Event Pick: Slayer, Testament and Carcass at the National

Feb. 24

By and large, I hate heavy metal. It’s a bastion of he-man stupidity in which icing takes precedence over cake. Having said that, I love Slayer. There aren’t enough profane exclamations in the English language to accurately describe the depth of my love for the group. Ever since I heard its defining 1986 release, “Reign in Blood,” a week hasn’t gone by that I haven’t blasted the undisputed kings of thrash metal at least once. To those unfamiliar, Slayer is a full-on riff onslaught similar to the singular inspirations of the Ramones, Motorhead and AC/DC. It plays a crystalized form of heavy metal that’s distilled to its most liberating extreme. Immensely influential, Slayer rains down torrents of blood at the National on Wednesday, Feb. 24. Joining it are fellow extreme metal masters Testament and Carcass. Doors open for the blaring mayhem at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $47.50-$53. thenationalva.com.

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