A harrowing “end of the world” song, “World Painted Blood,” the title track from Slayer’s most recent release, has been nominated for a Grammy Award in the category of “Best Metal Performance.” This is the band’s fifth Grammy nod, with the band having taken home the prize twice, first for “Eyes of the Insane” in 2006, and then again with “Final Six” in 2007, both in the “Best Metal Performance” category.

“I admit, I’m excited and kind of surprised,” said Slayer’s bassist/vocalist Tom Araya, who co-wrote (with guitarist Jeff Hanneman) “World Painted Blood.” “To have Slayer’s music recognized by an organization as traditional as the Grammys – five times now – is like that gold star that someone puts up by your name. It’s unexpected, but it’s cool.”

The “World Painted Blood” nomination caps off one of the band’s most challenging yet successful years of its career. Beginning with Araya’s successful neck surgery that now has him pain-free, Slayer went on to co-headline (with Megadeth) the “Canadian” and “American Carnage” tours, a UK/European headline dates, the historic summer series of “Big Four” Sonisphere European concerts with Metallica, Megadeth and Anthrax, and the recently completed “Jagermeister Fall Music Tour” that Slayer co-headlined with Megadeth and featured Anthrax.

Slayer’s 2011 will launch with a slew of major Australian festivals, with more North American news to be announced.