Every legendary rock or metal band tends to have that one member whose contributions fly under the radar for casual listeners — until they’re no longer there. For Slayer, that unspoken driving force was none other than the late Jeff Hanneman, according to journalist and author DX Ferris.
In a recent interview on Booked on Rock, Ferris, author of Slayer 66 2/3: A Metal Band Biography, shared his findings on who fans believe was the true MVP of Slayer’s classic lineup — and why Hanneman’s presence shaped the very core of the band’s sound.
“The real star of the line-up, the MVP, the one that… part of what I do in the book is I take a lot of fan surveys, so I’m not just saying this is what I think, I’m saying this is what fans think in general,” Ferris said (transcribed by Ultimate Guitar). “I think it was something like 60% of fans said that the MVP from the classic lineup was the late great Jeff Hanneman.”
The Punk Edge That Redefined Slayer’s Sound
Ferris explained that Hanneman’s unique musical background was a major factor in shaping Slayer’s aggressive, raw edge. While many early thrash bands were rooted in traditional heavy metal and classic rock influences, Hanneman brought something different to the table.
“And Jeff Hanneman was a guy who was very much into…the band formed in ’81, ’82, so they were among those generations of people that grew up listening to a very different kind of thing that we think of when we think ‘heavy metal.’ A lot of Van Halen, a lot of classic rock, a lot of Scorpions. But Jeff was super into hardcore punk, and really gave him a different edge that mixed with all the different elements he brought to the table.”
Jeff Hanneman: Slayer’s Driving Force On and Off Stage
To illustrate Hanneman’s intense dedication to the music and scene, Ferris shared a story that captured the guitarist’s raw passion.
“Jeff was the kind of guy that would bring a date to a party and see what the band was playing, and he would ignore the date and go slam dance. And he’s the guy that wrote most of their best stuff. And he is the guy who, shockingly, surprisingly, it still doesn’t feel real, died suddenly in 2013.”
Hanneman’s songwriting and guitar work were integral to Slayer’s identity — a sentiment echoed by legendary producer Rick Rubin, who is quoted in Ferris’s book as saying Hanneman was “the heart and soul musically” of Slayer.
“Absolutely,” Ferris agreed. “Without Jeff, I think Slayer winds up being…I mean, Kerry King would have been successful doing absolutely anything he wanted to do. If he’d have been a parts inspector or just a metal guitarist.”
“But Jeff really gave it an edge and brought it to a whole new, different place. He wrote hardcore-influenced songs, but he also wrote a lot of mythic songs, big metal stuff. On one of their signature albums, I just figured this out, on Seasons in the Abyss, when the band solos, Jeff leads off 7 out of 10 times on that record. So, he very much set the tone for Slayer.”
The End of an Era
Jeff Hanneman passed away on May 2, 2013, at the age of 49, due to liver failure. His legacy, however, lives on through the music he helped create — not just as a founding member of Slayer, but as its creative engine and emotional core.
