This was my second time seeing Slayer at The Nation. This year's show was heads and shoulders above the show I saw in 2002.

As with any Slayer show, you have to sit through several bands prior to seeing what you came to see. The bands this time around were a mixed bag. Dry Kill Logic opened. They were a growly nu-metal type of band. Their set was lackluster with little audience participation. They introduced a pair of newer songs which seemed to be an improvement on their older material.

Next up was Arch Enemy. They are a Swedish death metal band. Their set was absolutely great. Their female vocalist captivated a good share of the audience with her growling vocals. Each of the musicians played extraordinarily well. Arch Enemy was one of the best opening acts I have ever seen for Slayer...right up there with Soulfly.

Last up was Hatebreed. They performed well and ensured the audience was ready for Slayer. The pit began to intensify during their set. Overall, they were pretty good. Nothing great.

Slayer's time had arrived. As the technicians left the stage, a fog rolled in, enveloping the entire stage, including the elevated drum kit. Minutes went by. Finally, around 9:45, Slayer took the stage with Darkness of Christ in the background.

A quick look around the stage showed the band looking as they have in past performances. Dave spent almost the entire set hidden behind his kit. Tom and Jeff were both in their signature black shirts. Kerry wore a shirt with "Jesus Slaves" emblazoned across it. His guitar bore a pair of devil horns at the top.

Slayer quickly tore into a blistering Disciple. The entire audience went crazy screaming the words of this newest Slayer anthem. A fantastic opener. War Ensemble was next. The audience was in a frenzy at this point, reveling in one of the greatest metal songs ever written.

Even at this early stage, the band sounded incredible. Everything was well balanced. Each instrument could be heard easily.

The set took a turn at this point and explored older material. At Dawn They Sleep is an incredible live song. The shifts in the song create mass hysteria on the floor. As the song builds to its "Kill...kill...kill" conclusion, the floor goes insane. Tom introduced the next song as a tribute to the "ladies...six feet under ground..." Necrophiliac was intense with a surprising portion of the crowd screaming out the words to this infamous song.

Next, they shifted to newer material. Stain of Mind, God Send Death, and Payback all received powerful responses to the audience. Each of these songs seem to be locked into the permanent set list and proved to be worthy additions. They continued their set with the violent anthems Mandatory Suicide and Fight 'Till Death. With the audience at its peak, they slowed it down a bit with Dead Skin Mask. Dead Skin Mask is always great live. This night was no exception. The entire crowd sang along with Tom on the chorus with chilling effect.

With the set coming to a close, the energy level needed to come back up after the reprieve. Hell Awaits and South of Heaven played this role. These classic metal tracks worked the audience back into a frenzy. The pit was especially intense for South of Heaven. Without much pause, the main set closed with a blistering rendition of Angel of Death.

The band left the stage when the song was over without much in the way of explanation. It was just after 11:00 PM, typical time for the show to wrap up. Several members of the audience expected a quick version of Chemical Warfare to wrap up the evening. Little did the audience know that the greatest speed metal album ever recorded was about to be played in its entirety.

With the stage still dark, Slayer began to play Piece by Piece. Though I instantly recognized the song, it was a surprise. I was shocked that they would close with this song. Next up was Necrophobic. At this point, the entire audience was beginning to understand what was happening: Slayer's encore was going to be the entire Reign in Blood album. The floor intensified with this realization. It became a sea of violence, moving throughout the entire front half of the concert area. The band fed of this energy and delivered a flawless performance of the classic album. The entire crowd screamed along with Tom as he performed Altar of Sacrifice, Jesus Saves, Criminally Insane, Reborn, and Epidemic

They took a brief break before Postmortem to let the audience know they were nearing the end of the set. Tom let the audience know that Slayer would be back next year, the year after that, and the year after that. The audience screamed their appreciation as they band loaded up for their final assault on the audience. The music erupted for a final time running through a mind-blowing Postmortem and Raining Blood.

By this point, the entire audience was on the verge of collapse. Around 11:30, as the band said their final goodbyes and tossed their picks and drumsticks out, the club emptied into the street with hundreds of limping, exhausted Slayer fans knowing they had just witnessed the greatest performance any band has ever put on.