The relentless and repentless beating of the kick drum, brass knuckle bearing bass strums, piercing macabre screeches of the electric guitar alongside the ghoulish, contemptuous lyrics and voice of lead singer Tony Araya, gives SLAYER its ominous war cry tone.

In good humor and honesty, senior Rhi Martinez said, “SLAYER makes me feel spooky.”

SLAYER’s music is sought out and enjoyed worldwide, and also by many Ventura High School students. Its pulse pounding rhapsodies and morbid monologues of lyrical laceration create a double edged razor that –no matter what side you grab it by– will slice you with seething stoke and sedate your grievances.

Despite its appearance as controversial, if not wicked, SLAYER remains somewhat cathartic in its own sense, as well as provides its own political and social commentary and criticisms. As a part of the thrash metal genre, SLAYER has controversy inherently branded into its flesh. However, SLAYER does not fabricate controversy like that of contemporary musicians and tabloids, to then roll about in it like a dog dose to a dead seal on beach.

SLAYER’s controversy is an effort to make topics labeled “taboo” and “wretched” less tormenting to discuss, as well as adding to, but not self postulating its own ethos.

SLAYER serves as a conduit and platform for discussions about the despicable and a conductor for contempt within individuals. A SLAYER fan himself, senior Essex Gilbertson said, “Kerry King [lead guitarist for SLAYER] on Show No Mercy [SLAYER’s first album] is an absolute maniac. You can’t hate on 80’s thrash metal”

SLAYER is a representation and platform for dialogue and criticism about contemporary views of evil and superstition, as well as being the musical incarnation of rip ride culture in within skateboarding.

Among the irritable and often times idiotic ideologies of past and present teenagers alike, SLAYER serves as a release from entanglement of mind as well as an opportunity for inquiry and criticism into ancient social structures and superstitions.

Art and discussion can be used interchangeably for description of one another, as well as being the foundations of all reformative dialogue. Bands such as SLAYER, in all their controversy and scorn from the public, provide such opportunities for reformative dialogue and action, through the permission of free thought and condemnation of ancient traditions and superstitions that remain a pestilence today and continue to badger among and leech off of the human race.