“He said, ‘How about Slayer with special guests Slayer?’ We went, ‘Wow, that could be crazy’”: The bizarre story of Slayer vs Slayer, the 80s metal Battle Of The Bands with only one winner
In November 1984, the Los Angeles thrash band Slayer played its first San Antonio show at the Villa Fontana, only to find that a local metal group on the same bill was also called Slayer. The unusual shared billing became a memorable episode in 1980s metal history because the two unrelated bands effectively competed for recognition under the same name.
The concert took place on 30 November at an old country-music dancehall with a wooden balcony and a desert scene painted behind the stage. The local Slayer had already built a reputation in San Antonio’s metal scene, while the visiting Slayer was still emerging; although duplicate band names were not unprecedented, the article says this was the only known occasion when two identically named acts performed together.
- Two unrelated bands called Slayer played the same 1984 concert.
- LA Slayer made its San Antonio debut that night.
- The shared bill became an 80s metal legend.
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Slayer was a thrash metal band from Los Angeles, formed in the early 1980s by guitarist Kerry King, guitarist Jeff Hanneman, bassist and singer Tom Araya, and drummer Dave Lombardo. Thrash metal was a fast, aggressive form of heavy metal that was growing through small clubs, independent records and local scenes in the United States.
At the time, the Los Angeles group had released its first album and was beginning to tour beyond California, but had not yet become internationally known. San Antonio also had an active metal scene, including a separate local band called Slayer, which had established its own following before the visiting group arrived.
Bands can share names when they develop independently, especially before information was easily available online and legal disputes could be settled quickly. The San Antonio concert mattered because the two unrelated Slayers appeared on the same bill, creating a rare direct comparison before the Los Angeles band became the better-known act.