JEFF HANNEMAN & KERRY KING

Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King were founding members of Slayer, formed in Huntington Park in 1981. Together, they built one of the most iconic and uncompromising guitar partnerships in the history of heavy metal. Their songwriting and sonic vision defined thrash metal — heavier, faster, and darker than anything that came before — setting the standard against which every heavy act since has been measured.

From the genre-defining Reign in Blood, widely hailed as one of the greatest thrash metal albums of all time, through a catalog spanning 12 studio albums and multiple Gold records, Hanneman and King’s guitar work — anchored by the unmistakable bass and vocals of Tom Araya — created a sonic force unlike anything the world had heard before.

Together, they earned Slayer five Grammy nominations, two Grammy wins, placement in “The Big Four” alongside Metallica, Megadeth, and Anthrax, as well as a dedicated exhibit at the Smithsonian Institution recognizing the band’s role in the origins of thrash metal. Revolver recognized Hanneman and King together as the most mind-blowing guitar team in metal history.

Jeff Hanneman passed away on May 2, 2013. Together, Hanneman and King created a body of work that will forever stand as the definitive blueprint for thrash metal.