A public memorial event for Slayer’s Jeff Hanneman has been set for Thursday, May 23, at the Hollywood Palladium, which has a capacity of about 4,000. Fans are invited to the event, which is free, on a “first-come, first-in” basis, according the band.

Hanneman died May 2 of alcohol-related cirrhosis. He was 49.

The guitarist helped shape Slayer’s uncompromising thrash-metal sound as well as an entire genre of music. His riffs were heard in the songs he wrote, including “Angel of Death,” “Raining Blood,” “South of Heaven” and “War Ensemble.”

Hanneman co-founded Slayer with fellow-guitarist Kerry King, bassist Tom Araya and drummer Dave Lombardo in Huntington Park, California, in 1981. For more than 30 years, Hanneman was the band member who stayed out of the spotlight, rarely did interviews, amassed an impressive collection of World War II memorabilia, was with his wife Kathy for nearly three decades, shut off his phone and went incommunicado when he was home from tour, did not want to be on the road too late into any December as Christmas was his favorite holiday, and, from the time he was about 12 years old, woke up every, single day with one thing on his mind: playing the guitar.

It was once suggested to Slayer that if they would write “just one mainstream song that could get on the radio,” they would likely sell millions of records and change the commercial course of their career, similar to what had happened to Metallica with 1993′s “Enter Sandman.” Jeff was the first to draw a line of integrity in the sand, replying, “We’re going to make a Slayer record. If you can get it on the radio, fine, if not, then fuck it.”

The event will take place 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. All ages are welcome, and paid parking will be available around the venue.

Today, exactly a week after Slayer’s Jeff Hanneman died of liver failure at age 49, the band posted an update on the facts surrounding the guitarist’s death.

The statement revealed Hanneman’s official cause of death: alcohol-related cirrhosis, an irreversible scarring of the liver.

“While he had his health struggles over the years, including the recent necrotizing fasciitis infection that devastated his well-being, Jeff and those close to him were not aware of the true extent of his liver condition until the last days of his life,” reads the statement.

“Contrary to some reports, Jeff was not on a transplant list at the time of his passing, or at any time prior to that. In fact, by all accounts, it appeared that he had been improving. He was excited and looking forward to working on a new record.”

In the same press release, Slayer announced that a public memorial in Hanneman’s honor will take place at a still-to-be-determined date and location.

Here is the remainder of the message on the band’s website:

“While the details are being worked out now, Slayer wants its fans to know that there will be a celebration of Jeff Hanneman’s life sometime later this month, along with Jeff’s family and friends, the public will be invited to attend. More information will be posted here [futureusgalleryslayer.net] soon.

“Kerry King and Tom Araya are trying to deal with the loss of their brother by remembering some the good times they shared.

“KERRY: “I had so many great times with Jeff…in the early days when we were out on the road, he and I were the night owls, we would stay up all night on the bus, just hanging out, talking, watching movies…World War II movies, horror movies, we watched Full Metal Jacket so many times, we could practically recite all of the dialogue.”

“TOM: “When we first formed Slayer, we used to rehearse all the time, religiously, 24/7. Jeff and I spent a lot of time hanging out together, he lived in my father’s garage which was also our rehearsal space. When he got his own apartment, he had an 8-track and I would go there to record songs I’d written, not Slayer songs, other stuff I’d written. At a certain point, you still have the band but you start your own lives outside of the band, so that 24/7 falls to the side, you don’t spend as much time together as you once did. I miss those early days.”

“KERRY: “He was a gigantic World War II buff, his father served in that war, so when Slayer played Russia for the first time – I think it was 1998 – Jeff and I went to one of Moscow’s military museums. I’ll never forget him walking around that place, looking at all of the tanks, weapons and other exhibits. He was like a kid on Christmas morning. But that was Jeff’s thing, he knew so much about WW II history, he could have taught it in school.”

“TOM: “We were in New York recording South of Heaven. Jeff and I were at the hotel and we had to get to the studio – I think it was called Chung King, a real rundown place. So we left the hotel and decided to walk, but then it started raining. We walked maybe five blocks, and it was raining so hard, we were totally soaked, so we decided to get a cab. Here we are, two dudes with long hair and leather jackets, absolutely soaked, thumbing to the studio. No one would stop. We had to walk the entire way. Jeff was a lifeline of Slayer, he wrote so many of the songs that the band will always be known for. He had a good heart, he was a good guy.”

The biggest names in hard-rock and heavy-metal gathered at Club Nokia in Los Angeles May 2, 2013, for the fifth annual Revolver Golden Gods Award Show. During the event, Revolver paid tribute to some of the fallen heroes of the heavy-music community. Now you can watch the video below. Rest in peace.

An untold number of heavy metal artists and fans, many of whom are at Club Nokia in Los Angeles for tonight’s 5th Annual Revolver Golden Gods Awards, instantly expressed their grief over Hanneman’s death via Twitter. As a tribute to the late guitarist, who died May 2, 2013, of liver failure, tonight’s Golden Gods show is dedicated to Hanneman.

Here are several tweets, with more on the way:

ZAKK WYLDE: RIP brother. You will be missed.

DAVE MUSTAINE: Tonight one less star will be shining and sadly, the stage got just a little bit darker. Jeff Hanneman 1964-2013.

MACHINE HEAD: RIP Jeff Hanneman. One of the greatest songwriters in all of metal let alone music. Our hearts go out to his family and band mates.

SEYMOUR DUNCAN: A member of the Big Four has passed away. Horns up for Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman

NIKKI SIXX: Just heard the sad news about Jeff Hanneman of Slayer. My condolences to his family,the band and all his friends and fans..RIP

DEATH ANGEL: R.I.P. Jeff Hanneman. Love & respect to the Slayer family.

DAVID ELLEFSON: My condolences to Slayer and Jeff Hanneman’s family today.

RANCID: Our heart goes out Jeff Hanneman’s friends and family. You will be missed man.

SLASH: Tragic & shocking news about Jeff Hanneman. He is going to missed by so many. What a sad day for Metal. RIP man.

GIBSON GUITAR: RIP Jeff Hanneman. You will be greatly missed.

ALEX SKOLNICK: Sad news. RIP JH. He’ll be remembered at #GoldenGods

TESTAMENT: R.I.P. Jeff Hanneman, brother in thrash.

HATEBREED: Rest In Peace Jeff Hanneman! A True Heavy Metal LEGEND!

DINO CAZARES: I’m extremely shocked and sad to hear about Jeff Hanneman. He was a huge influence on my playing when I was growing up.

CHIMAIRA: RIP Jeff Hanneman. Icon

GUS G.: Gutted to read the news. RIP Jeff Hanneman the music world has lost yet another one of the greats

ROBERT CAGGIANO: Wow… I just heard some really sad news . R.I.P. Jeff Hanneman

MIKE PORTNOY: WOW….I’m in shock…RIP Jeff Hanneman….wow….

JOSE MANGIN: Crushed out here in Cali about untimely passing of Jeff Hanneman @Slayer, the #goldengods will be dedicated to Jeff & his legendary riffs!

IN FLAMES: We are so devasted to hear about the passing of Jeff Hanneman. One of the greatest have passed on and please,…

EDDIE TRUNK: Tragic news of @Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman passing away

DUFF McKAGAN: Jeff Hanneman of @Slayer RIP. Wow. I’m so very sorry for your loss Hanneman family.

Only two years after contracting an extremely rare skin disease, Slayer guitarist and co-founder Jeff Hanneman died Thursday, May 2, of liver failure at a Southern California hospital.

Slayer announced the news Thursday afternoon by posting this statement on the band’s website, Facebook page and Twitter feed:

“Slayer is devastated to inform [futureusgalleryyou] that their bandmate and brother, Jeff Hanneman, passed away at about 11 a.m. this morning near his Southern California home. He was 49.

“Hanneman was in an area hospital when he suffered liver failure. He is survived by his wife Kathy, his sister Kathy and his brothers Michael and Larry, and will be sorely missed.”

Hanneman, an extremely gifted thrash guitarist, has appeared on the cover of Guitar World magazine and was voted one of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time by Guitar World readers in 2012. In our Greatest Guitarists readers poll, he earned the No. 85 spot, just ahead of Peter Frampton.

Hanneman hasn’t toured with Slayer since early 2011, when he contracted necrotizing fasciitis from a spider bite. Exodus’ Gary Holt stood in for Hanneman starting that February. Pat O’Brien joined the band when Holt returned to Exodus in 2011.

After not appearing live with the band since October 2010, Hanneman joined Slayer at a Big 4 concert in Indio, California, in April 2011. He surprised the crowd of 50,000 when he walked onto the stage unannounced and played “South of Heaven” and “Angel of Death.” Backstage in Slayer’s dressing room, Hanneman relaxed on a couch and said, “I’m the happiest man in the world.”

In 2011, Slayer updated fans about Hanneman’s health:

“As you know, Jeff was bitten by a spider more than a year ago, but what you may not have known was that for a couple of days after he went to the ER, things were touch-and-go. There was talk that he might have to have his arm amputated, and we didn’t know if he was going to pull through at all. He was in a medically-induced coma for a few days and had several operations to remove the dead and dying tissue from his arm. So, understand, he was in really, really bad shape. It’s been about a year since he got out of the hospital, and since then, he had to learn to walk again, he’s had several painful skin grafts, he’s been in rehab doing exercises to regain the strength in his arm; but best of all, he’s been playing guitar.”

Hanneman was born January 31, 1964, in Oakland, California, and acquired a Gibson Les Paul as a teenager after saving $500.

“Two months after that [futureusgalleryin 1981], I met Kerry [futureusgalleryKing], and that’s how Slayer got started,” Hanneman told Guitar World. “I worked in an office building at the time, and this other band practiced in one of the rooms. After work, I’d go hang out with those guys and play, just to learn the instrument. Kerry was actually trying out for that band, but we were more in tune with one another, musically speaking, so we decided to start a group. He also played with Tom [futureusgalleryAraya] in another band, and he knew a drummer that lived on his block. So it all just fell together.”

In 1984, Hanneman, Dave Lombardo and Suicidal Tendencies’ guitarist, Rocky George, had a brief punk side project called Pap Smear. The band was due to start recording when Hanneman was advised to avoid the side project by Slayer’s producer, Rick Rubin. Hanneman took Rubin’s advice, eventually using two songs from the project on Slayer’s 1996 album, Undisputed Attitude.

Hanneman and King perfected a twin-lead guitar style that pushed the band to the head of the thrash metal movement of the early ’80s. They have been crowned as one of thrash metal’s “Big Four,” along with Metallica, Anthrax and Megadeth.

Hanneman had performed on every Slayer release and wrote many of the band’s best-known songs, including “Angel of Death” and “South of Heaven.” His compositions have been recorded by Hatebreed, Children of Bodom, Hellsongs and Cradle of Filth and sampled by Styles-P.

Funeral arrangements are still pending.

Reaction from the rock and metal world

Heavy metal Artists and fans, many of whom were gathered at Club Nokia in Los Angeles for the 5th annual Revolver Golden Gods Awards, expressed their grief over Hanneman’s death via Twitter. The Golden Gods show was dedicated to Hanneman.

Here are some tweets; for more reactions from artists and gear manufacturers, head here.

SLASH: Tragic & shocking news about Jeff Hanneman. He is going to missed by so many. What a sad day for Metal. RIP man.

ALEX SKOLNICK: Sad news. RIP JH. He’ll be remembered at #GoldenGods

TESTAMENT: R.I.P. Jeff Hanneman, brother in thrash.

HATEBREED: Rest In Peace Jeff Hanneman! A True Heavy Metal LEGEND!

DINO CAZARES: I’m extremely shocked and sad to hear about Jeff Hanneman. He was a huge influence on my playing when I was growing up.

CHIMAIRA: RIP Jeff Hanneman. Icon

GUS G.: Gutted to read the news. RIP Jeff Hanneman the music world has lost yet another one of the greats

ROBERT CAGGIANO: Wow… I just heard some really sad news . R.I.P. Jeff Hanneman

MIKE PORTNOY: WOW….I’m in shock…RIP Jeff Hanneman….wow….

JOSE MANGIN: Crushed out here in Cali about untimely passing of Jeff Hanneman @Slayer, the #goldengods will be dedicated to Jeff & his legendary riffs!

IN FLAMES: We are so devasted to hear about the passing of Jeff Hanneman. One of the greatest have passed on and please,…

EDDIE TRUNK: Tragic news of @Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman passing away

DUFF McKAGAN: Jeff Hanneman of @Slayer RIP. Wow. I’m so very sorry for your loss Hanneman family.

Chris Krovatin is the author of three young adult novels,

With death metal and hardcore leading the mall-promoted face of metal (or whatever the fuck people under 20 care about these days, God, I need a drink), breakdowns have become a staple point within the genre. Every dude who likes swinging a ham-sized fist around for no reason spends much of any metal concert waiting for that moment when things slow down and he can stomp around like a violent turtle. There’s even an entire genre now, “deathcore” that seems to be composed entirely of breakdowns. Chug-chug, slam-slam, we all love a good breakdown.

What aren’t always given their due, however, are speed-up parts, the moment where a mid-paced song bursts into a thrash section and some dude in the pit is given the go-ahead to hold up his index finger and spin it around, signaling the much-loved circle pit. I’ve always adored these moments, when a normal song explodes into a barrage of speed and aggression, as I’m much more of an old-school mosher, the running and slamming and freewheeling type, than the modern karate-kicking dance majors who so often populate the pit during a breakdown. So, to honor both the quick and the deadly (and to piss off scene bros and kvltists alike), here is my list of the Six Best Breakdowns and Speed-Ups.

The Six Best Breakdowns:

1. Pantera, “Domination” Aw, man, the original. Dimebag’s guitar breaks off of that pained wail and rolls right into that steady chug, eventually topped with insane weedling unlike any heard before. Tough as nails, catchy as Hell—the breakdown all others aspire to.

2. Slayer, “Raining Blood” The end of this classic Slayer track is a perfect example of a breakdown that makes a song. With its melodic variation on the opening riff coupled by the neck-snapping rhythm it stomps into, this manages to be both brawny and deeply evil at once.

3. Hatebreed, “Before Dishonor” If there was ever a breakdown to beat on one’s chest to, it’s that of “Before Dishonor.” Jamey Jasta bellowing, “WHAT I HAVE IN MY HEART, I’LL TAKE TO MY GRAVE” helps. Easily the most macho of the breakdowns on this list.

4. Lamb of God, “Now You’ve Got Something To Die For” Just beating that of “Black Label,” the breakdown closing “Now You’ve Got…” is the bottom line for metal kids who want to absolutely lose their shit in the pit. Randy Blythe’s roar over its opening is truly breathtaking.

5. Sepultura, “Propaganda” To be a stand-out breakdown on a record this chuggy and mid-paced takes some stones, but Sepultura pull it off without issue. It’s especially notable given how well it closes one of the faster songs on the record, and does so in a solid swoop, not a fade-out.

6. Anthrax, “Indians” Two words: WAR DANCE!

Band of note: Dying Fetus I really wanted to include a Dying Fetus track on this list, but every attempt at finding the right song made me think, Is this an actual breakdown, or just a Dying Fetus part? Let me take this moment to say that Dying Fetus are kings of the death-metal breakdown, and much of the modern obsession with breakdowns is their doing.

The Six Best Speed-Ups:

1. Lamb of God, “Ruin” Ye-hess. The moment where this song breaks into an off-kilter thrash part is absolutely obliterating and totally satisfying. If you listen to this song and your fist doesn’t begin pumping at this speed-up moment, you’re not doing it right. The sound of someone’s breaking point.

2. Cannibal Corpse, “Stripped, Raped, and Strangled” This Cannibal classic begins with a plodding, heavy-handed riff, but then breaks into a panicked whirlwind of guitar leads and drums that perfectly expresses the insanity of its protagonist. This is how a speed-up can be used as a consistent part, and subsequently craft a song into something better than it once was.

3. Slayer, “Postmortem” Not only is the sudden change in tempo of this song impressive, but the sudden speed applied to the sudden barrage of wordy lyrics—“My sinful glare at nothing holds thoughts of death behind it”—showcases Tom Araya’s vocal versatility. Look, just tell me this: DO YOU WANT TO DIE?

4. Guns N’ Roses, “Paradise City” Oh yeah—even the glamor boys got in on the speed. The sudden supercharged ending of this track takes the main riff and throws it on its head with a big dose of Lemmy. Didn’t think you could mosh to GN’R? Think again.

5. The Crown, “Devil Gate Rider” This Swedish death-metal classic, guest starring Tomas Lindberg of At the Gates, is the best song about drag-racing in Hell that has ever existed. And when it speeds up, you can basically see a checkered flag dropping and smell rubber burning. BORN! TO! RACE!

6. Mercyful Fate, “A Dangerous Meeting” Though not as much a thrash part as the speed-ups above it, the acceleration of “A Dangerous Meeting” ups this chug-along Satanic metal song’s cred, and probably inspired every black-metal band, ever. 

Slayer have released a statement about the news that they have parted with drummer Dave Lombardo, as reported earlier today.

“Slayer confirms that Jon Dette (Testament) will drum for the band on its Australian tour that starts this Saturday, February 23 in Brisbane. As regards Dave Lombardo’s Facebook post, Slayer does not agree with Mr. Lombardo’s substance or the timeline of the events, except to acknowledge that Mr. Lombardo came to the band less than a week before their scheduled departure for Australia to present an entirely new set of terms for his engagement that were contrary to those that had been previously agreed upon. The band was unable to reach an agreement on these new demands in the short amount of time available prior to leaving for Australia. There is more to the account than what Mr. Lombardo has offered, but out of respect to him, Slayer will not be commenting further. Slayer is grateful to its Australian fans for their understanding of this unfortunate last-minute change, and very much looks forward to seeing them at these shows.”

Drummer Dave Lombardo has been fired from Slayer — at least the band’s upcoming tour of Australia.

Lombardo, who has enjoyed three stints behind the Slayer skins — 1981 to ’86; ’87 to ’92; and ’02 until just recently — posted a memo on his Facebook page last night to share the news that he was being replaced for the tour.

Metal Sucks reports that Lombardo has been replaced by Joe Dette for tour. Dette played with Slayer and Testament in the ’90s.

Here’s Lombardo’s entire statement:

“I want to personally apologize to all of our fans in Australia who have bought tickets for the tour expecting to see me in my usual place on the drums.

So that you all know the truth, as of the end of the business day on February 14th, I was notified that I would not be drumming for the tour in Australia. I’m saddened, and to be honest I am shocked by the situation.

Last year, I discovered 90% of Slayer’s tour income was being deducted as expenses including the professional fees paid to management, costing the band millions of dollars and leaving 10% or less to split amongst the four of us. In my opinion, this is not the way a band’s business should operate. I tried rectifying it by letting my bandmates know, and Tom [futureusgalleryAraya] and I hired auditors to figure out what happened, but I was denied access to detailed information and the necessary back up documents.

I spent the Christmas and New Year holidays realizing I had toured all over the world in 2012, but yet, had not been paid (except a small advance) or provided a proper accounting for a full year’s sweat and blood. On top of this, I was told that I would not be paid until I signed a long form contract which gave me no written assurance of how much or on what basis management would deduct commissions, nor did it provide me access to the financial budgets or records for review. It also forbade me to do interviews or make statements having to do with the band, in effect a gagging order.

Last Monday, I sat down with Kerry [futureusgalleryKing] and Tom to rehearse for Australia and to propose a new business model that I felt was the best way forward for Slayer to confidently protect itself so we could do what we do best…play for the fans. Kerry made it clear he wasn’t interested in making changes and said if I wanted to argue the point, he would find another drummer.

On Thursday, I arrived at rehearsals at 1 pm as scheduled, but Kerry did not show. Rather, at 6:24 pm I received an email from the lawyers saying I was being replaced for the Australian dates.

I remain hopeful that we can resolve our issues. But once again, I sincerely apologize to all of our fans in Australia who spent their money expecting to see the 3 of us original Slayer members.

I look forward to seeing you in the future.

Sincerely,
Dave Lombardo”

Metal Sucks reports that Lombardo has been replaced by drummer Jon Dette for the tour. Dette played with Slayer and Testament in the ’90s. Stay tuned for more updates as they develop!

Last night’s season six premiere, which boasted the Metallica-referencing title “The Unforgiven,” naturally had no shortage of debauched moments. Of course, it helped that it started with at New York’s famed and now-defunct CBGB club, which the producers faithfully recreated, and the original version of a song Guns N’ Roses covered: Johnny Thunders’ 1978 bum trip “You Can’t Put Your Arms Around a Memory.” Below, we’ve collected together some of the funniest and most metal moments from “The Unforgiven,” many of which you’ll enjoy if you love spoilers.

Hank Moody’s Total Meltdown

After waking up from a drug-induced coma, after his ex-girlfriend slipped some antidepressants into Moody’s wine, he realized what a total fuckup he became and then got even more fucked up. Highlights—or in this case lowlights—included Moody going to the wrong house and accidentally climbing into a toddler’s bed, his pissing into a whiskey bottle, rather than going to one of the “three-point-five baths” in his agent/best friend Charlie Runkle’s house, and then drinking said piss-key to the stinger of “Deeeelicious.” He ruins a wedding proposal, gets called a “dick in the mud,” walks around with a bloody tissue hanging from his nose, and even sort of title-checks Slipknot when he explains the reason he dropped out of college as, “I’m a fucking disasterpiece.” And then there’s a question he asks Runkle early on, “Have you ever had a throbbing asshole, Charlie?”

The Introduction of Rock Star Atticus Fetch

“It was an honor and a privilege to hold your penis for as long as I did,” said a flight attendant/masseuse/handjob giver to this season’s rock-star foil to Moody, the guylinered and long blonde haired Atticus Fetch (Australian comedian Tim Minchin). Right from the start, the Fetch character is an over-the-top Golden God in the vein of ’80s Ozzy or Vince Neil or, in the ’70s, every Led Zeppelin member. The man has a TV broadcasting his own private satellite feed of scenes from the Sudan on his plane: “I can write a song about it.” He snorts coke off a mirror and claims Moody’s God Hates Us All “was like God came down from heaven and laid his massive, veiny ballsack on my face.” Which of course made him want to make a rock opera out of it—or rather the watered-down Hollywood version of God Hates Us All: Crazy Little Thing Called Love. But since Moody’s assessment of Fetch is, “You’re smug, you’re pompous, there’s no cock in your rock anymore,” there’s likely plenty of mayhem ahead in the season.

Charlie Runkle’s Incredible Hulk Stripper Show

Near the end of Moody’s friends ill-executed “intervention,” Runkle loses it and lets loose a scream dastardly scream. That he accompanies it by ripping off his sweater and then daintily unbuttoning his shirt (see gif) to reveal where he took a bullet for Moody in the last season made it the funniest moment of the episode. All in all, The Unforgiven was a great start, but let’s hope there’s enough Runkle rage to last the full sixth season.