Slayer is an American thrash metal band, founded in Huntington Park (not Huntington Beach as has often been reported), California in 1981 by Tom Araya (bass guitar, vocals), Kerry King, Jeff Hanneman (guitars) and Dave Lombardo (drums). Lombardo has been in and out of the group several times, but the others have remained constant. Hanneman and King are the group's main songwriters.
Slayer (along with Metallica, Anthrax, Megadeth and others) are often credited with creating American thrash metal by speeding up the sound of New Wave of British Heavy Metal bands like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Venom. Slayer were also great fans of hardcore punk, influenced by the likes of Minor Threat, Dead Kennedys and The Misfits, and borrowed some of that music's emphasis on extremely fast tempos in many of their songs. At the same time, however, their music can also be very progressive, as they have been known to change tempos and arrangements in the middle of songs.
Slayer have found moderate commercial success, and are known for their devoted cult following. Their lyrics and album art content (such as violence, serial killers, warfare and Satan) have occasionally generated strong criticism. The band has also been accused of holding Nazi sympathies, primarily due to negative interpretations of the lyrics of the song " Angel of Death" from the Reign in Blood album. The lyrics were inspired by the grisly acts of Josef Mengele, the doctor who committed scientific atrocities on Jewish and Gypsy prisoners during World War II, and who was dubbed the "Angel of Death" by the concentration camp inmates.