SLAYER To Play 'Last French Show Ever' At Next Year's HELLFEST

SLAYER has announced that it will play its "last French show ever" at next year's Hellfest.

The 2019 edition of the annual festival will be held June 21-23 in Clisson and will also include appearances by MANOWAR, CARCASS, MASS HYSTERIA and DROPKICK MURPHYS, among others.

In a video announcement via Facebook, SLAYER bassist/vocalist Tom Araya said: "We will be playing our last French show ever at Hellfest next summer. So be there."

Added guitarist Kerry King: "Next year, at Hellfest, we will be doing our last-ever performance in France. I expect to see you all there. Send us off with shots, beers, horns — whatever you've got."

The North American leg of SLAYER's "farewell" tour kicked off on May 10 in San Diego.

SLAYER has U.S. dates booked through August 26 at San Jose, California's SAP Center. The band will embark on the European leg of the tour in the fall.

SLAYER has been touring in support of its latest album, "Repentless", which was released in September 2015 via Nuclear Blast. That effort marked the band's first release since the death of SLAYER's co-founding guitarist Jeff Hanneman.

Hanneman contracted necrotizing fasciitis, also known as flesh-eating disease, in January 2011 from a spider bite in his backyard. The infection ravaged the flesh and tissues of Hanneman's arm, leading to numerous surgeries, skin grafts and intense periods of rehab that forced him into semi-retirement and left him near death at several points.

Hanneman eventually died in May 2013 from alcohol-related cirrhosis of the liver. He is credited for writing many of SLAYER's classic songs, including "Angel Of Death" and "South Of Heaven".

Original SLAYER drummer Dave Lombardo was effectively fired from the band after sitting out the group's Australian tour in February/March 2013 due to a contract dispute with the other members of SLAYER. He has since been replaced by Paul Bostaph, who was previously SLAYER's drummer from 1992 until 2001 and recorded four albums with the band.