10 Rock Bands That Survived The Deaths Of Key Members

10. Slayer - Jeff Hanneman

Slayer is indisputably one of the heaviest acts ever to come out of the metal scene. The group's frantic blend of metal doom mixed with the speed of hardcore punk made for one of the most savage albums ever created. In the early 2010's though, one of the band's major voices was stilled forever.

After initially hospitalized from a spider bite he had, guitarist Jeff Hanneman passed away in early 2013 of liver failure. This was no easy replacement for the band, with Hanneman being the writer of some of the band's most brutal riffs like "Raining Blood" and "War Ensemble." Shortly after his death was announced, fellow guitarist Kerry King announced that the band would continue, even if some of the other Slayer members were skeptical about the group's future.

As the group prepared to tour, they recruited Gary Holt of the band Exodus to fill Hanneman's shoes on the road. Impressed by his performance, Holt became a full member of Slayer shortly after the tour and began work on the band's final album Repentless. As the Slayer machine closes up shop, Holt has settled in nicely as the band continues thrashing each venue to the ground.