KERRY KING Reveals His All-Time Top 5 Guitarists

Kerry King 2024 RPM Interview

While appearing on the “Lipps Service With Scott Lipps” podcast, SLAYER‘s Kerry King was asked to name his five favorite guitarists of all time.

He responded (as transcribed by Blabbermouth): “I would have a hard time numbering them, but I can come up with five. [RitchieBlackmoreTony IommiEddie Van Halen, without question. Probably my favorite one all time is Glenn Tipton. And I think he’s the most overlooked. ‘Cause if you look at the leads he was doing and when he was doing ’em, he kind of innovated a lot of that stuff.

“Okay, so who’s five? I’ll go with a super-heavy hitter that’s my bro and say Zakk Wylde.”

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.

According to King, the new music consists of “various religious topics, some war entries, heavy stuff, punky stuff, doomy stuff, and spooky stuff, with Herculean speeds achieved. If you’ve ever liked any SLAYER throughout any part of our history,” he adds, “there’s something on this record that you’ll get into, be it classic punk, fast punk, thrash, or just plain heavy metal!”

As King admits, “Even with a record in the can, I’ve still got so many songs that need to be finished. This is what I know how to do…number one being music, number two being metal. It’s been a part of my life for 40 years, and I’m nowhere near being done.”