Editing Slayer (section)

==Artistry==
[[File:Slayerunholy.jpg|thumb|Hanneman, Araya and King were the main contributors for the band's lyrics.]]
Slayer is generally considered a [[thrash metal]] band.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/may/08/rocks-backpages-slayer-interview-1987 |title=Slayer: 'We read a lot from the Satanic bible' – a classic interview from the vaults |work=[[The Guardian]] |last=Witter |first=Simon |date=May 8, 2013 |access-date=September 21, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/20/AR2007022001368.html |title=Slayer's Metal Conducts Heat – and a Little Warmth, Too |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |last=Porter |first=Christopher |date=February 21, 2007}}</ref><ref name="AllMusic Biography of Slayer"/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thoughtco.com/best-slayer-albums-1753087 |title=Best Slayer Albums |publisher=[[ThoughtCo]] |last=Marsicano |first=Dan |access-date=September 21, 2017}}</ref> In an article from December 1986 by ''[[the Washington Post]]'', writer Joe Brown described Slayer as [[speed metal]], a genre he defined as "an unholy hybrid of [[punk rock]] thrash and heavy metal that attracts an almost all-male teen-age following".<ref name=MorbidSchlock>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1986/12/06/slayers-morbid-schlock/492d2a71-17c2-4047-a728-365fa9e29201/ |title=Slayer's Morbid Schlock |newspaper=The Washington Post |last=Brown |first=Joe |date=December 6, 1986 |access-date=September 21, 2017}}</ref> Describing Slayer's music, Brown wrote: "Over a jackhammer beat, Slayer's stun guitars created scraping sheets of corrosive metal noise, with occasional [[guitar solo|solos]] that sounded like squealing brakes, over which the singer-bassist emitted a larynx-lacerating growl-yowl."<ref name=MorbidSchlock /> In an article from September 1988 by ''[[the New York Times]]'', writer Jon Pareles also described Slayer as speed metal, additionally writing that the band "brings the sensational imagery of tabloids and horror movies" and has lyrics that "revel in death, gore and allusions to Satanism and Nazism."<ref name=Pareles>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/09/03/arts/review-rock-for-slayer-the-mania-is-the-message.html |title=For Slayer, the Mania Is the Message |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=September 3, 1988 |last=Pareles |first=Jon |access-date=September 21, 2017}}</ref> Pareles also described other "Big Four" thrash metal bands Metallica and Megadeth as speed metal bands.<ref name=Pareles /> Slayer's early works were praised for their "breakneck speed and instrumental prowess", combining the structure of [[hardcore punk]] tempos and speed metal. The band released fast, aggressive material that was characterized as having a "primitive" sound.<ref name="AllMusic Biography of Slayer"/><ref name=":2">https://www.ocweekly.com/top-20-metal-musicians-well-mourn-forever-8103933/</ref> The album ''Reign in Blood'' is the band's fastest, performed at an average of 220 [[beats per minute]]; the album ''[[Diabolus in Musica]]'' was the band's first to feature C{{music|sharp}} tuning; ''[[God Hates Us All]]'' was the first to feature [[drop B tuning]] and [[seven-string guitar]]s tuned to B{{music|flat}}.{{citation needed|date=May 2021}} [[AllMusic]] cited the album as "abandoning the extravagances and accessibility of their late-'80s/early-'90s work and returning to perfect the raw approach",<ref name="Slayer - God Hates us all">{{cite web|title=Slayer – God Hates us all|author=Birchmeier, Jason|website=[[AllMusic]]|url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r541496|pure_url=yes}}|access-date=January 18, 2006}}</ref> with some fans labeling it as [[nu metal]].<ref name="Paul Bostaph of Exodus, ex-Slayer">{{cite web|title=Paul Bostaph of Exodus, ex-Slayer|author=Syrjälä, Marko|publisher=Metal-Rules.com|date=February 5, 2007|url=http://www.metal-rules.com/zine/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=797&Itemid=60|access-date=March 7, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141017032418/http://www.metal-rules.com/zine/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=797&Itemid=60|archive-date=October 17, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>

King and Hanneman's dual guitar solos have been referred to as "wildly chaotic",<ref name="AllMusic Biography of Slayer"/> and "twisted genius".<ref name="Slayer - Reign in Blood">{{cite web|title=Slayer – Reign in Blood |author=Horatio |publisher=Kickedintheface.com |url=http://www.kickedintheface.com/reviews/Slayer-Reign_In_Blood.htm |access-date=January 18, 2006 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100206170615/http://www.kickedintheface.com/reviews/Slayer-Reign_In_Blood.htm |archive-date=February 6, 2010 }}</ref> ''[[Invisible Oranges]]'' observed, "It’s fun to watch these guys live and see their virtually identical soloing styles. Jeff Hanneman, with [[Atonality|atonal]] runs going up and down the neck, finished with a whammy bar dump! Kerry King, with atonal runs going up and down the neck, finished with a whammy bar dump! These guys were made to be in a band together – because they would sound terrible in any other band."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=Invisible Oranges |title=Top 10 Metal Twin Axe Attacks |url=https://www.invisibleoranges.com/top-10-metal-twin-axe-attacks/ |access-date=2025-03-22 |website=Invisible Oranges - The Metal Blog |language=en-US}}</ref> Original drummer Lombardo would use two kick drums instead of a double pedal on a single drum. Lombardo's speed and aggression earned him the title of the "godfather of double bass" by [[Drummerworld]].<ref name="Drummerworld - Dave Lombardo">{{cite web|title=Dave Lombardo|publisher=Drummerworld.com|url=http://www.drummerworld.com/drummers/Dave_Lombardo.html|access-date =January 30, 2007}}</ref> Lombardo stated his reasons for using two bass drums: "When you hit the bass drum, the head is still resonating. When you hit it in the same place right after that, you kinda get a 'slapback' from the bass drum head hitting the other pedal. You're not letting them breathe." When playing the two kick drums, Lombardo would use the [[Bass drum#Pedal techniques|"heel-up" technique]].<ref>Dave Lombardo Modern Drummer Festival 2000</ref>

In the original lineup, King, Hanneman and Araya contributed to the band's lyrics, and King and Hanneman wrote the music with additional arrangement from Lombardo, and sometimes Araya. Araya formed a lyric writing partnership with Hanneman, which sometimes overshadowed the creative input of King.<ref name="An exclusive oral history of Slayer"/> Hanneman stated that writing lyrics and music was a "free-for-all": "It's all just whoever comes up with what. Sometimes I'll be more on a roll and I'll have more stuff, same with Kerry – it's whoever's hot, really. Anybody can write anything; if it's good, we use it; if not, we don't."<ref name="autogenerated3">{{cite web |author=Davis |first=Brian |date=July 26, 2004 |title=Exclusive! Interview With Slayer Guitarist Jeff Hanneman |url=http://www.knac.com/article.asp?ArticleID=3153 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928010337/http://www.knac.com/article.asp?ArticleID=3153 |archive-date=September 28, 2007 |access-date=December 13, 2006 |website=Knac.com |publisher=}}</ref>

When writing material, the band would write the music first before incorporating lyrics. King or Hanneman used a [[Multitrack recording|24-track]] and [[drum machine]] to show band members the riff that they created, and to get their opinion. Either King, Hanneman or Lombardo would mention if any alterations could be made. The band played the riff to get the basic song structure, then figured out where the lyrics and solos would be placed.<ref name="autogenerated3" />

Some of the band's influences include [[hardcore punk]] bands such as [[Minor Threat]], [[T.S.O.L.|TSOL]], [[Dead Kennedys]], [[Black Flag (band)|Black Flag]], and [[Germs (band)|Germs]].<ref name=":2" />