Watch Slayer charge through Hell Awaits during the fieriest rehearsal video you’ll probably ever see

Slayer performing on a stage with lots and lots of fire — (Image credit: Paul Bostaph via Instagram)

Footage of Slayer’s incredibly fiery onstage rehearsal has been released.

Earlier today (September 30), drummer Paul Bostaph shared a video of the legendary thrash metal band rehearsing on September 16, ahead of their performance at US festival Louder Than Life on September 18.

The snippet shows the four-piece tearing through part of their song Hell Awaits, from the 1985 album of the same name, backed up by enough fire-spewing pyro to make Parkway Drive look like toddlers playing with lighters. Watch the clip below.

Slayer retired in 2019 following an extensive worldwide farewell tour, but reformed in 2024 and have played multiple North American and European dates since. Their Louder Than Life performance was one of three North American concerts they’ve played this year, the others being a set at Festival d'été de Québec in Canada in July and a headline show at Hersheypark Stadium in Hershey, Pennsylvania on September 20.

In July, the band played two UK headline shows and made an appearance at Black Sabbath’s all-day retirement concert Back To The Beginning in Birmingham. There, they played six songs, including a never-before-performed cover of Wicked World from Sabbath’s 1970 self-titled debut album.

Slayer haven’t released new music since their 2024 comeback, and future songs or albums from the group seem unlikely. Last December, guitarist Kerry King said that they will never host a full-scale tour or record music again, as they want their 2019 tour to stand as a farewell to Slayer as a full-time entity.

Although Slayer aren’t touring or recording, King is. He revealed the formation of his namesake band in early 2024 and released his debut album, From Hell I Rise, last summer. Bostaph drums for King’s band as well as Slayer.

Last September, King revealed that he’d already made significant progress with his second album, with multiple songs having been demoed.

A post shared by Paul Bostaph (@paulbostaphofficial)
A photo posted by on

Louder’s resident Gojira obsessive was still at uni when he joined the team in 2017. Since then, Matt’s become a regular in Metal Hammer and Prog, at his happiest when interviewing the most forward-thinking artists heavy music can muster. He’s got bylines in The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Independent, NME and many others, too. When he’s not writing, you’ll probably find him skydiving, scuba diving or coasteering.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.