Tom Araya

Tomás Enrique Araya Díaz (; born June 6, 1961) is a Chilean-American musician, best known as the vocalist and bassist of the thrash metal band Slayer. He was ranked 58th by Hit Parader on their list of the 100 Greatest Metal Vocalists of All Time. Araya, along with Kerry King, are the only members who stayed in the band since its inception.

Araya was employed as a respiratory therapist in the early 1980s and used his earnings to finance Slayer's debut album Show No Mercy (1983). Much of Araya's lyrical content is about serial killers, a subject he finds interesting; his first credited lyrical contribution was the vampire-themed track "At Dawn They Sleep" from 1985's Hell Awaits.

Early life

Tomás Enrique Araya Diaz was born in Viña del Mar, Chile to Chilean parents. His family moved to the U.S. when he was five. He grew up in Los Angeles. His older brother, Cisco, played guitar. This inspired Araya to pick up bass at age eight. The two played Beatles and Rolling Stones songs, which he would later cite as an influence on his own music.

In the early 1980s, Araya's eldest sister suggested he enroll in a program to become certified as a respiratory therapist. Araya's father insisted 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. Araya requested time off of work from his employer, the Brotman Medical Center, for Slayer's first European tour in 1984 and 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 sporadic attendance, his employers threatened termination; Araya replied "Well, I guess I'm fired." Araya brought his children on the tour stating "it's kind of cool to expose them at such a young age. My first concert, I was, like, 17." As a result of his surgery, Araya has significantly tempered his once aggressive on-stage movement, now remaining relatively still during performances. He has stated that he misses headbanging and the "physical connection."

On May 20, 2010, Slayer confirmed that they would play two songs on TV for Jimmy Kimmel Live!

In 2014, Araya made a cameo in the heavy metal horror film Hairmetal Shotgun Zombie Massacre: The Movie, directed by Joshua Allan Vargas.

From May 2018 to November 2019, with the last show being in their hometown Los Angeles, Slayer embarked on what they called their final world tour and dissolved.

Following the conclusion of Slayer's farewell tour, Araya remained out of the public eye for several years.

In February of 2024, just weeks after Kerry King stated that he had not spoken to Araya since the conclusion of Slayer's farewell tour, Slayer announced that they would be reuniting for two reunion shows in the fall of that year. Araya stated, "Nothing compares to the 90 minutes when we're onstage playing live, sharing that intense energy with our fans."

Lyrics

thumb|upright|Araya performing at [[Rock im Park 2014]]

Araya's interest in serial killers serves as inspiration for many of his lyrics, such as "213" about Jeffrey Dahmer and "Dead Skin Mask" about Ed Gein. He stated "I'm trying to see where these guys are coming from so maybe I'll understand. It's always kind of intrigued me..."

Personal life

Araya has a brother, Juan "Johnny" Araya, who currently plays bass in the melodic death metal band Thine Eyes Bleed. He has also occasionally worked as a roadie for Slayer.

Araya resides in Texas, where he owns a ranch with his wife Sandra Araya and two children, daughter Ariel Asa Araya (b. 1996) and son Tomas Enrique Araya Jr. (b. 1998). He and his wife run a family ranch that includes 60+ head of cattle among other ranch animals. Araya reports that he sings country songs to help keep his "singing chops up". Araya and his wife enjoy horror films such as The Amityville Horror and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. The two allowed their children to watch horror films, but made it clear to them that it is just a movie when they asked "Is this real?" His children were homeschooled.

In 2011, Araya received the keys to the city of his birth, Viña del Mar.

Araya suffers from sleep apnea and uses a CPAP machine regularly at home and on tour.

Religion

Araya is a practicing Catholic. In an interview, he 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, he 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 images and words 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."

In 2016, Araya further explained that the main reason Slayer used satanic imagery was to scare people, in particular, the "Hollywood people", wanting to separate themselves from the "androgynous Sunset Strip metal scene of the 1980s".

Discography

Slayer

1983: Show No Mercy
1984: Haunting the Chapel
1985: Hell Awaits
1986: Reign in Blood
1988: South of Heaven
1990: Seasons in the Abyss
1994: Divine Intervention
1996: Undisputed Attitude
1998: Diabolus in Musica
2001: God Hates Us All
2006: Christ Illusion
2009: World Painted Blood
2015: Repentless

Guest appearances

Dirt with Alice in Chains (1992)
Primitive with Soulfly (2000)
Rise Above: 24 Black Flag Songs to Benefit the West Memphis Three with Rollins Band (2002)

Equipment

thumb|Araya playing his [[ESP Tom Araya (bass)|ESP signature bass in 2012]]

Araya endorses Marshall amplifiers and ESP guitars which are currently marketing Tom Araya signature bass guitars. He was one of the first bassists to have a signature ESP bass series.

ESP – Tom Araya signature bass
B.C. Rich bass guitars
Fender Precision Bass (seen in early photos of Slayer live performances)
EMG pickups
Bartolini pickups
Dunlop strings 50-110 (heavy, stainless steel)
D'Addario Picks and straps (he used his fingers before 1988's South of Heaven)
Marshall VBA400
Marshall 8x10 cabinet