Slayer is an American thrash metal band founded by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame as a leader of the American thrash metal movement with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, which has been called "the heaviest album of all time" by Kerrang!. The band is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal bands, along with Megadeth, Metallica, and Anthrax.

Slayer is known for its musical traits, involving fast tremolo picking, guitar solos, double bass drumming, and shouting vocals. The band's lyrics and album art, which cover topics such as gore, serial killers, Satanism, religion and warfare have generated album bans, delays, lawsuits and strong criticism from religious groups and the general public.

Since their debut record in 1983, the band has released two live albums, one box set, two DVDs, one VHS, two EPs, and ten albums, four of which have received gold certification in the USA. The band has received two Grammy nominations, winning one in 2007 for the song "Eyes of the Insane", and headlined music festivals worldwide, including Ozzfest, The Unholy Alliance and the Download Festival.