WWE’s resident gothic enforcer Damian Priest is about to swap the ring ropes for Marshall stacks and mosh pits, as he’s officially been announced as the host of Slayer’s only U.S. headlining concert in 2025.
The iconic thrash metal band will set Hersheypark Stadium ablaze (possibly literally) on September 20, and leading the charge — in between pyro cues and neck-snapping riffs — will be The Archer of Infamy himself.
Yes, you read that right. The man who walks out to “Rise For The Night” (featuring Slayer’s own Kerry King) will now walk onstage to introduce the most molten lineup of the year. Slayer, in all their infernal glory, will headline a stacked card of metallic destruction featuring:
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Knocked Loose (break stuff responsibly),
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Suicidal Tendencies (bring your bucket hat),
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Power Trip (hell yes),
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Cavalera performing Chaos A.D. (the moshing will be biblical),
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and Exodus performing Bonded by Blood (so you know it’s real).
According to Slayer’s announcement, this Hershey show will be their only U.S. headlining performance of 2025 — a one-night-only metal pilgrimage with maximum fire effects, primal energy, and probably one guy in the front row with an “I Survived Slayer at Hershey” shirt by the end.
In a statement to Billboard, Kerry King shared his shock and awe from last year’s limited return:
“The reaction was just completely overwhelming. The fans reacted to us like I’d expect them to react to the biggest band on the planet. It was amazing…we’ll play a Slayer show, we’ll have all of our big fire effects, and just burn everything like we used to.”
No notes. Just flames.
For Priest, this is more than a gig — it’s a metalhead full-circle moment. His love for heavy music began when childhood friend Charlie Corletta introduced him to Metallica’s “For Whom the Bell Tolls” — and the rest is headbanging history.
Tickets are already live via Ticketmaster, and if history is any guide, they’ll vanish faster than a Slayer encore. With Priest hosting, fire raining down, and five decades of thrash being honored, this won’t be a concert — it’ll be a baptism by blast beat.