Slayer
flyer via Sacramento Music Archive

Listen to a newly unearthed Slayer concert recording from 1986

Slayer colored vinyl

With no live shows happening, live concert recordings have taken on a greater importance than ever, especially when those recordings are from a long-gone era of one of the greatest bands to ever exist. The Sacramento Music Archive (who posts lots of cool archival audio, videos, and photos, like the recently-unearthed classic 924 Gilman footage) have just put up a newly-unearthed, newly-remixed recording of Slayer‘s full set from Sacramento’s El Dorado Saloon on November 5, 1986, a month after Reign In Blood had come out.

The recording is credited to “Ricky (RIP),” and the transfer to digital from the original tapes and remixing was done by Sacramento Music Archive’s Shayne Stacy, who writes:

As I have talked about before, my friend Matt Polish was friends with the band. He toured with them in 1985 and by this time, he had gone to L.A. to hang with Jeff multiple times. So we got there early and went right back onto the NEW tour bus supplied by Def American. We step in there, and here are the guys in Slayer partying hard, and listening to… rap music? We were totally dumbfounded- what the fuck is this? It turned out that they had an advance tape of Beastie BoysLicense to Ill and they were BLASTING it as they partied on the bus. They were reciting every lyric. This was months before the Beasties were well known, and before Anthrax’ rap collaborations. Rap and metal at the time did NOT mix. It was one of the most hilariously jarring moments I have ever experienced. After an hour or so of goofing off, they got dressed and played this show. So funny.

No encores were recorded. I don’t know why.

The original show flyer (above) came courtesy of Ken Doose. (As you can see, Overkill opened.) Listen to the full set and check out the setlist below.

Sacramento Music Archive also has a lot of other cool Slayer recordings, including video from The Stone in SF in ’88, Jeff Hanneman home demos from 1985/86, a Pap Smear demo (members of Slayer and Suicidal Tendencies) demo from 1986, and more.

For more live ’80s thrash (including Overkill), we recently posted 10 great ’80s thrash metal live concert videos.

Shop for Slayer vinyl, including colored variants of classic albums, cassettes, books, Funko Pops, ReAction Figures, and more, HERE.

Slayer colored vinyl

Setlist (via)
Raining Blood
Angel of Death
Die by the Sword
Praise of Death
Criminally Insane
Necrophiliac
Necrophobic
Captor of Sin
Reborn
Black Magic
Postmortem
Epidemic
Hell Awaits
Chemical Warfare
At Dawn They Sleep
Altar of Sacrifice
Jesus Saves