When I first saw the announcement about Converse’s residency at the Sinclair, I was impressed. Dinosaur Jr., Chance The Rapper, Passion Pit. All big names that would certainly put on a great show. But then I read the Slayer would be playing a night. I had to read the name again. Slayer? One of the Big Four, pioneers of thrash metal, one of the most important bands the genre has ever seen? That Slayer?

Well, that’s exactly what ended up happening.

Local band Rozamov opened the night with a sound that leaned heavily toward doom metal. This was an interesting choice, but the band made it work. The local trio played the most out of their short set, and despite the crowd still trickling in, managed to capture and hold its attention.

Playing this show, what their vocalist called a “dream come true,” you could tell that their nerves were acting up a bit, but the band turned that feeling to their advantage. They were relentless in their approach, letting out raw unfiltered energy that the crowd enjoyed very much. They also knew what an opportunity this was. The band played their new single for the crowd, “Ghost Divine” which was a titan of a song. If their next release is anything like that song, it’s going to be a fantastically destructive album. The band threw everything they had into their set. Rozamov knew it, we all knew it—we were going to see Slayer that night.

Doomriders came out second. By this time the crowd had thoroughly materialized and was primed with anticipation. They played a more heavy metal/rock sound that would segue perfect into Slayer. Also to that point, they were an older band. Vocalist/guitarist Nate Newton has been playing heavy music around Boston for a long time, and is a member of integral bands like Converge and Old Man Gloom. But the gray in his beard certainly didn’t stop him from producing a powerhouse of heavy rock. The band tore up the place, and the full venue was getting steadily more buzzed by the minute.

Then came Slayer. I’m not going to discuss their setlist here. The band has been playing for over 30 years. If you want a setlist, search them on Youtube. Slayer is a band that plays for oceans of people across the globe on a regular basis. They’re the biggest band to be playing this five night Converse Residency. And they played The Sinclair, for free. The fans knew it, too. They were chanting in between sets. Hell, they were even screaming “Slayer” in the bathroom before the set even began.

This is a band that has done everything there is to be done. They’ve conquered the world, in a sense. But, like all aging bands, their reputation ha become something of a novelty in recent years. Only two of the original members remain, and their getting up their in age. But that seemed to have no effect on them. They produced song after song with such force, that it was clear—this show wasn’t so much an attempt to keep their heads above water, as it was a victory lap for a band that has done it all. Kerry King walked on stage with a Slayer shirt on. It was that kind of night.

Every time Tom Araya tried to address the crowd, he wasn’t fully able to—they chanted “SLAY-ER” at every opportune moment. And Araya wasn’t even upset. He promised the crowd that he would keep the banter to a minimum, and instead focus on the hits. He beamed as the crowd let loose furious applause again and again. The whole band actually looked like they were having fun. The band has gone through a lot in the past few years, but to see them still kicking ass and enjoying themselves was great.

Araya said that the band was excited to play such an intimate, private show. Not many bands would say that about playing a venue the size of The Sinclair. This gave their entire performance a different tinge of electricity. They kept up a shocking amount of energy for the show for a thrash metal band in their 50’s. Maybe they were just coasting on the extreme reverence of every person in that room. It was definitely present from where I was standing. They kept up such a passion that the pit only seemed to get more rowdy as their set progressed. I even saw a decently large man get knocked unconscious.

Good spirits were had, and for that, a large (but contextually small) crowd of metalheads left Cambridge very satisfied. We all witnessed Slayer take the stage and do what they do best. We shared a space with gods.