Saturday, June 6, 2026, marks the 20th anniversary of the International Day Of Slayer. To commemorate the milestone, holiday founder Jeff Tandy has publicly revealed the long-running tradition’s unredacted history for the first time.
The extensive interview is featured on two prominent heavy metal podcasts: “Talkin’ Slayer” and “Metalenema“. The special episode serves as a co-production between the “International Day Of Slayer” organization, Tandy‘s own “Metalenema” program, and “Talkin’ Slayer“, a weekly history podcast hosted by unofficial band biographer D.X. Ferris.
During the conversation, Tandy detailed the core mission behind the global phenomenon, emphasizing the deep connection fans share with the music of Slayer.
“Slayer is something you have to evangelize. You’re coming to your audience, going ‘This is the thing, this is the big deal., And they go, ‘Yes it is.’ On June 6th, Hessians worldwide come together to do something upon which we can all agree: listening to Slayer. Finally, one of the most dismissed cultural groups in the world has a holiday to call its own. Join us in our cause to stand unified in our celebration of metal music. And let us prove to the rest of society that we too have a voice,” Tandy stated (via Blabbermouth).
Author D.X. Ferris expanded on the unique dedication of the group’s massive worldwide audience.
“Spin magazine’s Joe Gross called Slayer ‘the thrashiest of the Big Four’ thrash metal bands. And I agree. No group has such a dedicated fan base. Superfans are known to carve the band’s logo into their willing flesh. Their groundbreaking music has inspired a culture that is equally extreme and dedicated to intense reactions in all forms,” Ferris noted.
As detailed during the podcast, Tandy established the holiday in 2006 as both a tribute to his favorite band and a parody of the Christian-themed National Day Of Prayer. The inaugural event aligned the date 6/6/06 with the Biblical Number of the Beast, 666. Furthermore, June 6 is the birthday of Slayer frontman Tom Araya, who was born on 6/6/61 and turns 65 this year.
In 2007, the celebration officially rebranded as the International Day Of Slayer after fans across 19 countries organized gatherings and launched websites dedicated to the thrash metal pioneers. However, the movement faced unexpected controversy when certain individuals attempted to link the holiday to high-profile vandalism at religious landmarks, such as St. Joseph’s Seminary in Yonkers, New York. To avoid legal action and unwanted infamy, Tandy and co-founder Dag Nilsen, occasionally identified as Dag Hansen, temporarily distanced themselves from the event and utilized false names while continuing to coordinate annual festivities behind the scenes.
Despite the early hurdles, the annual tradition persevered, encouraging fans to take the day off from work and publicly blast the band’s catalog. A veteran musician who plays bass with the Texas death metal outfit Imprecation, Tandy also used the podcast appearance to recall his personal experiences interacting with the band. These encounters range from early backstage access to receiving a VIP invitation to the Los Angeles public memorial for late guitarist Jeff Hanneman, whose death on May 2, 2013, sent shockwaves through the metal community.
Reflecting on the enduring cultural impact of the music, Tandy provided his perspective on why the band remains so crucial to its listeners.
“I consider Slayer an ultimate truth. It is this inalienable reality. It is a show of force. It is a triumph…. It is a rejection of everything conventional, courteous, and reasonable. It gets into the primacy that allowed human beings to take over the planet. And it’s distilled into these songs that ask you to go back to those places and become that thing again,” Tandy explained.
He further elaborated on the visceral reaction the band’s live shows provoke.
“It is absolutely a primal force that just grabs hold of your reptile brain and manipulates you to violence. That is the effect that Slayer has on their audiences: They are vibrating and completely letting go of any polite impulse in their body,” Tandy added.
The podcast episode also highlights D.X. Ferris‘s extensive work documenting the group. Ferris, a two-time author on the subject, penned the biography “Slayer 66 2/3: A Metal Band Biography… Or, How F**kin’ Slayer Kicked F**kin’ @ss“. The heavily updated fourth edition expands to 639 pages and features nearly 800 research citations. Record Collector magazine writer Joel McIver famously dubbed it the most metal book ever written. Additionally, Ferris authored a book on the band’s genre-defining 1986 classic Reign In Blood for the prestigious 33 1/3 series.
On the “Talkin’ Slayer” podcast, Ferris broadcasts annotated chapters of his work. The fourth season, which launched in May 2026, features brand-new interviews with high-profile fans and music by Chupacabra guitarist Nige Savage.
“Podcast ads and banter are stupid. We don’t do that. We’re all killer, no filler,” Ferris declared regarding the ad-free, member-supported show.
Formed in 1981 in East Los Angeles, Slayer helped build the foundation of thrash metal alongside their “Big Four” contemporaries Metallica, Anthrax, and Megadeth. After initially retiring in 2019, the group reformed in 2024. The current touring lineup features returning replacement guitarist Gary Holt of Exodus and drummer Paul Bostaph, who took over for founding drummer Dave Lombardo following multiple splits.
“A full 13 years after Slayer and Lombardo parted ways, people still want to know why the greatest metal drummer isn’t with the gnarliest Big Four band. On one level, the book is a very long answer to that great question,” Ferris pointed out.
Looking ahead, Slayer is scheduled to perform ten live shows across six countries in the fall of 2026. The run includes a performance in Tom Araya‘s native Chile and a two-night hometown stand at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles. Select dates on the upcoming tour will specifically commemorate the 40th anniversary of Reign In Blood with full-album performances.
