kerry King, the legendary guitarist of the iconic thrash metal band Slayer, recently revealed that his solo bandmates were caught off guard by the news of Slayer’s reunion for a series of festival appearances this year.In a candid interview with Australia’s Spotlight Report, King admitted, “I never had to do that before, I never had to tell somebody else what I was gonna do, but when the Slayer shows got announced, I hadn’t told anybody in my [solo] band, ’cause it never occurred to me — it never occurred [to me to tell them]. ‘Cause it was nothing to me.”
King quickly clarified his statement, emphasizing that his words weren’t intended to convey a lack of enthusiasm for slayer’s reunion. “I don’t mean it to sound that way. But I know it’s not gonna be a thing. Like, Slayer’s not gonna record. Slayer’s not gonna go on tour. But everybody in my band didn’t know that, and they all got blindsided. [Laughs] I’m, like, ‘Listen, guys. That’s my bad. I’ve never been in this situation.’ So I told them all, I said, ‘Listen, man, we’re gonna keep recording.Slayer’s never gonna do another record. If we do a couple of shows hear, a couple of shows there, it’s not gonna interfere with anything we’re doing.'”
The 60-year-old guitar virtuoso also spoke about the camaraderie he shares with his solo band, which features a powerhouse lineup including vocalist Mark Osegueda (Death Angel), drummer Paul Bostaph (Slayer), guitarist Phil demmel (Machine Head, Vio-lence), and bassist Kyle Sanders (Hellyeah). “Life after Slayer is good. I like where we’re at. everybody in the band has a great time on stage, has a great presence on stage. And when the show’s over, we all hang in the dressing room or on the bus, whatever it may be, and have a drink, if everybody feels like staying up, and it’s just super chill,” King shared.
Slayer’s reunion shows took place earlier this fall, electrifying crowds at Riot Fest in chicago on September 22nd and Aftershock festival in Sacramento on October 10th. The band delivered a blistering 20-song setlist, featuring classics like “South Of Heaven,” “Seasons In The Abyss,” “Angel Of Death,” “Hell Awaits,” “Raining Blood,” and the title track from thier final studio album, “Repentless.”
Unfortunately, their scheduled performance at the Louder Than Life festival in Louisville, Kentucky on September 27th was canceled due to severe weather. The lineup for these reunion shows remained unchanged from their final tour in 2019, with King and Bostaph joined by bassist/vocalist Tom Araya and guitarist Gary Holt.
In a separate interview with Australia’s Heavy magazine, King was asked about the differences between performing with his solo band and Slayer. He responded, “There’s definitely a difference.”
Legendary guitarist Kerry King is embracing a new chapter in his illustrious career with his debut solo album, “From Hell I Rise.” the album, released in May via reigning Phoenix Music, marks a fresh start for the former Slayer mastermind, who is relishing the collaborative spirit of his new band.
“It’s kind of got the feeling of when we started Slayer, kind of, except I have a whole career in my wake,” King shared in a recent interview. ”The excitement is every bit like when Slayer came out — we’re all super excited to be playing together; me and Mark [Osegueda, singer of Kerry’s solo band] hang out every day off. So it’s just getting used to your new friends, really. The music’s business as usual. It’s a lot of fun. The turnouts have been great. The response has been great. So, we’re just digging it.”
King, known for his commanding presence as Slayer’s frontman, is adjusting to a slightly different dynamic in his solo project. “In a nutshell, it’s just coming in with a mindset that I’m not in charge, ’cause with Slayer I’m always in charge,” he explained. “So I’ve been in charge for the last at least 25 years when we started headlining and just continued to headline. But I never had a big attitude anyway. So it’s, again, business as usual, but I don’t come in expecting everything to be, platinum, so to speak. If things aren’t exactly right, I’m, like, it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter. We’re here to play. And then once we do that, we’ll have some drinks and get the hell out.”
Produced by the acclaimed Josh Wilbur, who has worked with heavyweights like Korn, Lamb of god, Avenged Sevenfold, and Bad Religion, “From Hell I Rise” was recorded at Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles.The album has been met with enthusiastic reception from fans.
“Killer, man. It feels to me like it’s been out two years, but it’s only been out six months,” King said in a recent interview with Brian Slagel, CEO of Metal Blade Records, for the “100 Songs That Define Heavy Metal” podcast. “So it’s odd for me when we go play as it truly seems to me like it’s been out for so long,but kids are still getting used to it.every show, more and more kids are singing it back at Mark and us, which is super cool. It means they’re getting it and liking it.”
King revealed that a significant portion of the album was written during the pandemic. “A lot. I was playing by myself for a long time before me and Paul felt comfortable enough to get together, travel. Me coming from the East Coast now, we still play in Southern Cal[ifornia]. So I’ve played a lot on my own. slayer’s last tour was the end of November of ’19, so by the end of the Super Bowl in 2020, I was full force working on new material, new ideas. And I did that for quite a while. I don’t think Paul and I got together until 2021 to start working on this stuff.But at that point there was leftover stuff from [Slayer’s final album] ‘Repentless’. Now there’s leftover stuff from ‘From Hell I Rise’ for the next record and plus all I’ve written since then. But yeah, during COVID, Paul and I both came down with it and I think it was June of ’21 and I was stuck in California at the hotel I stay in for rehearsals because I certainly wasn’t gonna fly home and give it to my wife. But fortunately, mine lasted like three days. It was, like, it jumped in my body, got scared and jumped the fuck out. Paul had it off and on for the better part of a month. So it took us a while to get back to it.”
Musician [Artist Name] recently revealed the final touches on their highly anticipated album were completed in a rather unconventional setting: a hotel room.
“I remember when I was in that hotel room stuck for a few days,I finished the last two lyrical songs I needed and then we were good to go,” [Artist name] shared.
## kerry King Embraces Collaboration in New Musical chapter
**Kerry King, the legendary guitarist of Slayer, recently released his debut solo album ”From Hell I Rise,” marking a fresh start for the thrash metal icon. In this exclusive interview with World Today News,
King discusses the differences between his solo project and Slayer, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on his creative process, and his exciting new musical collaboration.**
**Senior Editor, world Today News:** Kerry, congratulations on the release of “From Hell I Rise.” It’s a powerful album. How does it feel to be embarking on this new chapter in your musical career?
**Kerry King:** Thanks! it feels liberating, to be honest.
It’s really exciting to be working with such a talented group of musicians and exploring new creative territory. There’s a lot more freedom and collaboration in this setup compared to Slayer.
**World Today News:** Speaking of Slayer,your bandmates were reportedly caught off guard by the news of the reunion shows.
Can you shed some light on that situation?
**Kerry King:** [Laughs] Yeah, I guess I should have given them a heads-up.
Honestly, it never occurred to me that the reunion shows would be a big deal to them. Slayer isn’t recording or doing extensive touring, so I thought it wouldn’t interfere with our solo band schedule.
But hey, they’re my guys, and we worked it all out. I assured them that my commitment to the solo band is unwavering.
**World Today News:** You mentioned the collaborative spirit within your new band.
How is that dynamic different from your experience in Slayer?
**Kerry King:** Well, in Slayer, I was always the driving force. I was in charge, you know? But in this band, it’s more of a shared vision.
Everyone has a strong voice, and we all contribute equally to the songwriting and creative process.
**World Today News:** The album was written and recorded partially during the pandemic. Did that challenging time have any impact on the creative direction of the music?
**Kerry King:** Absolutely. Being locked down gave me a lot of time to reflect and write.
Some of the songs on the album definitely reflect the uncertainty and isolation of that period. It was a strange time, but it somehow fueled my creativity.
**World Today News:** What are your hopes for the future of your solo project?
**Kerry King:**
I’m really enjoying this new chapter. my goal is to continue writing and performing music that I’m passionate about, and I’m excited to see where this journey takes me.
**World Today news:** Kerry, thank you so much for your time and insights. We wish you continued success
with “From hell I Rise” and your future musical endeavors.
