Celebrity Name: Slayer
New Company: Independent Artist Group (IAG)
Primary Agents: Michael Arfin, Nick Storch
Department: Music / Global Touring
Territory: Global (Ex-U.S./Canada)
- Thrash metal titans Slayer have signed with Independent Artist Group (IAG) for booking representation outside the U.S. and Canada, with agents Michael Arfin and Nick Storch handling the rock band.
- Slayer continues domestic representation with Pinnacle Entertainment, management with Rick Sales Entertainment (RSE), and publicity with Nuclear Blast and HerFitz PR.
- The signing coincides with Slayer’s active reunion run celebrating the 40th anniversary of Reign in Blood (1986), with confirmed 2026 festival dates at Rocklahoma and Sick New World Texas.
- IAG is rapidly cementing itself as a go-to agency for hard rock and metal acts internationally, this deal follows their recent signing of fellow thrash legends Anthrax.
Talent agency Independent Artist Group (IAG) has signed thrash titans Slayer for representation outside the U.S. and Canada. The deal was brokered by IAG global head of artist development Nick Storch and global touring executive vice president Michael Arfin.
In a joint statement, Storch and Arfin said the band has “passionate fanbases based on their incredible artistry, discographies and track record of extraordinary live performances,” and that they look forward to building on the band’s international legacy.
Slayer continues to be managed by Rick Sales Entertainment and retains Pinnacle Entertainment for U.S./Canada booking, along with Nuclear Blast and HerFitz PR for publicity.
The band is booked for Rocklahoma’s 20th Anniversary in Pryor, Oklahoma on September 6, and Sick New World Texas at Fort Worth Motor Speedway on October 24: both sets celebrate the 40th anniversary of Reign in Blood, their landmark 1986 album.
Slayer’s lineup for their comeback shows features guitarist Kerry King and drummer Paul Bostaph, along with bassist/vocalist Tom Araya and guitarist Gary Holt.
IAG’s metal momentum is undeniable: this follows their recent signing of Anthrax for international representation and Japanese artist Yuki Chiba’s exclusive deal with the agency, signaling a clear global ambition across genres.
Takeaways
IAG is making a serious statement in the international heavy music space. Signing Slayer, one of the most iconic and historically significant metal bands in the world, isn’t just a booking deal. It’s a signal to the industry that IAG is the agency serious artists turn to when they want their global touring handled at the highest level.
With Slayer’s Reign in Blood anniversary tour generating massive buzz and festival bookings already locked in, Arfin and Storch are walking into a live market that’s hungry for the band’s return.
The fact that all other team members (management, label, publicist, domestic agent) stay in place also tells you this is a clean, strategic add-on, not a shakeup.
Will IAG’s international muscle push Slayer into more European and global festival headlining slots than we’ve seen during their selective reunion run? Could more big-name thrash and metal acts follow Slayer and Anthrax to IAG, making it the definitive home for heavy music international touring?
