Kerry King expressed astonishment over the absence of invitations from other bands following SLAYER‘s disbandment.
Reflecting on the breakup in a recent Metal Hammer issue, King humorously admitted to being “a little surprised” by the lack of outreach from fellow bands despite the widespread rumors surrounding SLAYER‘s retirement.
“I got a reputation! I don’t suck!” he said. “I thought maybe MERCYFUL FATE might come knocking, but no. I was like, ‘What the hell is going on here?’”
The musician also acknowledges that he did indeed contemplate recruiting PANTERA frontman Phil Anselmo as the vocalist for his new band at that time.
“He heard some material, but honestly that was about it,” Kerry said. “We talked, emailed, texted, off and on, he’s a hard guy to get on the phone, a hard guy to get responses from.
“I knew, at the end of the day, what the right decision was. I was just waiting for it to fall into my lap.”
King will release his debut solo album, From Hell I Rise, on May 17. In addition to King, the album features DEATH ANGEL vocalist Mark Osegueda, longtime SLAYER drummer Paul Bostaph, former HELLYEAH bassist Kyle Sanders, and ex–MACHINE HEAD and ex-VIO-LENCE guitarist Phil Demmel.
After concluding their last world tour in November 2019, SLAYER, featuring Tom Araya (bass, vocals), Kerry King (guitar), Gary Holt (guitar), and Paul Bostaph (drums), will headline three prominent festivals, Riot Fest, Louder Than Life and Aftershock Festival, marking their first live appearances since then.
King discussed the SLAYER reunion during an interview with Metal Hammer. Acknowledging that the announcement of SLAYER‘s comeback “was not my favorite timing” Kerry expressed his thoughts on the SLAYER reunion saying that “is not going to translate into recording and it’s not going to translate into touring. For me, it’s three shows marking five years since our final shows, a fun, ‘Hey, remember us from before the pandemic?’ celebration.”
Elsewhere in the interview, King asked if he had any contact with Araya since the news of reunion surfaced, King simply responded: “No.”
When asked about whether he finds the absence of communication in this situation somewhat uncommon, King replied: “What’s usual? There’s no textbook for this stuff. It’s not like I’m angry with him or anything, we’re very different people, and we evolved into business partners at the end of the day. He has very different interests from me, and very different outlooks. Does that make me hate him? No. But I don’t need to talk to him every day.”
“It’s not weird. We just don’t have much in common,” he continued. When it comes time to rehearse, I’ll have no problem showing up. We’re professionals, and that’s what we do.”
Reeder, the visionary behind Metal Addicts, has transformed his lifelong passion for metal into a thriving online community for metal aficionados. As a fervent devotee of black metal, Reeder is captivated by its dark, atmospheric, and often unorthodox soundscapes.
