Inside Slayer’s Biggest Feud: Money, Betrayal, and a Broken Brotherhood

Slayer built its reputation on aggression, speed, and uncompromising music—but one of the darkest chapters in the band’s history happened behind the scenes. In this video, we explore the explosive conflict between Dave Lombardo and Slayer that erupted in 2013 over money, contracts, and financial transparency. Lombardo claimed that millions of dollars in touring revenue were being absorbed by management and expenses, while the band members received only a fraction of the total income. What began as a financial dispute soon turned into a bitter internal war involving Kerry King, Tom Araya, and the band’s management. The situation became even more complicated when Lombardo refused to sign a new contract, stepped away from the Australian tour, and later made the dispute public. From Kerry King’s point of view, Lombardo had crossed a line. From Lombardo’s perspective, he had been betrayed by the very people he had spent decades building Slayer with. And in the middle of it all was Jeff Hanneman, whose declining health prevented him from playing an active role as the classic lineup began to fall apart. This is the story of how money, contracts, loyalty, and broken trust helped destroy one of the most iconic lineups in thrash metal history.