Festival Review: Slayer At Finsbury Park
Slayer tear Finsbury Park apart with ageless fury and unrelenting speed.
There are gigs that remind you why metal has endured. Then there are moments like Slayer at Finsbury Park: moments that punch a hole in the sky and scream, we’re not done yet. In a weekend already rich with legends, Slayer’s set on Sunday evening was a crowning act of brutality, precision, and raw power, all in the setting of one of London's great parks.
The day began with rain and lots of it. The kind of downpour that has soaked generations of festivalgoers to the bone. It hit hard in the hours before Slayer’s set. A textbook example of pathetic fallacy, as if the sky itself was preparing the grounds for the sonic cleansing that was about to come. Then, in true theatrical form, the clouds broke. As Slayer took to the stage, a golden hour glow bathed Finsbury Park in amber light. Steam rose from the crowd as the soaked earth met sudden heat, and the thrash legends emerged.
Tom Araya, Kerry King, Gary Holt, and Paul Bostaph played with a ferocity that made a mockery of retirement rumours and farewell tours. From the opening roar of “South of Heaven” to the last notes of “Angel of Death,” the band carved their legacy into the hearts of thousands once again. Araya’s voice—aged, yes, but not diminished—rang with authority. Kerry King’s guitar work remains as blistering and precise as ever, with howling dive bombs, perfectly pitched pinch harmonics, and steady tremolo picking.
The night prior saw Slayer take the stage at Black Sabbath’s farewell show at Villa Park in Birmingham; sentimentally titled ‘Back to the Beginning’. It was impressive to see fans proudly sporting Back to the Beginning shirts the following morning at the Finsbury Park show, illustrating the dedication within the metal community to this day.
Slayer’s show featured an impressive display of pyrotechnics, with immense bursts of flames and fireworks pouring downward as ‘Reign in Blood’ commenced. As for the sound, it was mixed well, and for an outdoor show, it was properly loud. The crowd, too, was a perfect mix of all ages, from kids sitting on their father’s shoulders sporting Slayer merch and shaking fists, to pensioners subtly nodding their heads in approval.
As for the bands on earlier, Anthrax put on a great show with fast riffs while keeping their archetypal goofiness, mostly from Joey Belladonna’s frequent outrageous declarations. A personal favourite was when he announced, “Just because we’ve been here a long time doesn’t mean we’re not gonna kick the balls outta you,” which in some way sums up their performance. Later, Amon Amarth (which is not really my thing) delivered a hefty performance of hammering Viking metal. With intense vocals and their signature Nordic swing, it was most definitely enjoyable.
Finsbury Park has hosted its fair share of historic sets, but Slayer’s return felt like more than just another chapter. It was a reminder of what this music can still do when delivered with conviction: cut through nostalgia, draw a crowd across generations, and feel genuinely alive. In a time when legacy acts can sometimes feel like they’re going through the motions, Slayer made theirs count.