Thinning the Blood: Slayer to Unleash 'REIGN IN BLOOD' in Full at Mystic Lake Amphitheater

Heavy metal titans Slayer are set to descend upon the Twin Cities on Sept. 4 to launch an exclusive series of dates celebrating the 40th anniversary of their seminal thrash masterpiece, 1986's Reign in Blood.

The outdoor performance at Mystic Lake Amphitheater marks the band’s premier upper-Midwest headlining date since reuniting for select festival appearances, promising local fans a rare, complete playthrough of the 28-minute extreme-metal blueprint.

Featuring the returning lineup of Tom Araya, Kerry King, Gary Holt, and Paul Bostaph, the group will execute all ten tracks of the album in sequence—from the opening assault of "Angel of Death" to the apocalyptic thunder of "Raining Blood." Because of the record's notoriously brief runtime, the performance will be paired with an extended secondary set covering broader career-spanning staples like "South of Heaven," "War Ensemble," and "Chemical Warfare."

Kerry King unleashing the demons! Photo by: David Rubene

Organizers have assembled a stacked supporting roster to open the open-air event. New Connecticut hardcore pioneers Hatebreed will kick off the music at 6:00 p.m., followed by Venice Beach crossover legends Suicidal Tendencies and Phil Anselmo’s Louisiana sludge supergroup, Down. Rock radio station 93X will host an official pre-show tailgate on the venue grounds starting at 4:00 p.m.

"Reign in Blood remains the high-water mark for fast, aggressive music," noted local music writer Mark Vance. "Hearing that entire record start-to-finish in an outdoor amphitheater setting is something Minnesota metal fans never thought they'd see again."

Tickets for the performance are currently on sale through the Mystic Lake box office and primary ticketing outlets, with both general admission pit and bowl seating available.