For those who didn't know or didn't even care, June 6th, 2006 was National Day of Slayer. The heavy metal band originally slated their new album for release on this day, but it had to be pushed back in the last minute to the rumoured date of August 8.
National Day of Slayer was simply intended for fans of Slayer to listen to the band all day and at full volume. However, some fans took National Day of Slayer too seriously and vandalized St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers, New York, between the hours of 3am and 7am of June 7 (not National Day of Slayer) as reported on Blabbermouth.net and The Journal News.
The crosses at the main entrance were spray-painted black, 666 was spray painted on the steps leading up to the landing, where the title of the band's 1986 album Reign In Blood was painted in thick black lines. A large pentagram was also painted near the place where Pope John Paul II stood and waved to the crowd on October 6, 1995. On the doors, "Better to reign in Hell" was spray painted on the left door — and continued on the right: "Than to serve in Heaven." A statue of Jesus was defaced and upside-down crosses and more pentagrams were painted on the base of the statue.
"This was planned," said Bob Scully, the building manager, who has worked at the seminary for 38 years. "The wording. The spelling. Young kids wouldn't do it. Everything is very centered, thought out."
Slayer fans and general metal fans are upset that this could further damage the already tarnished view of metalheads while some extreme fans support the vandalizing of the seminary.
According to the article at The Journal News:
The New Testament's Book of Revelation describes 666 as the mark of the beast — the devil. But there seemed to be little support, outside of the business world, for tying biblical prophecy to June 6. In general, biblical scholars agreed with fundamentalist Christians who read the book as a literal description of an impending apocalypse that the date was not particularly meaningful."I believe Revelation, but the mark of the beast has to do with identifying the Antichrist, not a date," said Mark Hitchcock, who has written 14 books about "end times" Bible prophecy.
Article comments
1 - Aaron Fleming
Fuck sake, I listened to not a single second of Slayer last Tuesday. I never knew! I demand billboards for the next date-related event, well in advance.
But after listening to that new song I'm going to put on Hell Awaits right now.
2 - Riss
Don't miss the smashing musical performance of Slayer this week on The henry Rollins Show. Check it out!