Tom Araya
Encyclopedia
Tom Araya is a Chilean musician, best known as the bassist and vocalist of the American thrash metal
band Slayer
. Araya is ranked fifty-eighth by Hit Parader
on their list of the 100 Greatest Metal Vocalists of All Time.
Araya was employed as a respiratory therapist in the early 1980s and used his earnings to finance Slayer's debut album Show No Mercy. Much of Araya's lyrical content is about serial killers, a subject he finds interesting, first making his lyrical contribution to 1985's Hell Awaits
with the track "At Dawn They Sleep".
Araya's older brother Cisco played the guitar
, leading Araya to pick up the bass
at the age of eight. The two played Beatles
and Rolling Stones
songs, inspiring his musical interest.
In the early 1980s, Araya's eldest sister suggested he enroll as a respiratory therapist. Araya's father stated he either find a job or enroll in the course. Araya enrolled in a two year technical course, learning about air mixture ratios, drawing blood
, and how to intubate.
In 1981, Araya was approached by Kerry King
, who asked Araya to join his band Slayer
. Araya accepted, using his earnings as a respiratory therapist to finance the band's 1983 debut album Show No Mercy. Araya requested that the hospital allow him time off for Slayer's first European tour in 1984, Araya was denied; "'We need you to come in today.' They’d call me at 5:00 in the morning and wake me, 'Someone’s not coming in, we need you to come in to work.'" After a month of not turning up to work the hospital stated they would fire him; Araya replied "Well, I guess I’m fired."
Araya resides in Buffalo, Texas
on a ranch
with his wife Sandra and two children, daughter Ariel Asa Araya (b. 11 May 1996) and son named Tomas Enrique Araya, Jr. (b. 14 June 1999). He helps his wife run the farm, including looking after five cows and chickens, and often sings country songs to help keep his "singing chops up". Araya and his wife are fans of scary movie remake
s; such as The Amityville Horror
and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
. The two allow their children to watch the movies, making it clear to them that it is just a movie when they ask “Is this real?” In 2006, Araya underwent gall bladder surgery, which made alterations to The Unholy Alliance
tour. Originally set to launch on June 6, the tour was postponed to June 13. Araya was also unable to finish the vocals for a song entitled "Final Six", which was to be included on Slayer's 2006 album Christ Illusion
; later released in the album's special edition. Araya took his children on the tour stating it is "kind of cool to expose them at such a young age. My first concert, I was, like, 17."
one of his quotes is "We have been fortunate, fortunate enough to have lasted as long as we have because a lot of bands don't last that long."
On January 7, 2010, Slayer announced on its official website that "Back surgery scheduled for Slayer's Tom Araya, band's tour plans cancelled through April. Slayer camp working hard to reschedule dates for later this year." As Araya is known for his aggressive style of headbanging, he began experiencing back problems while the band was on tour in Australia
/New Zealand
/Japan
in October 2009. Araya had an Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion
. On March 12, 2010, Metal Hammer magazine had an interview with Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo about Tom Araya's recovery. Lombardo stated that "“He’s recovering extremely quickly and really well. He is just moving forward and doing all the treatments and post operation stuff that he has to go through. He’s doing good.” On May 20, 2010, Slayer confirmed that they would play two songs on TV for Jimmy Kimmel Live!
On June 3, 2011, Araya received the keys to the city of his birth, Viña del Mar, Chile.
bandmates who profess to being atheists, Araya is Catholic. In an interview, Araya expressed his belief that "...Christ came and taught us about love, about doing unto others. That was his preach: Accept each other for who we are. Live peacefully, and love one another." When asked if he believed in God, replied "I believe in a supreme being, yeah. But He's an all-loving God." Araya explained that he has a "really strong belief system," and Slayer's words and images will "never interfere with what I believe and how I feel.... People are not in good shape to where they have to question their own belief system because of a book or a story somebody wrote, or a Slayer song."
Araya commented about the misconception of the band labeled as Satan
worshippers, "Yeah, yeah I think that’s one of the biggest misconceptions towards the band, but next to that just the fact that we’re normal." If guitarist King writes a good song, Araya puts his beliefs aside, "I'm not one that's going to go, 'This sucks because it's contrary to my beliefs.' To me it's more like 'this is really good stuff. You're going to piss people off with this.'"
and "Dead Skin Mask" about Ed Gein
. "Why? I’m trying to see where these guys are coming from so maybe I’ll understand. It’s always kind of intrigued me…"
Araya wrote the lyrics for the Grammy winning song "Eyes of the Insane
" from Slayer’s 2006 album Christ Illusion. The lyrics were inspired through an article in the Texas Monthly
about the casualties of war, and soldiers experiences in having a tough time coping with physical
and psychological trauma
. Araya states "At points in their tour of Iraq, they need help and the military tends to ignore that, they kind of brush it under the mat and hopes it goes away. They try to make everything seem hunky dory and fine and dandy, when in actuality there is a lot of stuff going on that people can’t handle. There’s a lot of soldiers coming home with mental anguish. And the sad part is, we heard about post-traumatic stress after Vietnam
and the first Gulf War
and the military seems to want to wipe the slate clean with every new war."
of Children of Bodom
and Frédéric Leclercq
of DragonForce
.
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
band Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
. Araya is ranked fifty-eighth by Hit Parader
Hit Parader
Hit Parader is an American music magazine focusing on the genres of hard rock, pop, and heavy metal.The magazine was originally started as a pop song lyric magazine by Charlton Publications in 1942. Charlton sold off the magazine before the company went under in 1991...
on their list of the 100 Greatest Metal Vocalists of All Time.
Araya was employed as a respiratory therapist in the early 1980s and used his earnings to finance Slayer's debut album Show No Mercy. Much of Araya's lyrical content is about serial killers, a subject he finds interesting, first making his lyrical contribution to 1985's Hell Awaits
Hell Awaits
Hell Awaits is the second studio album by the American thrash metal band Slayer, released through Metal Blade Records in 1985. The band's previous release, Show No Mercy, became Metal Blade Records' highest selling release; as a result, producer Brian Slagel desired to release a second Slayer album...
with the track "At Dawn They Sleep".
Early life and career
Araya said that he "grew up in a neighborhood that was pretty gang-oriented."Araya's older brother Cisco played the guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, leading Araya to pick up the bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
at the age of eight. The two played Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
and Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
songs, inspiring his musical interest.
In the early 1980s, Araya's eldest sister suggested he enroll as a respiratory therapist. Araya's father stated he either find a job or enroll in the course. Araya enrolled in a two year technical course, learning about air mixture ratios, drawing blood
Venipuncture
In medicine, venepuncture, venopuncture or venipuncture is the process of obtaining intravenous access for the purpose of intravenous therapy or for blood sampling of venous blood. This procedure is performed by medical laboratory scientists, medical practitioners, some EMTs, paramedics,...
, and how to intubate.
In 1981, Araya was approached by Kerry King
Kerry King
Kerry King is an American lead and rhythm guitarist. He is best known as the lead guitarist and cofounder of American thrash metal band Slayer. He co-founded the band with Jeff Hanneman in 1981 and has been a member ever since...
, who asked Araya to join his band Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
. Araya accepted, using his earnings as a respiratory therapist to finance the band's 1983 debut album Show No Mercy. Araya requested that the hospital allow him time off for Slayer's first European tour in 1984, Araya was denied; "'We need you to come in today.' They’d call me at 5:00 in the morning and wake me, 'Someone’s not coming in, we need you to come in to work.'" After a month of not turning up to work the hospital stated they would fire him; Araya replied "Well, I guess I’m fired."
Araya resides in Buffalo, Texas
Buffalo, Texas
This article is about the city in Leon County, Texas. A similarly named place exists in Henderson County, Texas, the settlement of John H. Reagan.Buffalo is a city in Leon County, Texas, United States...
on a ranch
Ranch
A ranch is an area of landscape, including various structures, given primarily to the practice of ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle or sheep for meat or wool. The word most often applies to livestock-raising operations in the western United States and Canada, though...
with his wife Sandra and two children, daughter Ariel Asa Araya (b. 11 May 1996) and son named Tomas Enrique Araya, Jr. (b. 14 June 1999). He helps his wife run the farm, including looking after five cows and chickens, and often sings country songs to help keep his "singing chops up". Araya and his wife are fans of scary movie remake
Remake
A remake is a piece of media based primarily on an earlier work of the same medium.-Film:The term "remake" is generally used in reference to a movie which uses an earlier movie as the main source material, rather than in reference to a second, later movie based on the same source...
s; such as The Amityville Horror
The Amityville Horror (2005 film)
The Amityville Horror is a 2005 horror film directed by Andrew Douglas. It is a remake of the 1979 film of the same name which itself was based on the 1977 novel of the same name by Jay Anson, which documents the alleged experiences of the Lutz family after they moved into a house in Long Island...
and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003 film)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a 2003 remake of the 1974 horror film of the same name. The 2003 film was directed by Marcus Nispel and produced by Michael Bay...
. The two allow their children to watch the movies, making it clear to them that it is just a movie when they ask “Is this real?” In 2006, Araya underwent gall bladder surgery, which made alterations to The Unholy Alliance
The Unholy Alliance (tour)
The Unholy Alliance Tour is a biennial heavy metal concert tour of Europe and North America, with the tag-line "Preaching to the Perverted". The tour is headlined by the thrash metal band Slayer, and featured Trivium, Amon Amarth and Mastodon in its latest edition.-Europe 2004:The 2004 European...
tour. Originally set to launch on June 6, the tour was postponed to June 13. Araya was also unable to finish the vocals for a song entitled "Final Six", which was to be included on Slayer's 2006 album Christ Illusion
Christ Illusion
Christ Illusion is the tenth studio album by the American thrash metal band Slayer. Released on August 8, 2006, the album received generally favorable critical reviews, and it entered the Billboard 200 at number 5—the band's highest U.S. chart position to date...
; later released in the album's special edition. Araya took his children on the tour stating it is "kind of cool to expose them at such a young age. My first concert, I was, like, 17."
one of his quotes is "We have been fortunate, fortunate enough to have lasted as long as we have because a lot of bands don't last that long."
On January 7, 2010, Slayer announced on its official website that "Back surgery scheduled for Slayer's Tom Araya, band's tour plans cancelled through April. Slayer camp working hard to reschedule dates for later this year." As Araya is known for his aggressive style of headbanging, he began experiencing back problems while the band was on tour in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
/New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
/Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in October 2009. Araya had an Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion
Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion
Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion is a surgical procedure to treat nerve root or spinal cord compression by decompressing the spinal cord and nerve roots of the cervical spine in order to stabilize the corresponding vertebrae...
. On March 12, 2010, Metal Hammer magazine had an interview with Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo about Tom Araya's recovery. Lombardo stated that "“He’s recovering extremely quickly and really well. He is just moving forward and doing all the treatments and post operation stuff that he has to go through. He’s doing good.” On May 20, 2010, Slayer confirmed that they would play two songs on TV for Jimmy Kimmel Live!
On June 3, 2011, Araya received the keys to the city of his birth, Viña del Mar, Chile.
Religion
Unlike his SlayerSlayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
bandmates who profess to being atheists, Araya is Catholic. In an interview, Araya expressed his belief that "...Christ came and taught us about love, about doing unto others. That was his preach: Accept each other for who we are. Live peacefully, and love one another." When asked if he believed in God, replied "I believe in a supreme being, yeah. But He's an all-loving God." Araya explained that he has a "really strong belief system," and Slayer's words and images will "never interfere with what I believe and how I feel.... People are not in good shape to where they have to question their own belief system because of a book or a story somebody wrote, or a Slayer song."
Araya commented about the misconception of the band labeled as Satan
Satan
Satan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...
worshippers, "Yeah, yeah I think that’s one of the biggest misconceptions towards the band, but next to that just the fact that we’re normal." If guitarist King writes a good song, Araya puts his beliefs aside, "I'm not one that's going to go, 'This sucks because it's contrary to my beliefs.' To me it's more like 'this is really good stuff. You're going to piss people off with this.'"
Lyrics
Araya’s interest in serial killers inspires much of his lyrical themes, including the songs titled "213" about Jeffrey DahmerJeffrey Dahmer
Jeffrey Lionel Dahmer was an American serial killer and sex offender. Dahmer murdered 17 men and boys between 1978 and 1991, with the majority of the murders occurring between 1987 and 1991. His murders involved rape, dismemberment, necrophilia and cannibalism...
and "Dead Skin Mask" about Ed Gein
Ed Gein
Edward Theodore "Ed" Gein - July 26, 1984) was an American murderer and body snatcher. His crimes, committed around his hometown of Plainfield, Wisconsin, gathered widespread notoriety after authorities discovered Gein had exhumed corpses from local graveyards and fashioned trophies and keepsakes...
. "Why? I’m trying to see where these guys are coming from so maybe I’ll understand. It’s always kind of intrigued me…"
Araya wrote the lyrics for the Grammy winning song "Eyes of the Insane
Eyes of the Insane
"Eyes of the Insane" is a 2006 single by American thrash metal band Slayer, taken from their 2006 album Christ Illusion. The lyrics explore an American soldier's mental anguish following his return home from the second Gulf War, and is based on an article entitled "Casualty of War" which was...
" from Slayer’s 2006 album Christ Illusion. The lyrics were inspired through an article in the Texas Monthly
Texas Monthly
Texas Monthly is a monthly American magazine headquartered in Austin, Texas. Texas Monthly is published by Emmis Publishing, L.P. and was founded in 1973 by Michael R. Levy, Texas Monthly chronicles life in contemporary Texas, writing on politics, the environment, industry, and education...
about the casualties of war, and soldiers experiences in having a tough time coping with physical
Physical trauma
Trauma refers to "a body wound or shock produced by sudden physical injury, as from violence or accident." It can also be described as "a physical wound or injury, such as a fracture or blow." Major trauma can result in secondary complications such as circulatory shock, respiratory failure and death...
and psychological trauma
Psychological trauma
Psychological trauma is a type of damage to the psyche that occurs as a result of a traumatic event...
. Araya states "At points in their tour of Iraq, they need help and the military tends to ignore that, they kind of brush it under the mat and hopes it goes away. They try to make everything seem hunky dory and fine and dandy, when in actuality there is a lot of stuff going on that people can’t handle. There’s a lot of soldiers coming home with mental anguish. And the sad part is, we heard about post-traumatic stress after Vietnam
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
and the first Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
and the military seems to want to wipe the slate clean with every new war."
Equipment
Araya endorses Ampeg amplifiers and ESP-guitars which are currently marketing Tom Araya signature basses. He is one of only three bassists to have an ESP signature model, the other two being Henkka SeppäläHenkka Seppälä
Henri Samuli Seppälä , better known as Henkka T. Blacksmith, is the bassist of the Finnish metal band Children of Bodom. Henkka is responsible for backing vocals both on studio and live....
of Children of Bodom
Children of Bodom
Children of Bodom is a Finnish heavy metal band from Espoo. Formed in 1993, the group currently consists of Alexi Laiho , Roope Latvala , Janne Wirman , Henkka Seppälä , and Jaska Raatikainen...
and Frédéric Leclercq
Frédéric Leclercq
Frédéric Leclercq is the bassist and backing vocalist for power metal band DragonForce and the guitarist/vocalist in his own band, Maladaptive. He is a session musician for various other bands, including George Lynch's Souls of We...
of DragonForce
DragonForce
DragonForce are an English power metal band from London. Formed in 1999, the group is known for its long and fast guitar solos, fantasy-based lyrics, and electronic sounds in their music to add to their retro video game-influenced sound. Guitarists Herman Li and Sam Totman are the only two...
.
- ESPESP Guitars, located in North Hollywood, California, is an American-based, Japanese-owned manufacturer of electric guitars and basses.- History :In 1975, Hisatake Shibuya opened a shop called Electric Sound Products in Tokyo. It provided custom replacement parts for guitars. In 1976, ESP gained a reputation...
- Tom Araya signature bass - B.C. RichB.C. RichB.C. Rich is a manufacturer of guitars and bass guitars founded by the late Bernardo Chavez Rico in 1969. Currently, most B.C. Rich guitars are manufactured in Asia, but luthiers of the company's custom shop continue to hand-make instruments. The Hanser Music Group, based in Kentucky, operates B.C....
basses - EMGEMG, Inc.EMG, Inc. is the current legal name of a company based in Santa Rosa, California which manufactures guitar pickups and EQ accessories. Founded in 1976, the company was originally called Dirtywork Studios. The name was changed to "Overlend" in 1978 and then to the current name in 1983...
pickups - Bartolini pickups
- D'AddarioD'AddarioD'Addario is a manufacturer of musical instrument strings, primarily guitar strings, currently headquartered in Farmingdale, Long Island, New York...
strings - D'Andrea Picks and straps (he used his fingers before South of HeavenSouth of HeavenSouth of Heaven is the fourth studio album by American thrash metal band Slayer. Released on July 5, 1988, the album was the band's second collaboration with record producer Rick Rubin, whose production skills on Slayer's previous album Reign in Blood had helped the band's sound evolve.South of...
) - Ampeg SVTAmpeg SVTThe Ampeg SVT is a bass amplifier made by Ampeg. The SVT, which stands for "Super Valve Technology", was designed by Bill Hughes and introduced in 1969. The SVT bass head produced 300 watts at a time when most amplifiers made less than 100. The SVT has been through many design changes over the...
-2PRO heads - Ampeg SVT-4PRO heads
- Ampeg SVT-810E 8x10 cabinets