Slayer was an American metal band from Huntington Park, California, active from 1981-2019. Formed by guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman, drummer Dave Lombardo, and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya, Slayer's extremely fast and aggressive musical style made them one of the 1980s "Big Four" bands of the thrash metal style, alongside Metallica, Megadeth, and Anthrax. In the original lineup, King, Hanneman and Araya contributed to the band's lyrics, and all of the band's music was written by King and Hanneman.