Thrash metal legends SLAYER will headline the 20th anniversary edition of the Rocklahoma festival on September 4-6 in Pryor, Oklahoma, with a special set celebrating the 40th anniversary of their landmark 1986 album "Reign In Blood." The 29-minute masterpiece, produced by hip-hop mogul Rick Rubin and released on Def Jam Recordings — an unusual home for a thrash metal album at the time — is widely regarded as one of the most influential, intense, and sonically devastating thrash metal albums ever recorded, featuring the iconic opening track "Angel of Death" and the legendary closing anthem "Raining Blood" that remain cornerstones of the band's live performances to this day.
SLAYER will close out Sunday night with what promoters at AEG Presents are calling "an event within an event," strongly hinting at a full front-to-back performance of "Reign In Blood" in its entirety — a feat the band has only rarely attempted in their four-decade career. The reunion lineup of Tom Araya on bass and vocals, guitarists Kerry King and Gary Holt, and drummer Paul Bostaph has been performing together since their dramatic return from retirement in 2024 at Riot Fest in Chicago, and live reviews have consistently praised the band's undiminished ferocity, speed, and precision.
GODSMACK and PAPA ROACH headline Friday and Saturday respectively, while Sunday's undercard reads like a who's who of heavy music across generations. BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, led by the legendary guitarist Zakk Wylde, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES with their explosive crossover thrash, and fellow Bay Area thrash veterans TESTAMENT are all confirmed for the Sunday bill, creating one of the strongest and most appealing single-day lineups in Rocklahoma's two-decade history.
The Rocklahoma festival has grown steadily since its 2007 inception at the Pryor Creek Music Festival Grounds, establishing itself as one of the premier rock and metal festivals in the American heartland. Festival passes are on sale now through the event's official website, with single-day Sunday tickets expected to sell out rapidly given the extraordinary strength of SLAYER's headlining slot and the historic "Reign In Blood" anniversary angle that adds immeasurable significance to the performance.