Recorded earlier this month at Henson Studios in Los Angeles and produced by Terry Date and co-produced by Greg Fidelman, Implode is now available as a free download at slayer.net as a 'thank you' to the band's fans for their continued support.

Slayer went through some rough times when original drummer Dave Lombardy was replaced by Paul Bostaph and the death of the band's founding guitarist Jeff Hanneman earlier this year.

Later this year, the two-time Grammy-winning Slayer will begin recording a new album, tentatively set for an early 2015 release date. The album will make Slayer history as it will be released on Nuclear Blast Records through the band's own label imprint, closing out a 28-year relationship with Rick Rubin and American Recordings. No name for the imprint has been decided on yet.

Slayer frontman Tom Araya explains:

"Rick has played a huge role in our career, we've made some great albums with him. But today is a new day, record companies don't play the kind of role they once did, and we really like the idea of going out on our own, connecting directly with our fans, and Nuclear Blast is fired up about taking on that challenge with us."

All future recordings on the band's label imprint will be released worldwide exclusively through Nuclear Blast. Label owner Markus Staiger comments:

"I was a teenage rebel when 'Show No Mercy' came out, and I identified with that record. It was the most extreme, aggressive thing at the time. They were then and still are the most brutal metal band on the planet! I really cannot express how proud I am that we are able to work with Slayer to join the Nuclear Blast family. We are ready for that next record and, I'm sure it will go into metal history!"

Slayer will spend the next few months on the road touring major North American and European festivals as well as headlining dates, sharing the stages with Metallica, Iron Maiden and more, but is expected to be back in the studio in the fall to record the rest of the new album.