First Official Photo Of New Slayer Lineup

Current Slayer drummer Paul Bostaph recently unveiled the first official photo of the band’s current lineup, showing Kerry King and co. looking tight as ever.

The stickman presented the photo showing guitarist Gary Holt, longtime bassist/singer Tom Araya, King and himself via official Facebook page, as the band is busy touring Europe until mid-August.

The band recently went through a period of emotional hardship as they lost founding guitarist Jeff Hanneman who had succumbed to liver failure. The late axeman is honored during each of the band’s current shows as the group is paying him a tribute night after night.

Those who attended one of the recent European gigs might have noticed Hanneman’s guitar standing in the left corner of the stage as a subtle, yet somehow fitting tribute to the late guitar mastermind.

Slayer also went through a drama with their longtime drummer Dave Lombardo who was fired after a contract dispute.

The latest reports also indicate that Araya is uncertain about his willingness to continue without Hanneman, saying that “after 30 years, it would literally be like starting over.”

“To move forward without Jeff just wouldn’t be the same,” he said, “and I’m not sure the fans would be so accepting of that drastic a change. Especially when you consider how much he contributed to the band musically. And you can have someone sit in for him, but there’s no one on this planet that can do what Jeff did. There’s no replacing him.”