At the age of 49, on Thursday May 2nd, Jeff Hanneman lost his life to liver failure. In the few years leading up to his death, the Slayer guitarist had been in poor health suffering necrotising fascilitis, following a reaction to a spider bite, forcing him to miss various tours.

Founded by Hanneman and fellow guitarist Kerry King, from humble beginnings in 1981, Slayer soon rose to become one of the titans of metal in the late twentieth century, with their 1986 release ‘Reign In Blood’ heralded as one of the scene’s most enduring and powerful works. Although a regular contributor to the band’s song writing, for many, it is his easily recognisable guitar tone for which Hanneman will be best remembered – his distinctive contributions to the band’s sound never softening with the passing years.
Jeff Hanneman’s indelible contribution to 80s metal and beyond is celebrated with two currently unavailable complete shows below.