In a new interview with Guitar World, Kerry King acknowledged that not being part of SLAYER “sucks,” but emphasized that he has no plans to record new music or tour with his former band.
“I can only write the way I write. That’s all I know how to do. That’s all I want to do,” he said. “I mean, me not being in SLAYER sucks. I want SLAYER to exist, so this is the only way I know how to do that.
“To me, it would be weird to do anything else. Everybody knows how I write. This is my comfort zone. I’m a big metal guy. I don’t want to make rock ’n’ roll. I don’t want to make anything else. If people say this album sounds like Slayer, I take that as a huge compliment.”
With announcement of King‘s solo album, From Hell I Rise, and his comments about SLAYER being done seemed like the end, metal fans were surprised that SLAYER announced three reunion shows just days after.
“I was very surprised”, King said. “I made my comments [about SLAYER being finished] based on [Tom Araya] not wanting to play anymore. As far as I was concerned, we were done and never going to play again. To be honest, I don’t know what switched.”
“We’ve been turning down offers to play shows for at least three years. So, one came up that, I guess, enticed Tom to the point where he wanted to roll the dice and try a couple. I don’t know, but that’s all it is.”
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 released 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.
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.
