Hear what Tom Araya ACTUALLY does on bass in the mix | Slayer reaction

[@MetalPilgrim]

Whom should I do such exercise with next?

[@BlizzAz]

Les Claypool or Jason Newsted

[@eamonahern7495]

We don't have to guess what the bass sounds like on Hell Awaits

[@jonzaker8880]

Ian Hill for sure,he's underrated and deserves to have his bass lines brought up 🤘🏻

[@ericfg806]

I like this bass guitar focus. Obvious choices are G.Lee, Lem, Geezer, and S.Harris. I'd also like to hear that Ian Hill really has done anything spectacular (other than being solid and a lifetime member.) Wildcard is Timi Hansen of Mercyful Fate; from what I've heard of his work he is very noticeable (if you listen) in much of his MF&KD output.

[@plasticoflamingo2952]

Newstead, in Flotsam and Jetsam. Trujillo in Suicidal Tendencies, and Infectious Grooves.

[@DerOberfoerster]

Hell Awaits is the Slayer album with the most prominent bass and Tom Araya actually playing it. So if you wanna hear him play bass, check that out.

[@damonenzone1378]

Yes exactly 👍

[@conalcochran156]

I was about to say the same thing. Classic album 🤘🏻

[@mrnogot4251]

Yeah that album always makes me wonder what happened

[@franKENstein620]

I'm pretty sure Kerry claims to have played all the bass on at least the first 2 or 3 Slayer albums (and the later albums as well). It was also widely rumored since the mid-80s that KK was playing the bass on the Hell Awaits album.

[@DerOberfoerster]

​@@franKENstein620 He claimed he had done so since the early 90s in recent interviews. Anything beyond that is just speculation. If he had played bass on Slayer albums before that, why not just say that? Doesn't make sense to me. But we will probably never know for sure.

[@tnman37040]

I never gave Tom's bass playing a thought. It fits with what they play.

[@gabehorn52]

Well, yeah... if it didn't then the music would sound bad 😂

[@HerbertPeischl]

Metal bass.

[@be4stable]

Without TOM there is Nothing!!!!

[@markonurmi5479]

Actually this doesn't matter... it's fucking SLAYERRRRR,

[@bugsycastro1391]

Meathead

[@DeadHeadmusic69]

He played what was needed

[@guitarplayer1495]

true, it's simple and his vocals are what really shine.

[@stormcorrosion176]

@@guitarplayer1495his vocals are terrible

[@craigoliver3709]

He's the Ringo of slayer(but on bass)

[@guitarplayer1495]

@@stormcorrosion176 and so are dave mustaine's, yet both of their lyrics paired with their singing just fit the bands well.

[@molochz]

@@stormcorrosion176 I love his vocals and I generally hate clean vocals with a passion.

[@jeslookin2168]

I’ve always loved Slayer’s music. Not one time have I ever thought “ the bass sucks “ or “ the bass sounds great. “ Collectively, the cacophony of brilliant noise is perfect. SLAAAAAAAYEEERRRRR!

[@BigBl0ck-r9y]

Playback has Great bass

[@Grey-Wino389]

I always associated the noisiest approach possible as the real secret to the Slayer sound. The "If its loud, its good" maxim fits them perfectly.

[@enki9006]

Same 👍

[@BUFFALO_cougar_slayer]

@@BigBl0ck-r9yit’s an obscure Slayer joint, but the bass in “Addict” goes hard

[@thecroakedtoaster3398]

The bass on show no mercy and he'll awaits sound absolutely perfect

[@ThaiThom]

Most of my favorite bassists just play what is needed to serve the song. Ian Hill from Judas Priest. Cliff Williams from AC/DC. Dusty Hill from ZZ Top. Solid bass players.

[@kunutc4331]

I didn't care much for Rudy Sarzo and Michael Anthony's bass playing until I took up the bass. Then I realized that those guys were "holding down the fort" and doing what was necessary for Randy Rhodes and Eddie Van Halen,

[@gus2112]

AC/DC's whole band only played what was needed lol...what made them so great.

[@Rufus_West]

It's EXACTLY what you want from your Bass/Vocalist.

[@FrostyBob99]

Took the words right out of my mouth.

[@amx1820]

Yeps what more do you expect, he played the bass and sing at the same time

[@thedale2112]

@@amx1820 And then you were introduced to Geddy Lee. The GOAT of bass-playing singers...

[@thedale2112]

@@Rufus_West Check out a song called "Circumstances" by Rush. Masterful bass/vocals masterpiece...1977

[@uvil]

Kip Winger is pretty great on bass and vocals as well.

[@mattwarrensocal]

He's infinitely better than nikki sixx

[@norman9291]

The drummer from Def Leppard is a better bass player than Nikki Sixx

[@fajaradi1223]

​@@norman9291 The only dude Nikki Sixx probably could outplay on a bass is Ozzy on a horse tranquilizer

[@kittywampusdrums4963]

OH DAYUM! SHOTS FIRED!

[@YtuserSumone-rl6sw]

And that's about all one can say in his favour.

[@lukefenwick1607]

Most people are

[@davesiddons8921]

Tom plays exactly what is needed for slayer, a simple bass line to beef up the rhythms. With Kerry saying he’s played the bass since the 90’s, I get it from a band point of view, 80% of the new material is never gonna get played live so what is the point of everyone learning it to record it to never play it again, if he’s recorded all the rhythms it’ll only take a few hours if that to do the bass. Makes perfect sense from a financial point of view

[@BUFFALO_cougar_slayer]

No Hell Awaits? His tone absolutely CRUSHED on that album. Listen to “Praise of Death.” Savage

[@biorythmicshifter]

Slayer has bass on the albums?!?!

[@ThaiThom]

Bass drums, yes!!!

[@russkate88]

Mediocre at best.

[@draganov]

The bass on Hell Awaits is actually pretty audible and very tasty.

[@bruno6288]

Ahaha, never heard any.

[@Okbuddypal]

You can hear the bass very well on Hell Awaits

[@JSMCalder]

Hell Awaits you can hear his bass and he’s playing some good stuff. Ideal for what is needed. Underrated

[@tanktuba]

Do a video on Jason Newsted's bass playing when he was in Flotsam and Jetsam and other non Metallica projects.

[@NHndrsn1234]

Flotz Til Death

[@garycox9341]

Or Robert Trujillo in Suicidal Tendencies and Infectious Grooves!

[@chris.mcewin]

The bass on Doomsday For The Deceiver is arguably the best thing a Metallica member ever did on a bass.

[@dougcollier1504]

I was a local roadie for flotz and sacred Newstead SHREDS! 'I LIVE YOU DIE' ' HAMMERHEAD' AND LIVE HE SHREDS!!!!!

[@owenwarland]

Kerry King is the only one saying Kerry King played bass on the later albums. Which is funny, because I've seen footage of Tom playing bass in studio on some of the later albums. Why is everyone buying what Kerry's saying?

[@Grond73]

Right, it's not like Kerry would EVER say something retarded just to generate press for his solo project and the SLAYER reunion shows...

[@Echoes-]

He tracked all guitars since the early 90's also except Jeff's solo parts, so it makes sense that he tracked the bass also.

[@marcinsoniewski5662]

You might have seen Tom playing in studio, but we're never sure if he did the recordigns :P

[@smeagolmazurenko5238]

Kerry's so insecure.

[@morbid333]

He could have been playing for a rehearsal or a scratch track, that doesn't necessarily mean they used him on the final recording.

[@andrewawakened628]

Isolated bass tracks often sound sloppy in general. I remember hearing an isolated track of John Myung from Dream Theater’s Images and Words album and was shocked at how imprecise the playing sounded on its own outside of the mix.

[@honigdachs.]

It's because most Metal guys don't understand the role of the bass guitar and how to play the damn thing in an idiomatic fashion. It's a very dynamic instrument with giant thick ass strings and tons of low end. You can't shred away through a bunch of 16th notes, trying to match what distorted guitars are doing, it's gonna be messy just by the nature and physics of the construction of the instrument. In a symphonic orchestra, you don't have the tuba play quick scale runs either. Real bass is pretty rare in Metal. Martin Mendez from Opeth is brilliant, but there aren't many guys like him in the heavy genre.

[@tsooraj]

​@@honigdachs.So true

[@johnnycbad]

@@honigdachs. I find you have to listen to genres like jazz or reggae to hear good use of bass guitar. Bass in rock/metal is often just there to give the guitar more low end and make it sound beefier. You can see this is the case when listening to isolated guitar parts. Guitarists who praise bands for their guitar tone and try to emulate it themselves are often surprised at how bad the guitar parts sound by itself.

[@garfield5360]

@@honigdachs.having played both bass and tuba you really don’t know what you are talking about…

[@honigdachs.]

@@garfield5360 Oh yes I do. You on the other hand farted into a tuba a few times and had your grubby fingers slide around a bass guitar neck and you think that gives you some qualification. Sit down.

[@andrepaul3483]

Personally, I'm a fan of his bass playing. And he's a big influence on how I play bass. So yeah.

[@ehdforlife]

Kerry King said he played bass since the early 90's. So that's at least 5 albums that Tom played bass on.

[@SlshrX]

8 albums since 1990. But yea, King has stated he was responsible for bass in studio. Is it entirely true(?) who knows. Tom hasn't responded to that "criticism". Open-ended really but it really doesnt matter.

[@smeagolmazurenko5238]

Kerry seems like a swell guy

[@NickRHT]

King also said he's the greatest guitarist of all time e w/ out actually saying it and he carried slayer the whole time also wrote everything.

[@noctilucent7396]

Kerry king is the weakest link in slayer.

[@jamesb95]

@@noctilucent7396 amen

[@m.ericwatson968]

Not like he's paying with Tim Henson and Scott LaPage, dig Slayer and Jeff & Kerry but they're not incredible players themselves, Lombardo was the stand-out musician in that outfit

[@Vorticy135]

Lombardo and Bostaph (when he first joined, he hasn't been good since around 1998)

[@mdomine245]

Finally someone said it. Without Lombardo they wud not hv got the early success.

[@joshabreu1156]

​@@mdomine245 you're missing the point. There's a million more technical musicians yet they still just play in their bedroom. Slayer had great songs and attitude. I've seen more technical bands and while what they did was incredible, it wasn't as exciting or engaging as a more "sloppy" slayer show

[@Albee213]

The album that lacks the bass the most is Seasons. Its so low in the mix, not as bad as And Justice For All but damn low. I wish bands back then realized how important the bass can be to a mix. When the bass is mixed properly it really makes metal music sound better.

[@Rodj71]

From the clips you played, he does the bare minimum. No flourishes, no runs, nothing technical or imaginative, just more-or-less mimics the guitar riffs. But the songs would sound weird otherwise I suppose, Slayer is all about those guitar riffs and not intricate bass fills.

[@Evl_1]

At Dawn They Sleep is still my favorite Slayer song. Reign in Blood still my favorite Slayer Album.

[@billsmith8822]

this is the correct answer!

[@noctilucent7396]

You've got good taste. At dawn they sleep is great.

[@Defrezus]

Totally agree!

[@ak47deluxe]

Amazing frontman, vocalist, lyricist and competent bass player.

[@jagarkapten]

Would the old Slayer albums be more enyoyable with tighter bass playing? I for one don't care really. I dig it just the way it is. Slayer still puts me in a trance every time, decades after I first heard them. Love it! Practice your bass parts and do your best, allways. And whatever comes out of it will do just fine. Music is not sport.

[@blppt]

You can't really hear the bass on most of the albums past Hell Awaits anyways.

[@turntabillist]

Agreed and well said. The history has been made. Slayer's songs and recordings are what they are, and they're amazing as they are!

[@nr-drums3850]

this

[@SLA1975AMA]

D.D. Verni of Overkill is one of my all time favorites on bass

[@MemoTheOak2]

🤘🏼🖤💚🦇

[@csircy]

The first time I heard the song elimination i kept thinking the guitars are so low and growling, that bass is really bright like a piano. Then listened to DD tear that shit up! He is amazing. The same impact Dan Lilker had on me. I had never heard that rolling, growling, distorted sound before.

[@csircy]

Dan Lilker in the early anthrax and nuclear assault days sounded like a machine in your neighborhood tearing up part of a road. You could headbang to it. Also RIP Lemmy.

[@anthonymiriello5029]

The governor of nj

[@johnconti1329]

I think Tom knows his job, and thats what he does.

[@bmb3178]

Hes no Steve Harris thats for sure😂

[@benedictdonald4338]

He’s barely as good now as Steve was in 1973.

[@seanb447]

Ok, that's an unfair comparison. NO ONE is Steve Harris. Except himself of course, long may he reign 🤘

[@bmb3178]

@@seanb447 of course its not fair -life ofen isnt man☺️

[@bmb3178]

@@seanb447 But tryng to be a bit more serious now-Lombardo is the only genius musician who came out of that band. Araya cant hold a candle comparing him to other Big 4 bassists.

[@yokomalight2393]

😂

[@manhattanprojekt1275]

Short answer: No, especially in the later years, but that’s always been mostly fine since people perceive him more as a vocalist. He still played all the way up to Reign in Blood with primarily his fingers. What’s more, it’s still pretty damn hard to sing lead vocals and play a different instrument at the same time!

[@ramoncovelo]

What is the track in the background from 2:38 on? Seems SOOO familiar, and I just can't get it out from my brain...

[@FELTSZ]

Bruce Dickinson played bass on the old Slayer records, while he continued to practice fencing with his right hand.

[@s.porter8646]

He also played drums for Metallica

[@slidey1788]

And produced for blue oyster cult...

[@FELTSZ]

@@s.porter8646 Let's not forget that he also danced in the Napalm Death ensemble.

[@s.porter8646]

@@FELTSZ did Dave mustane use to play for hear too

[@jcalzada74]

Whaaaaaaaaaaaat.???? Didn't know that

[@pickledcottoncandy]

Is he the best bass player? No way. Is he a badass front man? Absolutley. One of my favorites.

[@RichardHoogstad]

I think his bass playing is very dynamic and lively. Due to the busy guitar lines he created a lot of breathing space making it sound very tight. I really like it!

[@JETTIEROCKSFISHINGwithMIKED]

It fits the music..that is the only thing that matters

[@Tedanson]

If the bass fits you must acquit

[@jeffjones9038]

Honestly, his playing is what was needed for the music, as many have stated. His singing, his voice, his tone is what sets him and Slayer apart. Tom is top 3 GOAT thrash singers IMO.

[@justsomedude5727]

Some of the early songs have good bass, noticably those were left out, Agressive Perfector and Evil has no boundaries comes to mind

[@catjudo1]

Just the fact that he can sing and play bass at the same time is cool. I could never do both at the same time, only one or the other, and I was always a better singer than bass player. What really separates great Slayer from decent Slayer is Dave Lombardo's percussion work, at least to me. Still sounds great after all these years.

[@russkate88]

His bass lines are pretty simple and he simplifies them more when singing.

[@malakbrood667]

Absolutely.

[@tdtommy196]

See I think that singing and playing guitar is harder than singing and playing bass, because as long as you're keeping tempo on the bass and you stay in key you can pretty much F up as much as you want and nobody really knows.

[@bobman5241]

In hell awaits you can actually hear the bass really good in the mix. It would be interesting to hear it isolated...

[@fungusdungeon7159]

I would love to see an analysis of Glen Benton. Watch any of the 900 live vids & tell me wtf he is doing

[@mister_syre]

Those bass parts live must be a noisy blur of sloppiness.

[@morbidcorpse5954]

No. I've seen Deicide 4 times. Its pretty tight​@@mister_syre

[@augmentedhat16]

Yeah, me too. I’ve heard that Glen never actually played bass on any of the albums and that it was Steve Asheim who played the bass parts.

[@christopherrobin361]

@@augmentedhat16 Glen can actually play guitar and bass. And yeah Steve does play guitar and drums. I've seen them live, Glen can jam.

[@43stevox]

Glenn Benton plays some crazy stuff, whilst singing also.

[@MadAlhazred]

Why is there so many people repeating information that was covered in the video like its new?

[@jacquesberger]

Nobody listens to Slayer for the bass... Tom plays bass only to occupy his hands on stage.

[@blakksabb]

THIS👆👆👆

[@ZvonTracy-g1g]

i listen to early slayer for the bass, show no mercy actually has some pretty cool parts, hell awaits especially

[@effiemars_]

nah, they did "dumb down" some bass parts so that he could focus on singing without being distracted, but especially when you listen to live shows, the bass is pretty audible and you can tell he's pretty good, and there's some soundcheck jams and it looks like he enjoys playing the instrument

[@oldfriend327]

🏁♥ Thank you so much and God bless you a million times for posting this, especially with the isolated bass guitar tracks made clear and audible. Videos like yours here are what make You Tube really special and mean that from the heart. There is good and bad You Tube video content. This video here is an example of excellence no joke and pays homage to what is being illustrated here. I just turned 50 years of age in mid-September 2024 and will say that after more than 40 years of loving music, bass guitar is absolutely mandatory in the vast majority types of music, especially rock, hard rock, and heavy metal. Funk, disco, hip hop, rap, and even pop are other types of music that have very strong and crucial bass guitar tracks. Listening to these different Slayer bass tracks here on this video is another chapter that solidifies even more for me how great in general bass guitar is. Tom Araya is so much better of a bass guitar player than what he gets credit for. One of the goals on my bucket list for guitar collecting is to acquire both ESP and LTD Tom Araya artist model basses. Just on looks alone, those instruments provide consistent oxytocin hits. Just really cool looking bass guitars. Slayer is truly an icon so great, both original and replacement members over the years. RIP Jeff, thank you brother for giving us amazing music to deal with our problems.

[@noctilucent7396]

Kerry king should name his band Betrayer

[@SASTORM]

He's just following the guitar with very basic tecnique if there's any at all, but its Slayer who cares about the bass guitar, actually in live shows its much more fun for fans watching and Tom himself having his hands on the bass playing whatever he does than watching Steve DiGiorgio doing some complicated things that nobody hears at all its all buried under the mix

[@hereticmutilator]

Jeff Walker from Carcass next please !!!

[@AgentBeans]

YES!!!!

[@heathfiebert5454]

The bass could definitely be louder in several songs.

[@ThaiThom]

Yeah but that would bury the bass drum, which is more important in Slayer. Tom is vocalist first, bassist second.

[@russkate88]

He could have just come up with better bass lines which don't aimlessly follow the guitar but lock in better with the drums.

[@YtuserSumone-rl6sw]

His tone is really bad. Higher in the master and it makes even more sonic porridge than it already is.

[@be4stable]

Bro, he brings EVERYTHING to the table!!!

[@dremcfleuve]

gonna say something but here is why the bass is often quiet in metal mixes. It's because if you want a bass track that doesn't throw the entire mix out of balance you need not only to play on time, mute well but also play in phase. A bass sound has a lot of energy and if the transients aren't in phase with everything but most importantly the kick, it causes phase issues that muddy up the entire thing so the bass has to be super quiet. When you record a bass track that's precise enough to be in phase you can crank up the volume as high as you want and it won't destroy the mix. You'll just have a super loud bass

[@tdtommy196]

I could not agree more with this!

[@AgentHomer]

Whether it is in phase can be determined the note being offset by a millisecond. No human bassist can play that tight. Yet live bands often have loud bass and sound awesome. Curious.

[@tdtommy196]

@@AgentHomer you probably just can't pick it out because everything is incredibly loud and distorted. Where as on a studio recording everything is isolated, which makes it sound out of phase. Not sure how accurate that is, but it's my story and I'm sticking to it.

[@AgentHomer]

@@tdtommy196 I can absolutely pick out the bass live. Sure sometimes some stuff is out of phase and other times it is in phase, but nothing mix destroying.

[@henryburke2158]

I don't think this is an issue at all. Early Autopsy has extremely prominent bass and IMO thats what makes those records sound so good. Megadeth has always had very prominent bass, and I wouldn't consider Dave an amazing bass player (especially in the early years). Th e problem is just bands not caring enough about bass or recording bass at the last minute.

[@richmoreno9938]

One of the best metal vocalists ever plus playing bass at the same time. That’s good enough.

[@MikoDarkblade]

If i can issue a small complain on an otherwise great video, I'd say you gave us all the info on his bass playing but the one thing missing is your own appreciation on his playing. He's no Steve Harris but in a guitar heavy band like Slayer was his bas good enough?

[@JayManJax]

I think that when he’s playing music other than Slayer he’s probably a lot better than you think he is. But for Slayer’s music he was sufficient for what they needed. I did notice though that when he switched to a pick his playing did get a little tighter.

[@samucad7638]

The best slayer's bass lines it's on hell awaits. I think it's the only album where we can hear the bass. The work of Tom in that album is amazing

[@houston36dc]

In my opinion I don't think it matters if he played the bass on some I was or not his voice is what makes Slayer

[@freddyferrillo9704]

Don't forget he has to sing lead vocals at the same time. And headbang like a maniac. I think it's pro level.

[@antonmaclean8418]

Ive never heard anybody say anything negative about tom as a bass player,it fit the music,plus he has to sing,he is doing 2 jobs,maybe he should have got payed more,than again dave had to lug all those drums around

[@rictusmetallicus]

According to Kerry King. Nuff said.

[@cartong8804]

That muff on some tracks is some kind of fuzz or distortion? I have been getting into metal recently and i really tought distortion in bass was only for special ocasions. I think its really cool seeing bassists use distortion

[@jaythompson9890]

If anybody knows about slayer. King played most bas

[@Evl_1]

According to King he plays everything. Bass, guitar, solos , and drums lol

[@DrScott666]

No seriously because Kerry and Jeff write everything and it's all so fast... It's easier for Kerry to play the baselines in the studio. Rather than wait for Tom to learn them and perfect the new material in such a short time. Where as he's got months for the album to come out while he learns it before the tour starts.

[@Evl_1]

@@DrScott666 I agree I was just making fun of the way people worship Kerry. It is so much faster since Jeff and Kerry wrote the song so they would know about what the bass likes are. Plus once Tom starts to play them he can add whatever. I miss Jeff and Dave being in the band. So glad I got to see them 3 times with Jeff and Dave and twice with Paul and Gary. One was in a club of about 200 people. They were doing small clubs to warm up for big tour. Best $25 I ever spent lol It was like 1999 or 98

[@Echoes-]

@@Evl_1 Kerry even tracked Jeff's guitar parts after the '80s except the solos.

[@kunutc4331]

@@Evl_1 I wouldn't be surprised if he claimed to be their bus driver too lol

[@slimsantilli4476]

Of the big four. Frank Bello is my favorite. His playing and Tone is underrated.

[@neilvetter662]

Greg Christian of Testament

[@AlmostAnalogue]

It's better than I expected tbh and just right for the songs

[@anvb5a1]

STAHP IT!!! They're not trying to be fucking Mozart or Led Zeppelin, they're kicking ass, they're fucking SLAYERRRRRRR and they're my favourite band ever!

[@nostromoalien2]

I love it. Perfect bass lines for a lead vocalist to play

[@tdtommy196]

My favorite Slayer moment is at the beginning of Hell Awaits on the live Decade of Aggression album when someone misses a note while chugging along during the intro. I listen for it every time because it's definitely a mistake, and yet actually makes the song more interesting as well!

[@vromandodgers]

What's interesting about that album is that it didn't have any tracks "fixed" or overdubbed. What you hear is what the band performed without being doctored. That's what makes it one of my favorite live albums, it's just raw. 🤘🏾

[@tdtommy196]

@@vromandodgers yeah I love that album, man!

[@johngavin1175]

The first part of that album was recorded at the Lakeland Civic Center, where I live in Lakeland, Florida. Too bad I was 9 at the time and didn't like metal.

[@Rick-t9n]

SKELETONS OF SOCIETY!

[@shadowlord5574]

Kerry King is so full of himself

[@IanK369]

The only guitarist I've ever seen who cites himself as an influence- on himself. I remember putting that issue of Guitar World down and thinking "what a clown."

[@dethrocker]

Yeah he's kerry king 😂😂😂

[@luvyesmusici4886]

He’s an all about me person. More than a bit much, but he is a showman. I always preferred seeing Jeff playing on stage. Seemed more like a normal guy, instead of trying to be the center of attention for just playing guitar. Also, hard to hang out with a guy dressed up more as a clown than a badass. Good for him though. You wouldn’t expect a guy like that to have an expensive penthouse in NYC. He’s done something, and he owns perhaps the biggest snake venom business in the states.

[@BlackGrousePhotography]

Great video! You should dig into Bolt Thrower's Jo Bench and her thundering basslines next! S.U.

[@JimPooter]

I just saw an interview with Kerry King where he says he plays based on most of the albums. He says time likes to focus on doing vocals.

[@xanataph]

I think everyone in Slayer was great because they were always such a great band. It was the synergy between them and the inspired music that they created, :)

[@davidbell7005]

sounds great

[@stephaneauger1036]

Legit 👍🏻❤

[@dylanbarnett6099]

Hell awaits bass playing is killer really loud in the mix too

[@robertochuquer699]

sounds great!!!!!

[@joemama1151]

So which albums dod lerry kong play bass? He supposedly recorded the bass for him. Cuz he couldn't do it.

[@MarcAndreLevesque]

Consistent, always does the job and more in keeping the low end for Slayer. Being the best and greatest is not the point or required.

[@skinuardo3298]

As a fairly decent bass player myself and as a Slayer fanatic, Tom is first and foremost a frontman and a badass one at that. No one has ever claimed he was a great bassist and what he plays is perfect for the genre.

[@darylmiller8945]

If these albums were recorded now, the bass would stand out more. Production equipment and techniques have evolved a lot

[@EmeraldWoodArchives]

Gosh, "Raining Blood" is so beautiful. It's like James Jamerson.

[@williamnegron4154]

Love it!

[@ericblade6152]

Confirms what I've always suspected. He had no idea what he was doing until Seasons. I think they've stated that in interviews a few times though lol. Still love all the early stuff, though.

[@AgentBeans]

I read years ago when South Of Heaven came out that Jeff said, we didnt even learn the solos for any songs until then.

[@Maxime_L91]

Short story: Tom stopped caring when the songs got shitty. May also have something to do with Lombardo's firing.

[@malakbrood667]

I think Lombardo's firing was about the money Tom and Kerry were stealing from Dave. According to him.

[@mikemartell365]

For me his best song on Bass for Slayer is “At Dawn they sleep!” But honestly when it comes to Slayer I mostly think of Tom for his vocals.

[@VARVIS_]

great vid, I may "borrow" this idea 😘

[@casajaguar_tarija]

Guys relax, it's Slayer, no Primus or Tool

[@Necro-slaughter]

He did what needed to be done not alot of crazyness fills but 0overalll is a badass plus singing while playing he is a influence on my playing

[@pantango5503]

Anybody that can play an instrument and be the lead singer at the same time, is truly talented. I believe Tom is an underrated as a musician.

[@Sonny-lx7je]

One of the most iconic lead singers and Bands that started in the 80s and now your making judgements .

[@JJHahn-JJ2]

It was revealed that Kerry King actually did all the tracking on the albums though.

[@jgmopar]

I don't think this is even Slayer Isolated Bass. How does it all sound the same in a span of so many years?

[@R3DONE]

I can tell the difference quite reliably. And trust me, these are in fact the isolated tracks from Slayer. IMO, Tom sounds way better on stage than studio. Check out any concert from the 2000 to the 2008.

[@rockstarscat]

Well according to Kerry King he was the one who laid the bass tracks in the studio. It's not Tom's fault......

[@outis439-A]

what about Hell Awaits

[@justicia8393]

Kerry King said that he was recording the bass tracks on the Slayer albums…..on Music Mad , 7 months ago ….did you saw that ?

[@NickSwe]

the fact that slayer's bass has been for decades buried in the mix and it has been there just to thicken the low end tells us that kerry should have leave the bass parts to an actual bass player to see if they could make them shine a bit more.

[@chaseadams5037]

I think you'll find that we're actually listening to Kerry King playing bass here as it was Kerry that recorded the vast majority of bass on the records.... This is a well established fact that many hardcore Slayer fans are aware of... So this entire video is completely moot🤷

[@wrigleyx]

it's Kerry's playing Kerry has talked about that last year

Playing bass at all while singing is harder than most people think. And he is a great vocalist.

[@michaelgonzalez347]

Example, Gaddy Lee, base, sings, plays keys...

@@michaelgonzalez347 Sure, he’s very talented. But he doesn’t make me want to storm the mosh pit! Araya is my thrash Santa. Lee is… known to me.

[@michaelgonzalez347]

I understand dtand that, 2 completely different types of music and talent. I was just adding another person that is very talented and it's hard for anyone to do. Nobody gave any thought to Tom's playing until Kerry said he played most of the base on the albums. Now people just look for stuff to bring down others. They need to stop and enjoy life. The music is awesome and has been, just the way it was being played.

[@patricklennox9572]

Although there was some pushed overdrive on the Rain in Blood album, it was not much. It had just enough to fatten in up, thanks to Rick Rubin, no doubt. Tom's overall tone was basically clean throughout the years which is an important thing to note. Many later generation metal bass players had all kinds of super heavy distorted bass tones. As a Metal bass player in the 80's and 90's, I always wanted by bass to be heard with every note distinguishable, etc., not recognizing the whole sound of the band. Sometimes a bass player needs to just add more bass frequency behind the guitar, other times there is room to shine. Tom's unparalleled talent is singing over those bass lines, in fact, being a pioneer of it. Nobody did what he did at that speed and intricacy, both playing and singing.

[@mikec7256]

I believe Tom didn't record much as Kerry King has mentioned that he actually recorded the bass lines for slayer. That is something to be researched.

[@nikolatomic5287]

after reign in blood, all bass was recorded by kerry king. so, find live performance if you want to judge.

[@AccuracySpeaks]

Works perfectly for what they did/do! Of course, he's no Victor, Wooten or Steve Bailey, but his contribution was perfect for them.

[@TrueBeliever82]

It doesn't matter if he is a great bass player or not. He is the slayer 's iconic voice. I couldn't think of slayer without his voice. That's it.

[@powskier]

With Slayer there's everything else abd and then there's Seasons of the Abyss. Their true masterpiece.

[@psilocyborg4775]

Tom does his job and thickens it up. You can tell they didn't spend too much time on the bass when recording.