ‘South of Heaven’, and ‘Seasons in the Abyss’.

The night culminating in their signature closer ‘Angel of Death’ – Slayer don’t do encores.

Tom Araya engaging with the crowd at the end of the show was also a highlight, displaying that he is a humble man who truly appreciates how loyal the Slayer army is.

This is the last time we will get to see these guys on our shores, and they certainly didn’t disappoint – they still kick ass.

Adios Slayer, we will certainly miss you.

By Simon Perrin