When the band first took the stage and kicked into a blistering rendition of Disciple, the backdrop and graffiti of “God Hates Us All” was all still there from the last stop the band made in town two years ago. For a brief moment, there was fear of seeing the same exact set Slayer performed two years ago. Then, the show went off.

After all these years of these songs, Slayer made them seem as fresh and new as possible. One many songs guitarist Kerry King was screaming the words so loud that people in the front could hear him over vocalist Tom Araya and the music. Emotion like that does not exist when a band is tired of their songs.

The audience responded with screaming the vocals, chanting “Slayer! Slayer!” between songs and of course beating each other to a pulp the entire set. While those on the outside may be taken back by the behavior, this is the way the fans show their appreciation for Slayer and their joy of the music. When the music is a brutal and straight-forth as this, the emotion in the audience takes over into odd acts, but this is Slayer.

Despite using the same stage set-up and a similar set list, Slayer kept the music fresh by playing it with precision and love. Perhaps the, for now, permanent return of Dave Lombardo made things refresh or maybe the band has never stopped loving what they do. Either way, there is nothing more amazing to behold than a Slayer concert. Just make sure you’re ready before you plunge deep into the audience.