From the first thirty seconds of Slayer’s latest album, Christ Illusion, it’s clear that the legendary band has hit a new peak. Its first record in five years and its first record in fifteen years with the original band line-up, Christ Illusion is a cacophony of brutality. A soundtrack for the post-Apocalypse, steeped in scorching riffs and a litany of menacing tracks on religion and violence, Slayer forges ahead on its devastating path of aural destruction with ten new songs, each charged with the electric hostility for which Slayer is renowned.

Slayer have created one mesmerising record after the next, has influenced many of today’s most successful bands, including Slipknot, Sepultura and Killswitch Engage, and continue to earn new generations of fans, while staying true to its ceaselessly devoted followers.  Slayer’s legacy is cemented in music forever and the band remains undaunted in its directive to make punishing, aggressive and exciting music. With Christ Illusion the band mark their territory and Slayer have again exceeded itself far beyond thrash metal to become an unstoppable juggernaut.

Kerry King, Tom Araya, Jeff Hanneman and Dave Lombardo now have their sights set on Australia to relinquish the power that is Christ Illusion, together with a menacing back catalogue of genre-defining sound. With Mastodon accompanying Slayer on the bill in order to boast the surreal heaviness found on their latest release Blood Mountain, Slayer’s imminent tour of Australia will have fans begging for more.

Thursday April 12: Metro City, Perth
Tickets from 78 Records, Planet Video, Beat Music and BOCS (0894841133,  www.bocsticketing.com.au)

Saturday April 14: Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide
Tickets from Venuetix (08 8225 8888, www.venuetix.com.au)

Sunday April 15: Vodafone Arena, Melbourne
Tickets from Ticketek (132849, www.ticketek.com.au)

Tuesday April 17: Hordern Pavilion, Sydney)
Tickets from Ticketek (132849, www.ticketek.com.au)

Thursday April 19 – Riverstage, Brisbane
Tickets from Ticketmaster (136100, www.ticketmaster.com.au)

Tickets go on sale on Thursday January 18 at 9am.