Slayer - "Die By the Sword" @ Studio 54 - April 3rd, 1985 HQ

[@Mik-xq2co]

God damn the 80s was a great time for music!!!

[@roosterj2599]

I used to rent this full show and it had Exodus and Venom. I was in high school at the time the little video store in town got this one in. People would get pissed because I never took it back and would re rent it over and over until they decided to sell it to me for $10. Give me a break. I was 16. I wore it out, but I remember that because of this tape I actually learned how to pull of alot of Slayer tunes on guitar and never stopped. I'm blessed to have found this here.

[@jasonkessler6841]

Great story.

[@blueridger28]

Awesome man, mine was Iron Maiden 10 wasted years,I think. They finally just sold it to me 😂

[@colepilling9609]

Awesome story man. I miss the days of renting movies and all that

[@bassist718]

That story is so synonymous with the era! Same thing happened to me with Cliff’em all and the movie Amadeus! Rented it so much they finally sold it to me!

[@Desmondbrowne666]

Same with me and New Kids On The Block!!

[@scottroberts3011]

Show No Mercy is my favorite Slayer album.

[@Dash06188]

cook

[@thetruemusichead]

Mine too

[@hzg4013]

my favorite metal album \m/

[@NuclearWitch]

Same here

[@adopodrinje1499]

Heavy/Thrash mix! LOVE IT ! very unique! very special

[@MiguelRodriguez-tp8kf]

Dave Lombardo still one of the greatest drummers ever😊

[@thehelpdesk4051]

GOAT of the genre

[@ricstormwolf]

I wish I could have seen a drum off between him and Nick Menza.

[@QuickLern818]

Absolutely.

[@danscott3880]

Dave was 19 when they recorded this show 😳

[@camronbay1]

@@ricstormwolfOh man that would be wild.

[@macabre19]

" Show No Mercy" is one of the best metal albums ever. This is great classic footage.

[@MIGELGLORIA]

YES AND ONE OF THE BEST COVERS EVER❤

[@swiv99]

geezus i was 22 then....worked studio 54 yrs after this briefly, back in the day with no cellphones, just kids banging heads...great times.

[@dominicticinovic5663]

I've never seen it look this sharp. Probably the best live footage ever shot of them. Of any metal band, for that matter. Young, hungry and intense.

[@coldvoid]

Of any metal band? XD You high, dude?

[@chrismartino3519]

@@coldvoid show

[@scorchedearth1894]

Remember headbangers ball?

[@darrenprivate4391]

I saw them in 83’ at the El Caribe Inn in Hollywood. It was dark and red definitely not this sharp.

[@hrgiger6]

@@darrenprivate4391 oh hell yeah demonic

[@briancole7024]

I saw Slayer at Madam Wong's West with Beowulf in 1984. Me and my friend were only 14 so they let us in with the help of Dave Lombardo's mom vouching for us. Everyone there was in the front row. Epic.

[@mikem3543]

Jesus, can you imagine? In 1985? That must have been INTENSE.

[@dementus420]

I mean really. These people probably thought they were from hell for real.

[@monty4336]

I was 16 when this came out. Friend of mine got a copy on video and we would watch it wondering how they play so fast. Never seen anything like it before. It was an experience.

[@cobgod1415]

If you think this was intense for 1985, imagine the people who heard Sepultura's Bestial Devastation

[@savagedick1462]

Big boomboxes, wristbands, real spaghetti o’s

[@DarthJermz]

Best times of my life.

[@joshnelson6255]

They didn't know they would become so much more than a band to their fans... It's a lifestyle. 🤘

[@masteroforion7450]

You say it ! Great times

[@WinzigR6]

Show some respect people.. Hanneman is slim, King got hair and Araya has no beard even at that age!

[@MusclesHockeymask]

King looks more metal without hair.

[@rhettcorbett3346]

Gold. RIP Slayer & Jeff. They are South of Heaven & still Reigning. .🤘🤘🤘

[@augie6479]

I started listening to Slayer in the '90s as a teenager, and seeing this now, after all this time...I know I'm a Slayer fan for life!

[@matthewjames206]

Wow. Look at a young Kerry King with his flowing locks of brownstone. This is awesome 🤘🤘🍻

[@CosmicCharlee]

Love this! I was 14. Brings back memories of my innocent youth!!!

[@craigsmith7917]

I saw this show at a club in Long Beach,CA. Late July,early August,1985. Exodus opened.

[@dereksendrak]

Studio 54 played thrash metal! Wow what. Great video thank you!🤘🏻🤘🏻

[@dandav4857]

Show no mercy.....My favorite album from them

[@centaur70]

It's Seasons for me.. Wore the hell out of that CD..lol

[@nc9726]

I was at this gig. The place was insanely packed.

[@Fakename70]

Studio 54 in New York?

[@glampervert]

Yeah,where was this show?

[@Fakename70]

@@glampervert Studio 54’s Wikipedia page does say it began hosting “special musical performances” in late 1984…

[@nc9726]

@@glampervert studio 54

[@nc9726]

@@Fakename70 yes. Was billed as “the ultimate revenge against disco” lol

[@rafaelmarmusic]

Best Slayer ever. Demonic, satanic, brutal, fast, technical as no one back then. Lombardo is the father of modern metal drumming.

[@hrgiger6]

absolutely.. people say the big 3 Slayer albums are RIB SOH and SITA, but that is wrong. The 3 album peak of real Slayer is HTC HA and RIB. with HTC being the pinnacle.

[@darrellpasion8925]

​@hrgiger6 dude ,haunting The chapel was only a 3 songs EP.

[@elitetrader5468]

@@hrgiger6 I respectfully disagree. RIB is the gold standard of thrash and still the all time best. Number 2 is Sepultura Beneath the Remains.

[@RolloTonéBrownTown]

satan is good

[@stay60feetawayfromme33]

Dude, Slayer as a whole is The Godfather of real metal That intensely dark & super heavy shit

[@TheSchmed]

I remember that show, Tom Araya kept telling us “To Scoot back, show some mercy”, we all kept crowding the stage, what a night.

[@rhiannonlorne9214]

yeah theres a video of my uncle there that night, screaming, and even my dad I think lol

[@TheSchmed]

@Richard K yeah, my eyeglasses got knocked off, people moshing, me on all fours on the floor trying to find my glasses. Never found them.

[@punkrock1989]

Cringe.

[@Just_Gaming4Fun89]

Should have yelled “Show No Mercy”

[@hrgiger6]

on some of the old boots when they are trying to tune and the crowd is loud Tom yells "Have you no mercy?" I think I'm going to put together a "Tom's greatest hits" of his stage banter sometime...

[@jernejfunkl8300]

One of my favorite metal bands...nice to see Kerry King with his hair still long :)

[@Tangman4209]

But already thin on top

[@jernejfunkl8300]

@@Tangman4209Yeah...Haha.

[@mattack6779]

I saw this tour at Fort Hesterly Armory Tampa Florida when I was 21. Testament and Anthrax were with them. They 3 bands were rotating as head liner band show to show. I had just seen Megadeath a few weeks before this show. I could tell clearly, even by this early time in the Thrash genre, Slayer was and would continue to be the best and the standard bearer on this beautiful new art!

[@thehelpdesk4051]

It's Megadeth

[@paulvanreesch2493]

​@@thehelpdesk4051Truly helpful

[@francescodagostino3640]

I was 14... Listening to everything i could find in the village NYC. I bought a vhs with slayer, exodus and Venom...the sound and speed blew me away. Now 51, still listen and gives me the chills every time. dont give a flying f*** what people say.

[@luisponce7317]

Me too going to Sounds and Bleeker Bobs and small stores in the basement to buy all these records of unknown bands based on their albums covers and what they looked like and I can say that we found the soundtrack of our lives in the 80’s

[@powerfuld17]

Tom Araya playing with fingers :0

[@Bungbungkitty]

A trip to see for sure. Heck of a front man!

[@lancejohnson6440]

You live by thy sword! Then you die by thy SWORD! It's been too many shows, but it's my favorite live band. There is nothing like a SLAYER show!!

[@richmoreno9938]

I still think “Show No Mercy” is one of their best records. The perfect blend of Heavy Metal and Thrash. I heard “Die By The Sword” on a college radio station in late 1984 and I was hooked. I went to Tower Records the next day and bought the vinyl. There was a lot of hype about satanic music at the time so I hid it from my mom. I immediately tore down my Judas Priest and Iron Maiden posters off my bedroom wall. I saw them for the first time in January 1985 at Reseda Country Club with Dark Angel. I saw them again in April 1985 with Venom and Exodus at Hollywood Palladium. Phenomenal times.

[@MichaelD8393]

Probably the highest-quality 480p video there is on KZbin 🤘

[@NECROKWON]

holy shit, I didn't even realized this live recording existed on quality video footage like this. Excellent vhs rip!

[@tinojimenez8544]

We walked amongst giants. Freaking saw them this tour. And lived to tell the tale.🤘🏾

[@sshza2143]

🙌🍻🤘👹🤘😁✌😎

[@matthorowitz1861]

They played Hammerjaxx shortly after that dressed in chainmail. It was sick. Definitely there was fear in that hall on that particular night. Needless to say, every drink that night was served in a plastic cup - that was Slayer’s reputation!

[@zackmohney9817]

I grew up with this! Love it. When this came out, as a metal head and guitar player, this was the next level for me! Kerry, Jeff, Tom, and Dave were it man.

[@Just_Gaming4Fun89]

Talk about an amazing show. Exodus, Slayer and Venom. It must have been amazing to actually be there.

[@albertoluiz423]

Nunca existira banda igual o slayer .muito perfeito

[@pliniomarquesjunior4039]

Slayer é Slayer, véi.

[@guitarsbymetaljay]

Kerry is hitting switches on his guitar like it matters lol

[@mark6302]

lol

[@magnolia972]

he played the wrong solo also…..doesn’t matter 😄

[@scottashe984]

He hit the Idgaf switch. When that didn't work he flipped the WTF switch.

[@toma.4808]

They weren't good soloists but their riffs were lethal

[@davidpascual8512]

Jeff was better than him​@@toma.4808

[@mayfieldgage]

Just now finding this on April 3rd 2023

[@lilmike2710]

Someone went back in time with HD cameras. There was no footage this good in 1985. Nkt even Hollywood films looked this good

[@650AFTERHOURSOC]

It does not get more pure than this! Rip jeff 🤘 good mentor started off with show no mercy when i was 11☕🚬🤘 probably my favorite album of all time

[@JustAPairofLegs]

Ive been listening to this on spodify for so long i never knew that there was a video

[@pCriistopher]

Slayer is definitely a live band.

[@chadmeek8454]

Excellent sound quality!!!!

[@seanbaros-qe1rp]

The good old days!!🤘🤘

[@scottnixon9367]

The best years for underground metal/punk/thrash/hard core. I had a great time.

[@dannygroves6764]

The fucking best there is, I haven't listened in a month or so. Die by the sword just played, I went through my room like a god damn bulldozer. Nothing like it to bring me those deep pleasure moments hahahahahah. Fucking SLAYER rules

[@hrgiger6]

I cannot be held liable for any damage to property or whatnot which may result from viewing this fine video.

[@HooverCampoverde]

Slayer band and their Show No Mercy album, are EPIC.

[@stevenmartinez8295]

Fooking ayy mates

[@jack_the_pug5213]

Kerry King's random notes during solos will always makes me laugh... But the song and the video kicks ass !

[@Dennis-sq2nm]

I agree. Just hitting a bunch of random notes as quickly as he can.

[@magnolia972]

it’s impossible to copy one of his solos 😄

[@bennymountain1]

@@magnolia972 Not even he himself can 😂

[@rickneal4967]

We were young once...and we were Slayer.

[@plciferpffer3048]

Sound/picture/band10/10/10 Great upload! Slayer anno 1985 was truly amazing!

[@roberthrodebert9263]

I wonder if King ever got his guitar strings caught in those forearm spikes.

[@aaronsaunders6974]

great lead guitar on this song. for early slayer, i believe *this* song had the most solowork i recollect hearing

[@marcelinomelo3662]

Badass song Slayer rules the world Miss Jeff

[@cooperst765]

One of my fave bands produced by one of my guitar heroes! Fucking awesome!

[@ashharkausar413]

Absolutely killer performance!!

[@masteroforion7450]

Brutal !

[@louismacri4252]

Kerry King has awesome and killer guitar solos on this live video.

[@Burntshocker]

So brutal. Nothing will ever compare. Nothing.

[@punkrock1989]

Oh how pitiful that you think that.

[@ChristianFlores-yf2py]

@@punkrock1989 cringe.

[@punkrock1989]

@@lotsapasta0858 Nobody said anything even remotely like that, you jumped to your own conclusion with that.

[@WildChildMcCloud]

@@lotsapasta0858 Kreator, Dark Angel, Destruction, Possessed, Sodom, Bathory, Celtic Frost and Exodus are just a few.

[@spacecadet8843]

@@WildChildMcCloud he's right still. all those bands are good but what slayer did will never again happen. They revolutionized extreme metal more than ANY band. Took the sound of Mercyful Fate and the guitars of NWOBM and made it their own. They laid the foundation of everything.

[@joshuaschmidinger3993]

Love seeing Kerry King with hair 😎🤘 after so many years of seeing him with the shave head and goatee you kinda forget he use to have long hair and clean shaving 🤣👌 like Zack wylde or dimebag etc. What a great performance ❤️🔥👏

[@jessiepalermo7234]

Whoever was there and saw this live is lucky af. Goddamn.

[@SPGRAMPA1]

Did you say? i mean did he say?,"Kick ass frm Downey!!"in the intro??if i could go back in time?ide do the 80's again!!!sickkkk vid..peace...WDSTA1

[@ThundersMcCoy]

He said "Kickass Muldowney" Meaning Bob Muldowney who used to run a metal 'zine called "Kickass". We lost him in 2007. R.I.P.

[@tinchotorres6742]

Vino por alambre y encontré oro puro 🍻 Gracias por ésto sos un crack 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

[@jaidlalurr]

Best sound ever for live.. Jeff Hanneman was very tight ( right on ) in his solo. :) at 3:03

[@slayer5813]

Seen SLAYER the day after this show 4-4-1985 in Cleveland, Ohio with Exodus warming up and Venom as the final act.

[@hrgiger6]

@nugent1518 what I need is some old school dvc footage to put up, hook me up man!

[@TwentyAfter4]

I was literally just 3 days old when this was recorded and I will pay a handsome reward for anyone who can find the lost footage of babyme jamming the fuck out 😂

[@webm0ngrel]

The hell in which we live . Futuristic .

[@brunoBEGARANI-kx2ey]

❤Dave Lombardo ❤

[@ろーずらんで]

Thaaaat's itttttt !!!!!

[@publicanimal]

Damn, I like the contrast between Hanneman's and King's guitar tones.

[@erichauck5747]

Jeff formed Slayer god rest hi soul.

[@valentinivanov7724]

The 300th like is from me because this shit is too good for 2021

[@noctilucent7396]

METAL!

[@rojopo1971]

Amazing energy

[@guyinpajamapants6892]

And the following year a little album called Reign in Blood came out.

[@tommethans7827]

It's crazy to see jeff playing a Gibson

[@OldSethOnetooth]

The first of the two times I saw them live was three years after this on the South Of Heaven tour with Nuclear Assault supporting. I don't think I have ever seen this, it was only Hell Awaits from the same show so it was good to see this.

[@JaryeniJay]

I've seen them live on stage on june 1985 in Bremen . Support Act were Destruction. This Package completely blew me away.

[@marksaxon_plays]

Slayer will always be top-tier on my metal list. 80's thrash was awesome

[@kevinb7126]

Funny The Ultimate Revenge was supposed to be from Studio 54. Slayer and Exodus footage was for sure . Venom on the other hand clearly wasn’t they were on this big stage with explosions and the whole thing.

[@ThundersMcCoy]

Mantas wasn't at the gig due to having chicken pox. They had two fill-ins.

[@lolaspoonamore2570]

Metal Masterpiece... Those Are The Words Of The LORD 🔥Die By The Sword🔥

[@erichauck5747]

My favorite band scene them in there early days up the street at a small venue

[@arvindshastry1178]

@Richard K I have heard that Jeff was really shy and reserved

[@sunpeaksturner]

This Slayer ..at there best..hands down 🔥💥🤘🏽..man I miss Jeff ..rip my brother 🤘🏽🤘🏽

[@youtoobe169]

Thanks for posting this!

[@annaleebliss4618]

It's so cool seeing them play when they were so young and strong. No one they would become the best Thrash Metal band in the world.

[@kevinb7126]

In the early years Tom played bass with his fingers he switched to pick around South of Heaven always wondered why .

[@ERICF66]

I’d like to see a copy of their COMPLETE set from this show in stereo with this picture quality! 🔥🔥👊🏽😁🎶🎸🥁🎤🔊🔊

[@ThaiThom]

Tom just plays those quarter notes on the bass, proving that's all you have to do on bass for this music, let the drums and guitars do the hard work.... otherwise, Tom's #1 job is vocals. That chilled out bass playing is the eye of the storm!!!

[@mplslawnguy3389]

Have never been the hugest Slayer fan but this fucking ripped.

[@robertmiller664]

I remember looking thru the new releases at Middle Earth records in Downey, I couldn't find whatever, saw this.

[@realmetalpaulie7735]

Sounds amazing for years ago as expected 🤘

[@alexeynesterov131]

Господи какие молодые и худые и Керри ещё с волосами ах молодость

[@jamesarantes9092]

A melhor banda de heavy metal de todos os tempos!!!

[@lartistafred]

Hello Kerry KIng's first solo is awfully random But after this, this is a masterpiece !!!

[@robertoricci3393]

This is Slayer, not Joe Satriani. Their music is supposed to be chaotic.

[@lartistafred]

@@robertoricci3393 I agree with you We love Slayer because they were like this

[@oritafilms]

Kerry King Kaos

[@mikereyes2488]

Kerry King may be one of the ugliest lead guitarist but damn the dude can straight up shred especially on rhythem

[@bananaempijama]

On this performance, they were between 19 and 24. Amazing

[@golfgrabu]

I was surprised to see Araya fingerpicking his bass. It sounded better this way IMO. Great footage!

[@Just_Gaming4Fun89]

Honestly the albums where Tom used his fingers, the bass sounds so much better. Wish he would have kept doing than rather than using a pick.

[@hobo1704]

​@@Just_Gaming4Fun89probably used a pick when the tunings went down

[@elitetrader5468]

Hard to believe this is only 480p. Looks great.

[@THECLARENCES]

A-MA-ZING!!! xoxo The Clarences

[@mrt5342]

'85...let's see...I went to my 1st concert (KISS and W.A.S.P.) as a 12 year old. It wouldn't be for maybe another year that my brother would introduce me to SLAYER. The thrash/speed metal genre has come quite a long ways since then, but if these 4 guys never got together, it would have been a lot different.🤘

[@jeffstewart4162]

The KK boots AND spikes era 🤟

[@Basshead1]

Araya rockin the Wave bass 🤘😎

[@rowanmairena6889]

Respect the wave I wish they still made them I would buy one instantly

[@Tomisdebomtom]

This is amazing

[@terrorizer77]

The slayer that I grew up with

[@AlanMorris-f5f]

Saw em 13 times, Slayer ☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️

[@mikeboi4870]

Man, that takes me back. That was from the decline of western civilization with exodus doing piranha and even has interviews and Venom is in the video but looks like early 80s production video.