For fans of thrash metal, SLAYER‘s 2019 retirement was a seismic moment—the end of an era for one of the genre’s most brutal and influential bands. But for guitarist Kerry King, the announcement came with a mix of frustration and foresight. In a recent interview with Sweetwater’s Nick Bowcott, King opened up about the lead-up to SLAYER’s retirement and how Tom Araya’s hesitation to make things official pushed him to begin planning his next chapter.
“At the end of SLAYER, when Tom finally told everybody… I knew probably six months before anybody else,” King revealed. “And he was just dragging his feet to tell people.” The guitarist explained that as the band neared a scheduled photo shoot, Araya still hadn’t informed the rest of the group of his intention to retire. “I said, ‘Listen, this isn’t an argument. But you’ve got to tell these guys, and if you don’t, I’m not coming to the photoshoot, because what are we taking photos of, if nobody knows what’s happening?’”
That pivotal moment became the unofficial starting line for King’s solo career. Once Araya finally informed the band of his decision, King immediately told longtime SLAYER drummer Paul Bostaph, “I’ve got something for you. I’m not finishing; I’ve got tons of stuff. I’ve got plenty of records’ worth of stuff we could put out.” He also floated the idea past guitarist Gary Holt, making it clear that his musical journey was far from over.
Though the end of SLAYER was framed as the band bowing out at the top of their game, King has never been shy about his dissatisfaction with the timing. In a 2023 interview, he admitted to feeling “anger” over the breakup, calling it “premature” and pointing out that many of his own “childhood heroes are still playing.”
During a recent interview with Rolling Stone Brasil, King explained why he choose not to bring Holt into his new band. Although King and Holt had a long-standing friendship and musical connection, King worried that including Holt in his new band would give critics more ammunition to attack him for relying too heavily on his SLAYER past.
“Gary’s my friend, I brought it up to Holt,” King admitted. “But, as time went by, and I had time to think about it, I thought the more pieces I had from the SLAYER puzzle, it would give people more ammunition to talk s**t about me.”
Instead, King chose Phil Demmel, whose work with VIO-LENCE and MACHINE HEAD aligned well with the sonic direction he wanted to pursue. King emphasized that while he and Holt had a great history together, he wanted his solo band to stand on its own without being seen as just an extension of SLAYER.
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.