Heavy Metal Sunday will never be the one to blindly follow

kshandra here, stepping up to the plate for an overworked gridlore to celebrate the memory of Jeff Hanneman, founding member of Slayer, who passed away unexpectedly last week of alcohol-related liver failure. He was 49.

Hanneman and fellow guitarist Kerry King founded Slayer in 1981 in Huntington Park, CA. The band would ultimately come to be known as one of the Big Four in thrash metal, alongside Metallica, Megadeth, and Anthrax. In a blog post on the band's website, bassist/vocalist Tom Araya said, "Jeff was a lifeline of Slayer, he wrote so many of the songs that the band will always be known for. He had a good heart, he was a good guy."

From a July 2006 appearance on The Henry Rollins Show, here is Slayer performing "Disciple," from their album God Hates Us All.