Kerry King has confirmed that 2024’s Slayer reunion will not translate right into a full-scale comeback. Talking to Australia’s Steel Roos, the thrash steel icon was utterly up entrance about what the longer term holds for Slayer.
“Mark my phrase: we’re by no means gonna make a document once more, we’re by no means gonna tour once more,” he says. “As a result of that was the very last thing. We mentioned, ‘That is our remaining tour.’ It [then] took 5 years for us to return and say, ‘Hey, this is a few exhibits, five-year anniversary.'”
Slayer made a shock return to stay levels in 2024 once they had been introduced for Riot Fest, Aftershock and Louder Than Life festivals within the US. In the end, they solely performed the previous two occasions, as excessive climate situations compelled them to cancel their look in Kentucky as Hurricane Helene hit. Louder Than Life have since confirmed that Slayer will return in 2025.
Earlier this 12 months King launched his much-anticipated solo venture and launched their debut album, From Hell I Rise. That includes an all-star solid of musiciains together with Demise Angel vocalist Mark Osegueda, former Machine Head guitarist Phil Demmel, ex-Hellyeah bassist Kyle Sanders and frequent Slayer collaborator Paul Bostaph on drums, the band made their stay debut at Reggie’s Rock Membership in Chicago, Illinois in Might.
The group are set to tour for a lot of 2025, beginning in San Francisco on January 15, they’re going to tour the US and Canada earlier than heading to South America in Might for some choose appearances south of the equator. They’re then as a consequence of tour Europe from July 29 with UK exhibits in August.
King beforehand hinted to Hammer that he’d already bought concepts for a second solo album – however admitted any notion of recording can be tour dependent. “I shall be ready to document subsequent 12 months, however relying how lengthy the tour cycle is, that’s a gray space,” he mentioned.
“I’m old-fashioned, which is why we did an album,” he said. “However I’ve gotta inform ya, there’s nothing that claims albums are the trail of the longer term. Possibly we put out 4 songs, go on tour. Then one other 4 songs, one other tour. I’m unsure. I’m planning on doing a second document and we’ll see what the general public calls for when that occurs.”
Elsewhere in his interview with Steel Roos, King was requested if there have been any musicians – dwelling or useless – he’d have collaborated with, given the possibility.
“I might go the useless route, as a result of what’s enjoyable making up individuals who’re alive?” He quips. “It might be [Ronnie James] Dio. I did not know Dio lengthy sufficient – I did not meet him till like 2006. I used to be a large fan, and once I met him I used to be wasted. It was comedy!”
“We had been in Japan, doing one of many festivals you do there; Beast Feast, Loud Park, no matter it’d’ve been,” he continues. “And our manufacturing supervisor was Black Sabbath’s outdated manufacturing supervisor, so he knew Ronnie. So we’re on the bar and I am on the brink of go to mattress – you play actually early in Japan so [getting] drunk comes loads sooner than typical – and I used to be going to mattress so I may inform myself, ‘Good, you recognize when to go to mattress.’ I see [our production manager] over there with Ronnie James Dio and I am like… ‘Fuck! I wanna go meet Ronnie James Dio.’ So I am going fuckin’ stumbling over to the desk and I say, ‘Charlie! Why do not you introduce me to your good friend?’ And [Dio] stands up and is like, ‘Hey Kerry, how’re you?’ and it is similar to, ‘Ronnie James Dio is aware of my identify, fuck yeah!'”
“He is one in all my high two singers of all-time,” King finishes. “I solely give him quantity two as a result of there is a man known as Rob Halford on this planet, who’s my hero. For a second guitar participant? It is gotta be Dime [much-missed Pantera/Damageplan guitarist Dimebag Darrell], he is my boy.
“We had been gonna do a music collectively earlier than he bought taken from us [Darrell was shot and killed during a performance in Columbus, Ohio on December 8, 2004]. The day we had been gonna do it, was the day he had lots of press. So I used to be like, ‘Don’t be concerned, we’ll do it, we have time.’ We had been gonna do Snortin’ Whiskey, Drinkin’ Cocaine [originally by Pat Travers] and each gonna sing it.”
Watch the total interview with Steel Roos beneath.
