Watch Slayer relive their 'Early Days' in new documentary series

February 26, 2018

Before heading out on their final North American tour as a band, metal veterans Slayer are assessing their past in new web documentary series called Early Days. Catch the first episode of the new Slayer doc down below.

The opening installment of Slayer's retrospective docuseries chronicles the band's formation and early years, as noted by Rolling Stone. Late guitarist Jeff Hanneman, who died in 2013, was a vital part of the band's formation—the musician's remembered fondly by the members of Slayer in the episode.

“I found [Hanneman] auditioning for another band at some warehouse,” guitarist Kerry King recalls in the doc. “He was playing songs I know on the guitar sitting at a desk. And I was like, 'Hey, are you in a band?' And he wasn't. So I said, 'Would you like to get together and see what happens?'”

Last month, Anthrax's Scott Ian—whose band will be opening for Slayer on their farewell tour—spoke to the WRIF Meltdown podcast about saying goodbye to the pioneering metal act, who he predicts will go out with a bang.

“All the best things have a great ending, whether it's a book, a movie, a TV series,” he said, as reported by Loudwire. “If you don't stick the ending… what was the point in the first place? And I like the way they're doing this, and I really think they're gonna go out in a big way and really stick the ending.”

Slayer—one of the “big four” metal bands alongside Anthrax, Megadeth and Metallica—have been at it since 1981, releasing 12 LPs in that time. Don't expect a 13th, however, as the band's Gary Holt claimed there's “no new album” being plotted with the tour, regardless of their recent work on one.

See Slayer's final tour dates after the episode:

Slayer tour dates:
05/10 – San Diego, CA @ Valley View *
05/11 – Irvine, CA @ Five Point Amphitheater *
05/13 – Sacramento, CA @ Papa Murphy’s Park *
05/16 – Vancouver, BC @ PNE Forum *
05/17 – Penticton, BC @ South Okanagan Events Center *
05/19 – Calgary, AB @ Big Four *
05/19 – Edmonton, AB @ Shaw Conference Center *
05/22 – Winnipeg, MB @ MTS Centre *
05/24 – Minneapolis, MN @ The Armory *
05/25 – Chicago, IL @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre *
05/27 – Sterling Heights, MI @ Freedom Hill Amphitheater *
05/29 – Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage *
05/30 – Laval, QC @ Place Bell *
06/01 – Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena *
06/02 – Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center *
06/04 – Reading, PA @ Santander Arena *
06/06 – Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center *
06/07 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH @ Blossom Music Center *
06/09 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Key Bank Pavilion *
06/10 – Bristow, VA @ Jiffy Lube Live *
06/12 – Virginia Beach, VA @ Veteran’s United *
06/14 – Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion *
06/15 – Orlando, FL @ Orlando Amphitheater *
06/17 – Houston, TX @ Smart Financial Centre *
06/19 – Dallas, TX @ Bomb Factory *
06/20 – Austin, TX @ Austin 360 Amphitheater *
* with Lamb Of God, Anthrax, Behemoth, Testament