Yes, that is Slayer rocking out at the base of the Sphinx.
For their very first music video, Slayer traveled to Egypt. At the time the video was shot, Iraq had just invaded Kuwait and the world was on the verge of war. Despite all of the tension in the region, the members of Slayer said that they were warmly received by both the citizens of Egypt and the American soldiers who were preparing for Operation Desert Storm. The Egyptian government was so eager to show that it wasn’t anti-American that it allowed Slayer access that the band might not have otherwise been given. At the same time, back in the United States, the Satanic moral panic was still in force and Slayer was being accused of leading its fans into lives of sin and decadence. Slayer was promoting diplomacy while Tipper Gore was still playing records backwards.
Today marks a sad day for the metal world as Jeff Hanneman, guitarist and founding member of the metal band Slayer, passed away at the age of 49.
He now joins other metal gods (Burton, Dimebag, Bonham and Dio just to name a few) who were taken too soon up in Valhalla where, I sincerely hope, they’re starting up a jam session to create the metal supergroup of supergroups.
To commemorate and memorialize Hanneman’s impact on the metal scene these past 30 or so years I’d like to share my favorite Slayer song: “Seasons In The Abyss”.
R.I.P. Jeff Hanneman…
“Lo there do I see my father, Lo there do I see my mother, my Sisters and my brothers , Lo there do I see the line of my people, back to the beginning. Lo, they do call me, they bid me take my place among them, in the halls of Valhalla, where the brave may live forever.”
Seasons In The Abyss
Razors edge Outlines the dead Incisions in my head Anticipation the stimulation To kill the exhilaration
(chorus:) [part 1] Close your eyes Look deep in your soul Step outside yourself And let your mind go Frozen eyes stare deep in your mind as you die
[part 2] Close your eyes And forget your name Step outside yourself And let your thoughts drain As you go insane… [go] insane
Innate seed To watch you bleed A demanding physical need Desecrated, eviscerated Time perpetuated
Close your eyes Look deep in your soul Step outside yourself And let your mind go Frozen eyes stare deep in your mind as you die
Close your eyes… and forget your name Step outside yourself… and let your thoughts drain As you go insane… [go] insane
Inert flesh A bloody tomb A decorative splatter brightens the room An execution a sadist ritual Mad intervals of mind residuals
Close your eyes Look deep in your soul Step outside yourself And let your mind go Frozen eyes stare deep in your mind as you die
Close your eyes… and forget your name Step outside yourself… and let your thoughts drain As you go insane… [go] insane
Through the Shattered Lens 